Maftool Aims for Second Guineas Win

Godolphin's U.A.E. Two Thousand Guineas (UAE-III) winner Maftool is among 18 runners for the Poule d'Essai des Poulains (Fr-I, French Two Thousand Guineas) May 10 at Longchamp.

 

The son of Hard Spun   was a well-beaten second, eight lengths behind Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) starter and Belmont Stakes (gr. I) hopeful Mubtaahij in the U.A.E. Derby (UAE-II) March 28 at Meydan, after defeating that rival by a head in the U.A.E. Guineas Feb. 12. Maftool skipped the QIPCO Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-I) last week, with trainer Saeed bin Suroor hoping the extra week of preparation will have him sharp for the Sunday's race.

 

Sheikh Hamdan's homebred Muhaarar took the AON Greenham Stakes (Eng-II) April 18 in his season debut. By Oasis Dream, the colt captured last year's Gimcrack Stakes (Eng-II) at York and followed with a third in the vision.ae Middle Park Stakes (Eng-I) in October at Newmarket to cap his juvenile campaign. He has a 3-0-3 record from six starts for trainer Charlie Hills.

 

French trainer Andre Fabre has a double shot for a sixth win in the classic, with Khalid Abdullah's French allowance winner New Bay, by Dubawi, and Prince Faisal's Makfi colt, Make Believe, who won both starts at age 2 before a close runner-up finish in the Prix Djebel (Fr-III) April 2 at Maisons-Laffitte. 

 

Al Shaqab Racing has two in for the French Guineas, including Karar, who was supplemented at a cost of €39,600. The son of Invincible Spirit won his debut in by six lengths in mid-March at Longchamp, before finishing second in the April 12 Prix de Fontainebleau (Fr-III) behind Territories, the subsequent runner-up in the English Guineas. Karar is trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, who also will send out Pearl Bloodstock's Cornwallville, a Makfi colt seeking a third straight win following a pair of minor stakes wins at Toulouse.

 

The other Al Shaqab runner is Smaih, a son of Paco Boy who was off the board only once in seven starts during his juvenile campaign and makes his 2015 bow. Richard Hannon trains the colt who landed the Oct. 15 Horris Hill Stakes (Eng-III) at Newbury in his most-recent start.

 

Aidan O'Brien, who just won his seventh English Guineas with Gleneagles, a son of Galileo, tries for a fourth win in the French equivalent. The master of Ballydolye will saddle Galileo's son Highland Reel, who races for the first time since taking the Veuve Clicquot (Eng-II) last July at Goodwood, and War Envoy, a War Front   colt who has placed second or third in five stakes.

 

Among other entrants are The Comissioner (Sea The Stars), third in the Prix de Fontainebleau, and 2014 Prix La Fleche victor El Suizo (Meshaheer).

 

Also Sunday is the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (Fr-I, French One Thousand Guineas), which attracted 14 fillies.

 

Among nine stakes winners in the field are group winners Erveyda (Siyouni), who was runner-up in last year's Total Prix Marcel Boussac (Fr-I), Criterium des Pouliches) at Longchamp; Mexican Gold (Medaglia d'Oro  ); Queen Bee (Le Havre); Royal Razalma (Lope de Vega); Ameenah (American Post); and Fontanelice (Vale of York), who was the Italian highweighted 2-year-old filly last year.