African Story Excels in Maktoum Challenge

Godolphin’s African Story, last year’s Dubai World Cup (UAE-I) winner, just held off stablemate Prince Bishop to win the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 (UAE-I) March 7 on the Super Saturday card at Meydan.

The Super Saturday of eight stakes is a dress rehearsal for the $30 million Dubai World Cup card, anchored by the $10 Dubai World Cup, March 28.

The Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 has provided three previous winners of the World Cup: Dubai Millennium (2000), Street Cry (2002) and Electrocutionist (2006).  Should African Story win the main event, he will be the only past winner to defend his crown and provide trainer Saeed bin Suroor with a record seventh win in the world's richest race.

Shuffled back to third early in the Al Maktoum Challenge, African Story came on strong entering the stretch and dispatched longtime leader Henry Clay 150 meters out. He he tallied by a neck from even-money favorite Prince Bishop, who stormed with a determined rally from last to just miss. The winner rebounded with aplomb from a disappointing seventh in Round 2 of the Al Maktoum Challenge Feb. 5 in his first start on dirt.

Henry Clay hung on for third, 3 1/2 lengths back in the nine-horse field.

Before taking last year’s World Cup in convincing fashion, African Story was eighth in Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 when Prince Bishop won well.

"He has a lot of class and a great attitude," said Doyle after this year's edition. "Those attributes have really come to the fore here as he had to dig deep.

"There is more improvement to come from him I think and he is starting to get the hang of racing on dirt and was happier in the kickback this time than he was on his first start on the surface."

African Story, who returned $12.20 in North American pools, covered 2,000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles) in 2:04.92 on fast track.

An 8-year-old Pivotal gelding out of the Gone West mare Blixen, African Story has eight wins from 20 career starts.