From Nad al Sheba Racecourse
Muwakleh completed the second leg of the fillies Triple Crown in the Emirates with a devastating performance to win the first running of the $250,000 UAE One Thousand Guineas at Nad Al Sheba last Thursday night.The full sister to the 1999 Dubai World Cup winner Almutawakel, Muwakleh followed up her debut Moonshell Mile success of three weeks prior to land this with consummate ease."There is no doubt that she is a very exciting filly," winning rider Richard Hills said. "She has done everything asked of her, winning two good races in her only two starts, she is certainly top class."Hills had no hesitation in taking Muwakleh to the front when there was no early pace and despite being challenged briefly at the top of the straight she quickened nicely to go away and win by over five lengths from Zahwah with Laoub a short head away third."It didn't worry me going to the front, from there I had the race in control and when I put pressure on her at the top of the straight she let down in the style of a very good horse," Hills said. It is still to be decided about where Muwakleh heads next but the obvious target is the third leg, the US$250,000 UAE Oaks at Nad Al Sheba on April 14.Half an hour prior to Muwakleh's performance, another filly produced a similar performance, Just Call Me, the top priced filly at the inaugural Pearls of Dubai Auction last October, brought that domination to the race associated with the sale when thrashing her rivals in the inaugural Dhs1,000,000 Pearls of Dubai Sales Graduate Stakes.Just Call Me was purchased for Dhs2,000,000 by Sheikh Rashid bin Mohammed at the sale and her win took her record to three wins and a second from her only four starts.With the win came an exemption into the US$2million Group III UAE Derby however trainer Satish Seemar was non-committal about a run on March 24.
"We are still to decide and I will discuss it with Sheikh Rashid tonight," Seemar said. "The Derby does come up quickly and ideally I would like to wait for the Oaks however it is Sheikh Rashid's decision."The first running of the $250,000 UAE Oaks is run over the same course and
distance as the Derby and the Pearls of Dubai on April 14.
