Muhaarar Gains Group I Glory in Commonwealth

Sprinter Muhaarar picked up his third group stakes win in his past five starts and in the process secured his first victory at the highest level when he delivered a decisive score in the $361,000 Commonwealth Cup (Eng-I) Friday, June 19 at Royal Ascot.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Muhaarar pulled away from 17 rival 3-year-olds late in the six-furlong test Friday to easily register his first group I win. A Shadwell homebred, the Oasis Dream colt also had won this year's Aon Greenham Stakes (Eng-III) and last year's Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Gimcrack Stakes (Eng-II) before winning Friday's race by 3 3/4 lengths.

Sent off at 10-1 odds locally, Muhaarar completed the six furlongs in 1:12.05.

Muhaarar is trained by Charlie Hills and he was guided to victory Friday by Dane O'Neill. Following him home were Paul Jacobs' Limato, by Tagula, in second; and Noel O'Callaghan's Anthem Alexander, a daughter of Starspandlgedbanner, in third.

Last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. IT) winner Hootenanny, sent off the 9-4 favorite, failed to find another gear late and faded to 11th. Derrick Smith, Michael Tabor, and Susan Magnier's Hootenanny won last year's Royal Windsor Stakes at Royal Ascot for trainer Wesley Ward but showed little in this year's appearance at the meet.

Also Friday, Al Asayl Bloodstock Ltd.'s Balios secured his first stakes win when the son of Shamardalposted a clear victory over other 3-year-old males in the 1 1/4-mile King Edward VII Stakes (Eng-II). In the six-furlong Albany Stakes (Eng-III) for 2-year-old fillies, Denford Stud's Illuminate registered a clear victory under Richard Hughes, improving two 2-for-2 in her career and posting her first stakes score.