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Imbongi hangs on in Zabeel Mile; Hills prevails in jockey challenge

Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Maktoum and B. Clements' IMBONGI (Russian Revival), who missed by inches in the February 19 Al Fahidi Fort (UAE-G2), came out on the winning side of a close finish in Friday's $250,000 Zabeel Mile (UAE-G2) at Meydan. Although that turf contest was the highlight of the evening, the program also featured the inaugural Meydan Masters international jockey challenge, won by Englishman Richard Hills.

In the opening stages of the Zabeel Mile, the Mike de Kock-trained Imbongi was reserved well off the pace by Christophe Soumillon. An early duel developed between Yasoodd (Inchinor [GB]) and Dunelight (Desert Sun [GB]), and the two continued to match strides into the stretch. Yasoodd was the first to give way, but by that time, Dunelight was himself besieged by a host of closers. Stuck behind this wall of horses was Snaafy (Kingmambo), the mount of Hills, who had nowhere to go at a crucial stage.

Imbongi (far right) came out on top in the cavalry charge (Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club) Imbongi, on the other hand, avoided the traffic jam in midstretch. With Soumillon darting to the rail, he slipped through to the inside of Dunelight and struck the front. Meanwhile, Kalahari Gold (Trans Island) found clear sailing widest of all, and came storming down the center of the course. It was shades of the Al Fahidi Fort all over again, as Kalahari Gold threatened to imitate Bankable's (Medicean) heroics of two weeks ago and nail Imbongi at the wire. But Kalahari Gold was not quite Bankable, and the Zabeel Mile was not to follow the same script. Imbongi lunged for the line, and won with about a neck to spare. The classy South African negotiated the metric mile in 1:38 3/5 on the good-to-firm turf to earn his fifth career stakes victory. "I have to be very pleased with that, as we were concerned about the going being a bit firm," de Kock admitted. "Hopefully we will go to Dubai World Cup night (March 27) now but we must decide between the Dubai Duty Free ([UAE-G1] at about nine grassy furlongs) and the Godolphin Mile ([UAE-G2] on the Tapeta)."

Summit Surge (Noverre) made late headway to grab third, and Purple Sage (Danehill Dancer) was along for fourth. Hunting Tower (Fort Wood), de Kock's other runner, stalked the early leaders and was in the thick of things in the stretch, but was outfinished and settled for fifth. Next came Dunelight, Snaafy, Yasoodd, Ocean's Minstrel (Pivotal), Echoes Rock (Tiger Hill), Without a Prayer (Intikhab) and a tailed-off Rio de la Plata (Rahy). The also-eligible World Ruler (Dansili [GB]) did not draw into the field.

Imbongi, who has now won group stakes on three continents, boosted his bankroll to $496,970 from a record of 22-7-5-2. The chestnut gelding captured the 2008 Gauteng Guineas (SAf-G2), KZN Guineas (SAf-G2) and Drill Hall S. (SAf-G2), and finished runner-up to champion Dancer's Daughter in the Gold Challenge (SAf-G1). Competing at last year's Dubai International Racing Carnival, he came up short in a photo-finish in a handicap and checked in fourth in the Al Fahidi Fort and Jebel Hatta (UAE-G2).

Imbongi then shipped to Hong Kong for the Champions Mile (HK-G1), reporting home sixth behind Sight Winner (Faltaat) in a densely packed finish. He spent the summer in England, where he landed the Criterion S. (Eng-G3) and checked in third in the Summer Mile S. (Eng-G2). Freshened in advance of his second tilt at the Dubai Carnival, he returned in a February 5 handicap on the Tapeta and posted a second-place effort in his synthetic debut, his prep for the Al Fahidi Fort.

Bred by Summerhill Stud in South Africa, the six-year-old hails from a productive family. He is a half-brother to Group 2-winning filly Spring Garland (Rambo Dancer), Group 2-placed Prima Versa (Jallad), Group 3-placed Mahubo (National Emblem) and Group 3-placed Full Spectrum (National Emblem), herself the dam of Group 2 heroine and multiple Group 1-placed Oracle News (London News).

Imbongi's dam, the Foveros mare Garden Verse, is a full sister to stakes victor and Group 1-placed Wild Cocktail. She is a half-sister to Dancing Flower (Dancing Champ), the dam of Dubai highweight Victory Moon (Al Mufti) and Group 1 scorer Kelly (Ethique). Imbongi's second dam, Wild Hyacinth (Royal Prerogative), garnered the 1983 Majorca S. and placed in the Allan Robertson Fillies Championship (SAf-G2) and Cape of Good Hope Paddock S. (SAf-G1). This is the family of champion older mare Imperious Sue (Northern Guest), queen of the 1998 J & B Met (SAf-G1), and co-champion colt Turncoat (Folmar).

Frozen Power starred while Tahitian Warrior flopped (Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club) Friday's other two turf races also figure to have ramifications for Dubai World Cup night. Godolphin's FROZEN POWER (Oasis Dream [GB]), a nominee to the American Triple Crown, stayed on strongly to take the spoils in a conditions race billed as the Meydan Classic. Ridden by Ahmed Ajtebi, the bay colt swamped the pacesetting Timely Jazz (Noverre) with a furlong to go and stretched clear by 1 1/4 lengths. The Saeed bin Suroor trainee reeled off the metric mile in 1:38 1/5, a time that compared favorably to Imbongi's in the Zabeel Mile. Oroveso (Dance Brightly) was all alone in third, followed by Godolphin's apparent third-stringer Black Snowflake (Elusive Quality). Godolphin's recent private purchase Tahitian Warrior (Maria's Mon), who had crushed a Gulfstream Park maiden in his career bow in January, never made his presence felt. Trying turf for the first time for his new connections, the gray gelding trudged home 10th in the 12-horse field. Frozen Power had played second fiddle to the highly-regarded Musir (Redoute's Choice) in his two prior sophomore starts. Beaten a neck in the February 4 U.A.E. Two Thousand Guineas Trial, he was beaten by 3 1/4 convincing lengths in the February 18 U.A.E. Two Thousand Guineas (UAE-G3). Ajtebi was not disappointed with those losses. "He ran two great races in defeat, and his Guineas run was a very good one," Ajtebi said. "Perhaps he will go for the U.A.E. Derby (UAE-G2) now."

Frozen Power's scorecard reads 9-4-2-0, $204,294. Fourth on his debut at Ascot in July, he strung together a three-race winning streak -- an Epsom maiden, a Salisbury nursery and the Prix de la Huderie at Deauville. Frozen Power was unable to threaten when stepping up in class in the Royal Lodge S. (Eng-G2), winding up seventh, and finished in that same position in the Silver Tankard S. in his juvenile finale.

Bred by Rathbarry Stud in Ireland, Frozen Power is a half-brother to European champion and dual classic star Finsceal Beo (Mr. Greeley), winner of the 2007 One Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) and Irish One Thousand Guineas (Ire-G1). They are out of the multiple English stakes-placed Musical Treat (Ire) (Royal Academy), who comes from the same female line as Group 3-winning sire Lidhame (Nureyev), French stakes victor and sire Kautokeino (Relko) and South African Group 1 queen Colne Valley (Phantom Earl).

Judd Street (far side) outdueled Star Crowned (Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club) Another conditions event, the Meydan Racecourse, marked the debut of the about six-furlong straight turf course. In this course-and-distance prep for the Al Quoz Sprint (UAE-G3) on World Cup night, the hardy veteran JUDD STREET (Compton Place) prevailed by a nose after a protracted struggle with Star Crowned (Kingmambo). Under a power-packed Kieren Fallon drive, the eight-year-old gelding completed the dash down the straightaway in 1:11 2/5. "He has had to dig very deep to win that, and he has stuck his neck out very gamely," Fallon said. The top two were in a race of their own, pulling 3 1/4 lengths ahead of third-placer Dohasa (Bold Fact). Judd Street is a homebred campaigned by retired horseman R.F. Johnson Houghton and trained by his daughter, Eve. Successful in the 2007 Rous S. and the Cathedral S. last June, the bay gelding was coming off two unplaced performances in handicaps over Meydan's Tapeta. Judd Street improved his line to 54-10-8-10 with $477,888 in earnings. The British-bred was produced by Pudding Lane (College Chapel), and he has a juvenile half-sister named Lovat Lane (Avonbridge).

The four legs of the Meydan Masters were all handicaps contested on the Tapeta. Jockey Aaron Gryder captured the opener aboard Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum's ALAZEYAB (El Prado [Ire]). After holding the early lead in the about six-furlong contest, he was headed, but came again to score by three-quarters of a length. The Ali Rashid al Raihe charge, who had not won since taking a Newmarket handicap last June, now sports a mark of 15-3-1-2, $136,063.

"I do like it here in Dubai and last March was very special," Gryder said, alluding to his record-setting triumph aboard Well Armed (Tiznow) in the final World Cup to be held at Nad al Sheba. "It is great to get straight on the board, and the Meydan Masters is a great addition."

Hills, who had finished seventh in the first leg, came right back to guide Godolphin's SIROCCO BREEZE (Green Desert) to an eye-catching success in the 2ND race. Exploding from the back of the pack, the bin Suroor trainee rolled to a 2 1/2-length decision in an about seven-furlong handicap. The sparingly-raced five-year-old, who was exiting a victory over the same track and trip, advanced his line to 6-4-0-0, $194,382.

"These challenges are great fun for the jockeys, and it is nice to get a winner," Hills said. "This horse had good form coming into the race, and I knew he was one of my best chances."

Richard Hills' victory aboard Sirocco Breeze helped him win the Meydan Masters title (Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club) Kent Desormeaux lifted the 4TH race in a similar manner aboard another Godolphin runner, ONCE MORE DUBAI (E Dubai), in an about 1 3/8-mile handicap. The dark bay five-year-old produced a visually impressive late rally from the tail of the field to run down Hills' mount, Salute Him (Mull of Kintyre), by 1 1/4 lengths, and thereby handed bin Suroor his third winner of the night. Desormeaux celebrated by executing a flying dismount reminiscent of Frankie Dettori. "This is a great occasion and all the jockeys are really enjoying it," Desormeaux said. "Of course, riding a winner is a big help!" Once More Dubai was an Italian co-highweight three-year-old in 2008, when he won two stakes and placed in the Premio Roma (Ity-G1). Joining Godolphin for his 2009 campaign, he captured the Floodlit S. at Kempton in his final start of the season, and he opened 2010 with a close fifth in a turf handicap at Meydan. Once More Dubai has compiled a record of 23-6-3-7 to go along with a bankroll worth $329,699.

In the night's 5TH race, the final leg of the Meydan Masters, Christophe Lemaire masterminded a well-timed run from KAL BARG (Medicean) to get up by 1 1/4 lengths in the about 1 1/4-mile handicap. Owned by Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid al Maktoum and conditioned by Dhruba Selvaratnam, the bay gelding increased his earnings to $267,821 from his 18-5-2-3 line. Kal Barg was winning for the second time at the Carnival, having accounted for a handicap three starts back on February 5.

Hills reported home third in the final leg. In tandem with his victory and runner-up performances in two earlier legs, that was enough to clinch the Meydan Masters title.

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