SHEIKH HAMDAN’S MUSTASHRY LANDS SHADWELL JOEL STAKES GLORY
DUBAI: Mustashry knuckled down to emerge victorious in the featured Group 2 Shadwell Joel Stakes on the second day of the Newmarket’s Cambridgeshire meeting on Friday.
Sir Michael Stoute’s charge was the 15-8 favourite to secure successive Group Two victories following his triumph in Doncaster’s Park Stakes a fortnight ago, and he once again displayed a willing attitude in the hands of Jim Crowley.
Mustashry bounced out to make the running in the early stages of the one-mile contest before Zabeel Prince took over the lead.
The pair settled down to fight it out inside the final furlong - and while Zabeel Prince did not go down without a fight, it was Crowley’s mount who passed the post half a length to the good.
Stoute said: “He is a very honest, consistent horse. We have got lucky to get nice ground like this in September. We were fortunate as he loves good, fast ground.
“He is very versatile - he can run between seven and 10 furlongs, which helps. Seven may just be on the sharp side for him - eight to 10 might better - but if he can win a Group Two at seven we can’t complain.
“I need the programme book to see where we can go, but Angus (Gold, racing manager to owner Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Minister of Finance) was wondering if we should call it a day for the year, so we have a bit of thinking to do.we want him back next year.”
Roger Varian is eyeing a possible appearance on Champions Day for Zabeel Prince. He said: “He had every chance and ran a good race, probably a career-best.
“He would prefer a bit more ease in the ground. It was safe ground, and we were happy to run, but his best form comes on an easier surface - so you have to say he has run well today.
“We will get him home, and I will speak to the owner. But he is in the QEII (Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot), and you would hope the weather might move in before that meeting in three weeks’ time.
“If it does he could run a big race on soft ground.” The big disappointment of the race was Accidental Agent. Eve Johnston Houghton’s stable star caused a huge upset in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, before finishing down the field in the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville.
This looked a good opportunity for the four-year-old to get his season back on track. But he completely fluffed the start - and although he made up some ground to join the rest of the field at the halfway stage, he ultimately finished last of the five runners.