Maharib earns possible Leger tilt
Maharib completed a hat-trick and earned a possible crack at the English St Leger when proving too good for the favourite Arundel in a keen duel in the IAWS Curragh Cup today.
Successful against older horses over a mile-and-a-half at Limerick on his most recent start, Maharib travelled strongly throughout the race for jockey Pat Smullen.
Marahib got first run on the favourite and was always holding the renewed challenge of Arundel to score by three-quarters-of-a-length as the pair pulled clear of Rayshan.
“There is plenty more to come from this horse. I rode him to get the trip but he saw it out well,” said Smullen after the son of Alhaarth had coped splendidly with his first attempt over a mile and six furlongs.
“The English St Leger has to be a distinct possibility now. Maharib continues to progress and if he maintains that he could go to Doncaster,” said winning trainer Dermot Weld.
Owned and bred by Hamdan Al Maktoum, Maharib was moving with much more fluency than Arundel early in the home straight, quickening nicely to pass Rayshan and although Michael Kinane got serious with the favourite and straightened him for a last-gasp challenge the issue was never in doubt close home.
The Belgian-born French ace Christophe Soumillon, who was having his first taste of action on the Curragh, touched the front briefly on Rayshan before the principals quickened by his mount over a furlong out.
“The track is very nice and the ground is good,” remarked Soumillon who partners the hot favourite Dalakhani in tomorrow’s Budweiser Irish Derby.
Arundel’s trainer Aidan O’Brien and champion jockey Kinane had better luck in the preceding U.A.E Equestrian/Racing Federation Maiden when The Mighty Tiger showed plenty of improvement from his initial third at Newmarket to outpace the favourite Clock Tower.
“This horse is big and scopey and will stay another furlong. He is progressing well,” said O’Brien after the American-bred son of Storm Cat had quickened in style to put the favourite firmly in his place.
