No Doubting Muntazah In Burj Nahaar

[Wandering Eyes]

The G3 Burj Nahaar was likely won at the break, with the fancied Muntazah (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) flying out of the inside gate and controlling the race wire to wire.

After grinding away mostly in the handicap ranks in Britain with trainers Barry Hills and Owen Burrows through his first three seasons, Muntazah was gelded at the end of his 4-year-old campaign and was sent to Dubai and trainer Doug Watson. He showed promise last year, winning Abu Dhabi’s Listed HH The President Cup before finishing second to Heavy Metal (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) in the G2 Godolphin Mile on World Cup night on his dirt debut. The dark bay was way out of it resuming on the turf back at Abu Dhabi on Dec. 9, and one would imagine the dirt would be his permanent home after he finished third in the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge R1 and won the G3 Firebreak S. by 4 1/4 lengths leading into this.

As previously mentioned, Muntazah bounced away from the barriers under Jim Crowley and led the Turkish raider Good Curry (Tur) (Sharp Humor) down the backstretch. The writing looked on the wall a long way out, with Crowley sitting chilly at the top of the stretch, and Muntazah proved to be in an entirely different league when push came to shove, drawing clear under a hand ride to win by 10 lengths. Good Curry chased gamely to hold second from Musawaat (GB) (Equiano {Fr}), while speed specialist Heavy Metal, who had totally blown the break, closed from way out of it to grab fourth.

Muntazah stopped the clock in track record time, and trainer Doug Watson said, “I thought we were the best horse in the race. I told Jim, ‘if you break well, go.’ He got out there and set a nice pace. When he was turning in, I thought we were in good shape. He’s a very good horse. He’s a big horse who needs his racing and he’s doing it well. He was able to dictate and get into his stride. He’s a miler. Maybe next year, if we get a chance to stretch him out, we could go the World Cup route.”

Pedigree Notes

Muntazah is the second foal-and first of three consecutive stakes winners-for Rumoush (Rahy), the Listed Feilden S. winner and G1 Investec Oaks third who was also placed in the G3 Prix de Psyche and G2 Park Hill S. The mare has also left the G3 City of York S. winner Talaayeb (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and the Listed Fortune S. winner Wadilsafa (GB) (Frankel {GB}). Her current 2-year-old is an as-yet unnamed Dansili filly, and she has a yearling colt by Frankel.

Rumoush is a granddaughter of the great producer Height Of Fashion (Fr) (Bustino {GB}), best known as the dam of Nayef, Nashwan and Unfuwain, and also appearing under Muntazah’s third dam are the U.S. champion grass mare and GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Lahudood (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}) and highly anticipated young stallion Hot Streak (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}). Rumoush is a half-sister to the G1 Thousand Guineas and G1 Coronation S. winner Ghanaati (Giant’s Causeway) and the G3 Cumberland Lodge S. winner and G1 Champion S. second Mawatheeq (Danzig).

 

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