MAHUBO STRIKES FOR MIKE DE KOCK IN DUBAI
Friday, December 31, 2010 at 10:30AM 
Click above to watch Mahubo winning the Meydan Freezone
(Image : Gold Circle/Summerhill Stud - Footage : Emirates Racing Authority)
MEYDAN FREEZONE
Meydan, All-Weather, 1200m
30 December 2010
It’s not unusual for South African trainer Mike de Kock to start his annual campaigns in Dubai with a winner and Mahubo, under jockey Kevin Shea, put the stable immediately on target for the 2011 renewal of the UAE’s annual racing extravaganza at Meydan on Thursday evening.
The Summerhill-bred four-year-old looked a length or two out of his ground when the 12-horse field turned for home in the Meydan Freezone Handicap over 1200m. But as evident at the 2010 festival, this excellent track surface suits front-runners and latecomers equally well and the best horse invariably wins.
Mahubo, a graduate form the 2008 Emperors Palace Ready To Run Sale, hadn’t raced since 19 May 2010 but, as Mike suggested in his pre-race comments, the son of National Emblem out of the Foverors mare, Garden Verse, was fit enough to be in the shake-up. Halfway down the Meydan straight, Mahubo kicked into gear and he made up ground hand over fist to win fluently.
The short-head between Mahubo and Indian Skipper flattered the runner-up, because jockey Kevin Shea looked confident of winning the race well before the line and didn’t have to ride his most vigorous finish to get there.
Mike conveyed his thanks to Mahubo’s owner Friti Hay and her husband, Dr Jim Hay, and commented: “The Hays are new owners in the yard and this was their first runner with us. They live in Dubai, which makes it even better.”
Mahubo raced with a merit rating of 93, too low to qualify for the Carnival races, but this victory will change things. “We wanted to get him into the bigger races and tonight’s win was what we needed. He will improve more.
Seven-year-old Wonder Lawn gave a good account of himself in the Meydan Hotel Conditions Mile, staying on well for a close third behind Ali Al Raihe’s Derbaas. Wonder Lawn would probably have won in a few more strides and Mike’s prediction that he is one to be watched this season should be noted.
Mahubo’s well-accomplished half-brother Imbongi; top earner at the 2010 Dubai International Racing Carnival, winner of the Zabeel Mile (Gr2) and third in the Dubai Duty Free (Gr1), goes to Jebel Ali racetrack today for his first warm-up run of the season, a 1200m Conditions Race on dirt with his eight-year-old stable companion Hunting Tower.
“Both will come on with the run,” said Mike. “They enjoyed their long break. Imbongi looks a little fat, not as good as last year at this time, but we’re getting going with him.”
Extract from Mike de Kock Racing
RACE RESULTS
| # | Margin | Horse | Kg | OR | Dr | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | MAHUBO (SAF) | 61.0 | 93 | 4 | K Shea | Mike de Kock |
| 2 | Sh | INDIAN SKIPPER (IRE) | 55.5 | 80 | 1 | P Dobbs | Doug Watson |
| 3 | 1.5 | SATWA STREET (IRE) | 59.0 | 88 | 11 | W Supple | Erwan Charpy |
| 4 | Sh | FIRESTREAK (GB) | 62.0 | 95 | 10 | W Smith | Musabah Al Muhari |
| 5 | 1.25 | MY VERSE (GB) | 60.5 | 91 | 9 | T Durcan | Dhruba Selvaratnam |
| 6 | 1 | EMIRATES SPORTS (GB) | 58.0 | 86 | 6 | R Ffrench | Ali Rashid Al Raihe |
| 7 | 1 | GLORIOUS GIFT (IRE) | 60.0 | 90 | 8 | K Fallon | Ahmed Al Shamsi |
| 8 | 0.25 | TEVEZ THE TIGER (USA) | 57.5 | 85 | 7 | H Bentley (3.0) | Satish Seemar |
| 9 | 0.5 | CHAPERNO (USA) | 59.0 | 88 | 3 | P Cosgrave | Mubarak bin Shafya |
| 10 | Hd | DESERT REALM (IRE) | 58.5 | 87 | 2 | A Murgla (3.0) | Ali Rashid Al Raihe |
| 11 | 2 | HE’SMINENOTYOURS (USA) | 60.0 | 90 | 5 | R Mullen | Satish Seemar |
| 12 | 7 | IMPENETRABLE (USA) | 57.5 | 85 | 12 | A Ajtebi | Ali Rashid Al Raihe |
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