Majestic Muthmir

Dubai - Five-year-old son of Invincible Spirit lands Qatar King George Stakes.

Top weight Muthmir produced a wonderful run to defy a penalty and showed a little bit of class to win the Qatar King George Stakes Group-2 in a tight finish under Paul Hanagan on the fourth day of the Glorious Goodwood at the Goodwood racecourse on Friday.
Raced by Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance and trained by William Haggas, the five-year-old son of Invincible Spirit bounced back in great form to throw the Newmarket defeat behind his back and held on very strongly to prevail by a neck on the line.
"He's a nice horse and is back to his very best," said Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum's retained jockey Paul Hanagan. "The previous race was a messy for him," said the winning trainer William Haggas. "It's good to see him winning with four pounds penalty, but he loves the fast ground and did very well. He's a gelding and has won so far two Group-2 races. The plan is to make him contest all five-furlong races within UK and the owner's plan is to send him to York," he confirmed.
Haggas said he was worried about the draw, but after the start of the race Paul Hanagan took his mount to the far rail and he has won nicely from that position. "He has been always a useful horse and that was a good effort," he noted. "Very possible to send him to Dubai to take part in the 1000m Al Qouz Sprint Gr-1 on the Dubai World Cup night next March," he said.
Elsewhere, Frankie Dettori gave Dubday every assist to make a smooth progress and land the 2400m Betfred Glorious Stakes Group-3, the opening event on the card.
Trained by in Doha by Jassim Al Ghazali on behalf of Shaikh Joaan's Al Shaqab Racing, the five-year-old son of Dubawi made history when becoming the first Qatar-based horse to win a race in UK.
Qatari trainer Jassim Al Ghazali was over the moon and said: "This is the third appearance for Dubday in the Britsih races this season after I have raced him previously in 'Listed' races at Newbury and Newmarket, and after this encouraging start I'm intending to have a lot more horses running in Britain next year.
"I am very happy today," he said. "This is my first winner in the UK, it is a big winner for me and it has come at the Qatar Goodwood festival. I am pleased to have a winner here for the whole of Qatar and the horse is one of Shaikh Joaan's favourites. I thank him for giving me the chance to come here and run my horses," he added.
"I hope to bring 30 horses to the UK next year and 'Enshallah' I'll have some as good as Dubday," he confirmed.
This was also a third winner at the meeting this week for Dettori who had previously been successful on the Al Shaqab-owned runners Shalaa and Galileo Gold.
Meanwhile, David Omara broke his Goodwood Duck with a splendid win in the Bedfred Mile after the well-drawn So Beloved was produced with a beautifully timed run by Danny Tudhope to beat gallant runner-up Belgian Bill by three-quarters of a length and give trainer David O'Meara his 500th career winner.
hisham@khaleejtimes.com