Riley finds new lease of life in Zabeel Mile

Godolphin's RILEYSKEEPINGFAITH (Hunting Lion) had shaped up as no

more than a handicap-level campaigner in sprints, but by stretching out

for the first time in Thursday's $250,000 Zabeel Mile (UAE-G2) at Meydan,

the five-year-old gelding might have found his true calling. Kicking on

strongly in the stretch, the Mahmood al Zarooni trainee drew off to a 2

1/4-length decision, and in the process earned his first career stakes

credit.

Another 1 1/2 lengths away in third came the late-running Fanunalter (Falbrav

[Ire]). Kavango (Cape Cross [Ire]) just held fourth by a neck from the

slow-starting Hearts of Fire (Firebreak), who cost himself dearly at the break

but steadily worked his way among rivals down the lane. Navajo Chief folded to

sixth, followed by Across the Rhine, Invisible Man (Elusive Quality), Field

Event (Western Winter), Silverside (Pleasantly Perfect), Caymans (Secret

Savings) and Ferneley (Ire) (Ishiguru). Cat Junior (Storm Cat) was scratched,

along with the also-eligibles Thai Haku (Oasis Dream [GB]), Indomito (Areion)

and Atlantis Star (Cape Cross [Ire]).

Rileyskeepingfaith nearly doubled his bankroll to $307,592 from his 30-5-5-2

record. Purchased for $181,161 at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale

in October, he was making his fourth start for Godolphin. His first two outings

for the yard came in turf sprints, finishing fourth to course specialist Happy

Dubai (Indian Ridge) on January 27 and a near-miss runner-up to the grand

veteran War Artist (Orpen) on February 18. Rileyskeepingfaith switched to Tapeta

for last Thursday's Mahab al Shimaal (UAE-G3) and did his best work late when

garnering fourth to Bankable (Medicean).

Originally trained by Mick Channon, Rileyskeepingfaith had smart form going

seven furlongs as a juvenile in 2008. In addition to winning an Ascot conditions

race as well as a Salisbury novice, the bay placed second to the ill-fated Wingwalker

and checked in fourth in the Horris Hill S. (Eng-G3), all at that distance. Yet

Rileyskeepingfaith was typecast as a sprinter and plied his trade as an exposed

handicapper for the past two seasons.

Bred by M. Barrett in Great Britain, Rileyskeepingfaith is out of the winning

Keeping the Faith (Ajraas), who was also twice stakes placed as a National Hunt

performer. Keeping the Faith is a full sister to the winning Markskeepingfaith,

the dam of multiple Irish Group 3 queen She's Our Mark (Ishiguru). She is also a

half-sister to the multiple stakes-winning hurdler Mystical City (The Noble

Player).

Whispering Gallery sports a mark of 13-7-2-0, $448,786. Last year, he

captured the August S. at Windsor and twice finished second to Laaheb (Cape

Cross [Ire]). While he fell 1 1/4 lengths short of Laaheb in the June 26 Fred

Archer S. at Newmarket, Whispering Gallery missed by a desperate nose in their

rematch in the September 26 Cumberland Lodge S. (Eng-G3) at Ascot. In his 2010

finale, he tired to seventh in the October 23 St Simon S. (Eng-G3) at Newbury.

The bay gelding returned with a victory over Opinion Poll in a January 27

handicap at about 1 3/4 grassy miles, and he made it two-for-two at this year's

Carnival in the DRC Gold Cup.

"Whispering Gallery stays very well," bin Suroor said, "and we will have to

try him in good company in Europe to give him a chance to prove himself. He

needs to improve again but hopefully he can."

Bred by Darley in Great Britain, Whispering Gallery is the first foal from

multiple Group 2 victress Echoes in Eternity (Ire) (Spinning World), herself a

half-sister to English juvenile co-highweight filly Playful Act (Ire), Group

2-winning stayer Percussionist (Ire) and current multiple Group 3 queen Changing

Skies (Ire), all by Sadler's Wells.

Whispering Gallery was part of a treble on the evening for Godolphin and bin

Suroor. Earlier, they had teamed up with EMIRATES CHAMPION (Haafhd), who also

remained perfect from two starts this season when romping in a handicap on the

Tapeta. Likewise piloted by Dettori, Emirates Champion overwhelmed the

front-running Mr Brock (Fort Wood) and pulled away by 4 3/4 commanding lengths.

"Emirates Champion is lightly raced and hopefully there is more to come," bin

Suroor said. "He is improving all the time and hopefully can continue to do so."

The five-year-old, who stopped the teletimer in 2:20 for about 1 3/8 miles,

has compiled an 8-5-1-0 record with $298,224 in earnings. A debut maiden winner

as a juvenile in England, the bay made only two appearances at three, including

a six-length romp in an Ayr handicap. Emirates Champion has now won three times

going this distance at Meydan --early in 2010, and in his reappearance in a

February 17 handicap.

Bred by Gainsborough Stud Management in Great Britain, Emirates Champion is a

half-brother to Italian highweight juvenile and sire Lend a Hand (GB) (Great

Commotion). They are out of the winning Janaat (Kris), a full sister to

stakes-winning stakes producer Trefoil and a half-sister to four other stakes

winners, including Group 3 heroine and dual classic-placed Maysoon (GB) (Shergar)

and Italian champion and noted broodmare Three Tails (GB) (Blakeney).

Bin Suroor enjoyed a third winner Thursday, and that lifted him to the

training title. When Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed al Maktoum's HONOUR SYSTEM

(King's Best) got up late beneath Ted Durcan in an about 1 3/16-mile Tapeta

handicap, he handed bin Suroor his 16th winner of the Carnival, just eclipsing

trainer Mike de Kock's tally of 15.

"We have had a good Carnival," bin Suroor summarized.

"It is totally amazing and a dream come true," said Teal, who operates a

small yard in England. "Ryan gets on so well with this horse and we will wait

and see how he is. It would be lovely to run Dubai World Cup night but, if not,

we have Hong Kong or we could just go back to England."

Enak's tough beats were costly to Dettori, who could not quite catch

Christophe Soumillon for the Carnival riding title. Soumillon edged Dettori

11-10 in the jockeys' standings.

The Group 3-winning Steele Tango has compiled a record of 29-5-8-1, $527,358.

Runner-up to Tazeez (Silver Hawk) as the defending champion in the October 15

Darley S. (Eng-G3) at Newmarket prior to his success here on opening night, the

six-year-old has since finished second to Presvis (Sakhee) in the January 27 Al

Rashidiya (UAE-G2) and sixth in last Thursday's Jebel Hatta (UAE-G2).

"He did that very nicely and we go for the Al Quoz Sprint before perhaps a

trip to Singapore and/or England," Houdalakis noted.

J J the Jet Plane's resume now reads 25-13-0-3, and he has amassed $1,751,053

in earnings. The seven-year-old gelding boasts eight career stakes victories in

his South African homeland -- two apiece in the Golden Horse Sprint (SAf-G1) and

Mercury Sprint (SAf-G1), as well as the Computaform Sprint S. (SAf-G1), Senor

Santa H. (SAf-G2), Man o' War Sprint S. (SAf-G3) and Graham Beck S. (SAf-G3).

J J the Jet Plane will attempt to win the Al Quoz Sprint for a second time.

Transferred to de Kock for the 2009 Dubai Carnival, he won the Al Quoz Sprint in its old guise of a six-furlong affair at Nad al Sheba. He traveled

with the rest of the trainer's international string to England, where he had

mixed results. After romping in the Leisure S. in his European debut, he ran

creditably when fourth in the Golden Jubilee S. (Eng-G1) and even better when

third in the July Cup (Eng-G1). His form began to decline thereafter,

culminating in a ninth in the Diadem S. (Eng-G2) when in the care

of Richard Hannon.

A tired J J the Jet Plane was repatriated, and eventually rejuvenated by

Houdalakis, who co-owns the gelding in partnership with H.S.N. du Preez, C.F.

Strydom and C.D. Boyens. After a two-length score first up off the shelf in the

May 29 Golden Horse Sprint, he dominated the July 18 Mercury Sprint by 5 1/2

lengths.

The bay gelding then made a splash on the international stage in the

December 12 Hong Kong Sprint (HK-G1), defeating Rocket Man (Viscount) and Sacred

Kingdom (Encosta de Lago) in a three-way finish.