Dettori masterminds UAE Oaks upset aboard Khawlah

As Godolphin's second-stringer Abtasaamah (Distorted Humor) set up shop as

the pacemaker, Dettori positioned Khawlah in a stalking second. Mahbooba, who

was tugging at Christophe Soumillion in the opening strides, was reserved in

midpack to get her to settle. While the heavy favorite did at last relax, she

had conceded a fair amount of ground in the process, and Soumillon was in no

hurry to launch a bid.

Dettori, on the other hand, sent Khawlah after her stablemate turning for

home, in what turned out to be the winning move. By that time, Soumillon was

trying to thread his way through along the inside. Mahbooba found her way soon

enough, angled out, and chased Khawlah, but it was too little, too late. Khawlah

was going too well to be caught, however mightily her rival tried.

In a measure of their utter dominance, the top two were a long way clear of

the rest of the strung-out field. Electric Waves (Exceed and Excel) crossed the

wire 8 1/4 lengths back in third, and Abtasaamah faded to last of the septet.

"Everything went to plan and she did that very nicely," Dettori said. "It was

a good performance and it would be nice to think she could be competitive in

some good races in Europe."

"That has been a good evening," said bin Suroor, who saddled three winners on

the card. "Khawlah is a filly we really like and will hopefully go to York for

the Musidora S. ([Eng-G3] on May 11). The horses have been running well

throughout the Carnival and hopefully we can continue in similar form."

Khawlah's brilliant synthetic debut advanced her mark to 4-2-1-1 while

boosting her bankroll to $166,175. Runner-up in a Salisbury maiden at first

asking last September, she returned 15 days later to capture a Newmarket maiden,

and came back in another 14 days for the Oh So Sharp, her third race in a month.

With connections nominating the Musidora as her next objective, Khawlah could

propel herself into the June 3 Oaks (Eng-G1) at Epsom.

Bred by Darley, Khawlah is the first foal from the winning Villarrica

(Selkirk). Her second dam is English stakes heroine Melikah (Ire) (Lammtarra),

who is herself a half-sister to European Horse of the Year and dual classic

winner Sea the Stars (Cape Cross [Ire]); dual classic-winning European champion

and international sire Galileo (Ire) (Sadler's Wells); multiple Group 1-winning

Italian highweight Black Sam Bellamy (Sadler's Wells); Irish highweight Urban

Ocean (Bering [GB]); classic-placed Group 3 victress All Too Beautiful (Ire)

(Sadler's Wells); and Grade 1-winning millionaire My Typhoon (Ire) (Giant's

Causeway). Khawlah's third dam is thus French highweight Urban Sea (Miswaki),

queen of the 1993 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1). This is also the family of

Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) hero King's Best (Kingmambo) and Prix du Jockey

Club (French Derby) (Fr-G1) victor Anabaa Blue (Anabaa), both successful sires.

Always up with the pace on the rail, Charlie's Moment put his head in front

on his own volition on the turn. The five-year-old kicked clear on cue at the

top of the stretch and had a length to spare over Global City while finishing

the sprint in 1:11 4/5. Charlie's Moment's scorecard now reads 14-5-3-2,

$300,045. His other career highlights include wins in the Gateway to Glory S.

and King Glorious H. and placings in such events as the Best Pal S. (G2) and

Real Quiet S.

Although Godolphin didn't have any luck in the $150,000 Meydan Classic, the

team's secondary trainer/jockey tandem of Mahmood al Zarooni and Ahmed Ajtebi

prevailed with Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed al Maktoum's INTROVERT (Iffraaj). The

Irish-bred three-year-old was improving off his third in the February 3 Meydan

Classic Trial, and emphatically reversed form with Trial winner Lord of the

Stars (Speightstown) and runner-up Krypton Factor (Kyllachy).

Introvert's first stakes credit increased his earnings to $106,480 from his

9-2-3-2 record. The bay colt broke his maiden third time out last summer, in his

first attempt on Polytrack at Lingfield. This was his third start of the

Carnival, with his debut being a sixth behind Zanzamar (Fort Wood) and Splash

Point (Street Cry [Ire]) in the January 20 U.A.E. Two Thousand Guineas Trial on

Tapeta prior to his third in the Meydan Classic Trial.

Bred by Mrs. T. Marnane, Introvert brought $121,117 as a Tattersalls December

weanling and later commanded $236,625 back at Tattersalls as an October

yearling. He is out of the Sunday Silence mare Isana, a full sister to the

French stakes-placed Celestial Lagoon, the dam of Group 3-placed stakes victress

Maria Gabriella (Rock of Gibraltar [Ire]). Isana hails from the same female line

as Grade/Group 3 victor King of Happiness (Spinning World) as well as German

highweight and sire Robin des Pins (Nureyev) and his full brother, the Group

2-placed stakes scorer and sire Robin des Bois (Nureyev).

While de Kock was deprived in the featured Oaks, he did visit the winner's

circle courtesy of another Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Maktoum colorbearer,

WONDER LAWN (Fort Wood), in the opener. Traveling much better than the stable's

apparent first-stringer, Hunting Tower (Fort Wood), Wonder Lawn rolled from off

the pace for Kevin Shea and galloped to a 1 3/4-length score. The seven-year-old

veteran negotiated about 1 1/4 grassy miles in 2:03 2/5 to improve his resume to

38-7-4-4, $196,707. Wonder Lawn, whose lone stakes victory came in the 2008

Peninsula H. (SAf-G3) at Kenilworth, has also placed in the 2006 Selangor Cup

(SAf-G2) and the 2008 Astrapak 1900 (SAf-G2). The bay gelding has been racing

exclusively in Dubai since early 2010.

"This is probably his optimum trip around here and he picked up nicely," Shea

said. "He is a tough and reliable performer who wins in his turn."

Ali Rashid al Raihe, the reigning champion trainer in Dubai, also added to

his winning tally with MUFARRH (Marju). Owned by Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al

Maktoum, the four-year-old gelding benefited from a textbook stalk-and-pounce

ride by Richard Hills to romp by 4 1/2 lengths over Godolphin's Sahara Kingdom (Cozzene).

Mufarrh covered about 1 3/16 Tapeta miles in 1:58 3/5 while posting his second

win at Meydan, having captured a handicap on a rare Saturday card (not part of

the Carnival proper) on February 5. Most recently third to Haatheq (Seeking the

Gold) here last Thursday, Mufarrh has compiled a 10-3-1-3 mark to go along with

$107,378 in his account.

Navajo Chief, just touched off by Win for Sure (Stravinsky) two starts ago,

was wheeling back off a fifth to Across the Rhine (Cuvee) last Thursday. His

scorecard now stands at 19-4-2-3, $194,338, reflecting a distant third in the

2009 Winkfield S. as a juvenile.