Favourite Mubtaker scores again
Mubtaker recorded his 12th career victory in the Ouija Board, Wilko And Liverpool Vets Cumberland Lodge Stakes at Newmarket and will now go in search of that elusive first Group One success.
The evergreen eight-year-old has some high-class form to his name, including a close second to Dalakhani in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe two years ago.
He was not so good last season but he has bounced back this term and was completing a hat-trick when comfortably beating Self Defense in the Group Three event at Headquarters.
It was a tactical affair with True Lover setting a steady pace tracked by Mubtaker, the 5-6 favourite, who was racing keenly.
The market leader went on well over two furlongs out and striding out with his customary enthusiasm, Hamdan Al Maktoum’s tough entire was not hard pressed to hold the runner-up at bay to take his earnings to over £670,000.
Hills could not conceal his delight as he dismounted from his favourite horse.
He said: “I was glad to get a lead but he could have done it himself he’s so genuine.
“He was waiting for me to say go and I just gave him a crack and off he went. He’s just a pleasure to ride.
“If you could bottle what he’s got we’d all be rich. He’s all heart and that’s what it boils down to – enthusiasm in racing.
“He loves work – he’s a workaholic.
“He has to be my favourite horse – it’s not often you can ride a horse for nearly six years.
“He felt great, very good and we’ll try and find him a Group One now – Canada (Canadian International at Woodbine) or Milan (Gran Premio del Jockey Club). Sheikh Hamdan will decide where he goes.
“I’d like to go to back to Canada for the International. It’s a big track and he ran well to be fourth last year and he’s in better form this year.
“I’ve been talking to Martin Dwyer, he’s been over to Canada a lot this season, and he said the opposition isn’t as strong over there as what would come from here.”
Ouninpohja continued his astonishing progress with his fifth victory on the bounce in the totesport 0800 221 221 Handicap.
The 7-2 joint-favourite led over two furlongs out under Dean McKeown and stayed on strongly to beat Camrose by two and a half lengths.
Trainer Alan Swinbank now has some ambitious plans for Ouninpohja.
He said: “We’ve got a nice horse so let’s see how good he is. He’s 98 now and maybe 102 there.
“He’ll go to Dubai this winter and will go the Collier Hill route and Dean will be on him.
“He’ll be in the November Handicap and there’s another race down here in three weeks. You could get that out the way and then go to Dubai.”
Frankie Dettori blamed himself for Dubawi’s defeat on Saturday but there were no tactical errors on Echelon in the Miles And Morrison October Stakes.
The champion jockey raced down the centre in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes before heading for the stand side on Dubawi but he failed to peg back the winner Starcraft.
However, he was always travelling strongly on the outside before producing Echelon to lead well inside the final furlong and beat long-time leader Attune by three-quarters of a length.
After greeting the 2-1 favourite, winning trainer Sir Michael Stoute said: “She’s an honest, tough little filly and she did it smoothly.
“They said she’d been disappointing but she’s a Listed, Group Three class filly. We did run her in the Guineas but she’s not in that class.
“She goes on any ground. It was very bad at Sandown last time and I don’t think she wants that extreme of soft ground but otherwise she’s pretty versatile.
“You can’t say at this stage but that will probably be it for the season.”
