Muntazah Romps in Firebreak

[Wandering Eyes]

Shadwell representative Muntazah (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) atoned for a runner-up performance to Heavy Metal (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) in last year’s G2 Godolphin Mile with a dominant 4 1/2-length win in the 1600-metre G3 Firebreak S. at Meydan on Thursday. Jan. 25 G3 Jebel Ali Mile hero Secret Ambition (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) outfinished Heavy Metal by 3 1/4 lengths for second. It marked the first win in the race for trainer Doug Watson and jockey Jim Crowley.

Heavy Metal jumped straight to the lead, but Behavioral Bias (Shackleford) harried from second, with Muntazah in third while caught three wide heading into the far turn. Behavioral Bias dropped back 700 metres from home and Muntazah drew even with the pacesetter and began to forge ahead through three-quarters in 1:11.52. He crossed the line with his ears pricked as Secret Ambition, rallying strongly from off the pace, got the best of a tiring Heavy Metal.

“I thought he was a bit unlucky in the [G2] Godolphin Mile (last March, when second to Heavy Metal) and that was his first time on dirt,” said pilot Jim Crowley. “Obviously, the Dubawis love [the dirt]. We went quick, as you would expect and I’d like to think there is a bit more to come from him, as well. He is versatile. Although he is a big horse, he jumps well from the gate and he is quick into his stride. Horses like Heavy Metal were going a fair nick and I was traveling easily on the side. He feels a better horse than 12 months ago.”

“We thought he was in great shape last week and we really wanted to try him over the 1900m [of the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2], but he couldn’t,” said trainer Doug Watson, who also saddled the fourth-place Kimbear (Temple City). “He has come back and done that well. It was a tough race. He had to sit three-wide the whole way and picked up nicely when he went by [Heavy Metal]. He’s in great shape and last year he got better at around this time and that showed it right there. I’m not sure what happened to Kimbear.”

Third in the G2 Royal Lodge S. back in 2015, Muntazah was introduced to Meydan in 2018, and won the Listed HH the President Cup at Abu Dhabi last March over 1400 metres. He was a solid second in the G2 Godolphin Mile locally on Dubai World Cup night and was not heard from again that season. Off the board in the Dec. 9 Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup at Abu Dhabi, the gelding was a much improved third in the Jan. 10 G2 Al Maktoum Challenge R1 behind North America (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Kimbear (Temple City) last out.

Pedigree Notes…

A half-brother to the G3 City Of York S. hero Talaayeb (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and listed winner Wadilsafa (GB) (Frankel {GB}), Muntazah also has a 3-year-old full-sister named Ojooba (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), a juvenile half-sister by Dansili (GB) and a yearling half-brother by Frankel (GB). Second in the G1 Epsom Oaks, Rumoush counts G1 English 1000 Guineas heroine Ghanaati (Giant’s Causeway) as a half-sister, and GSW and G1 Champion S. bridesmaid and sire Mawatheeq (Danzig) is another half-sibling. His third dam is the wonderful blue hen, English champion juvenile filly and MGSW Height of Fashion (Fr) (Bustino {GB}). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

Thursday, Meydan, Dubai
FIREBREAK S. (SPONSORED BY REACH BY GULF NEWS)-G3, $200,000, Meydan, 2-14, NH4yo/up & SH3yo/up, 1600m, 1:38.21, ft.
1–MUNTAZAH (GB), 126, g, 6, by Dubawi (Ire)
1st Dam: Rumoush (GSP-Fr, SW & G1SP-Eng, $147,212),
                                by Rahy
2nd Dam: Sarayir, by Mr. Prospector
3rd Dam: Height of Fashion (Fr), by Bustino (GB)
1ST GROUP WIN. O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum;
B-Shadwell Estate Company Ltd (GB); T-Doug Watson; J-Jim
Crowley. $120,000. Lifetime Record: GSP-Eng, 18-3-2-3,
$467,294. *1/2 to Talaayeb (GB) (Dansili {GB}), GSW-Eng,
$172,849; and Wadilsafa (GB) (Frankel {GB}), SW-Eng. Werk
   Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree./strong>
2–Secret Ambition (GB), 128, h, 6, Exceed and Excel (Aus)—
Inner Secret, by Singspiel (Ire). O-Nasir Askar; B-Darley (GB);
T-Satish Seemar. $40,000.
3–Heavy Metal (GB), 126, g, 9, Exceed and Excel (Aus)–Rock
Opera (SAf), by Lecture. O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al
Maktoum; B-Darley (GB); T-Sandeep Jadhav. $20,000.
Margins: 4HF, 3 1/4, 1 1/4.
Also Ran: Kimbear, Behavioral Bias, Janoobi (SAf), Silent Attack (GB).Click for the DRC chart or the DRC video.

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