First European Stakes for Mahbooba

Australian bred Mahbooba (4m Galileo x Sogno, by Red Ransom) won the Listed UAE 1,000 Guineas at Meydan earlier in the year and was back in the winner’s circle when saluting at Newmarket in the Listed Aqlaam Godolphin Stakes. A homebred for Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa prepared by Mike de Kock, Mahbooba was trying the longer one mile and four furlong trip for the first time and revelled in the task, powering away to win by more than six lengths. Steve Jell, assistant to Mike de Kock, trainer of Mahbooba said, "The step up in trip helped. Every time she has gone to the races here it has been soft and she is not used to it. She likes it firm. Maybe we will look at the E P Taylor Stakes in Canada." A Group I winner in South Africa at two when taking out the Golden Slipper at Clairwood, Mahbooba is from the last Australian bred crop of foals by champion sire Galileo and is the first foal of Australian bred Red Ransom mare Sogha, who was bought for $300,000 by Tim Stakemire acting for the Sheikh at the 2004 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. Sogha won three races at Muswellbrook and Scone and is a three-quarter sister-in-blood to a French Group Three winner in Slew the Red. Sogha has a three year-old filly by Fusaichi Pegasus called Mahmooda to follow Mahbooba and was sent to Argentina in 2009 after being covered by Dylan Thomas. Mahbooba has the overall record of five wins and five placings from 11 starts.