Janoobi (SAf) (Silvano {Ger}) is a newcomer to this year's Dubai carnival for trainer Mike de Kock and Sheikh Hamdan, and the South African Group 2 winner got a win on the board in his third try at the carnival in Thursday's G2 Zabeel Mile. Jim Crowley aboard Janoobi allowed the defending Zabeel Mile winner Championship (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) to tow him through the opening stages, maneuvering from the rail to the outside down the backstretch to ensure clear running room for the crucial stages. Championship, making his second start off an injury-induced layoff, put up a valiant effort in the stretch but eventually succumbed to Janoobi, who hit the line 3/4 of a length in front. South African-trained runners filled the next two slots, with Janoobi's stablemate Noah From Goa (SAf) (Tiger Ridge) sticking on for third and last year's G1 Sun Met victor Whisky Baron (Aus) (Manhattan Rain {Aus}), making his first run off the quarantine from South Africa, putting in an encouraging run in fourth. The win wrapped up a group race double for jockey Jim Crowley in the Shadwell colours; he also rode Ertijaal (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}) to win the G2 Meydan Sprint on the card.
Thursday, Meydan, Dubai
ZABEEL MILE (SPONSORED BY DISTRICT ONE LEGACY)-G2, $250,000, MEY, 2-22, NH3yo/up & SH3yo/up, 1600mT, 1:35.27, gd.
1–JANOOBI (SAF), 126, c, 4, by Silvano (Ger)
1st Dam: Shasta Daisy (SAf), by Rakeen
2nd Dam: Scented Royal (Saf), by Royal Prerogative (GB)
3rd Dam: Diorissimo, by Triple Bend
(R1,200,000 yrl '15 CAPJAN) O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al
Maktoum; B-Maine Chance Farms (Pty) Ltd (SAF); T-Mike de
Kock; J-Jim Crowley. $150,000. Lifetime Record: MGSW-SAf,
16-6-1-1, $347,353. *Full to Sedge (SAf), GSW-SAf. Werk Nick
Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Championship (Ire), 126, g, 7, Exceed and Excel (Aus)—
Aljafliyah (GB), by Halling. (€90,000 wnl '11 GONNOV;
180,000gns HRA '14 TAAOCT) O-Sheikh Mansoor bin
Mohammed Al Maktoum; B-Ms Natalie Cleary (IRE); T-Ahmad
bin Harmash. $50,000.
3–Noah From Goa (SAf), 126, g, 5, Tiger Ridge–Limerick (Saf),
by Fort Wood. (R325,000 2yo '14 BSAAUG) O-Sheikh
Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, Dr J McVeigh, et al;
B-Wilgerbosdrift Stud (SAF); T-Mike de Kock. $25,000.
Margins: 3/4, 1, 1 1/4.
Also Ran: Whisky Baron (Aus), Dream Castle (GB), Hornsby (GB), GM Hopkins (GB), Another Touch (GB), Treasury Notes (Ire), Bay of Poets (Ire).
Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.
A Group 3 winner over 1100 metres at two, the bay failed to stand up to top level when unplaced in the G1 S A Nursery and G1 S A Classic, but he gained another pattern win going a mile on the turf in Greyville's G2 Daisy Guineas last May. Handily beaten when 14th in both the G1 Tsogo Sun Sprint and the G1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge, Janoobi made similarly little impression when beating just one home on local debut, albeit over an inadequate six furlongs, on Jan. 18. Janoobi improved markedly when beaten just 3/4 of a length when second to Jungle Cat (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) going seven furlongs in the G2 Al Fahidi Fort on Feb. 1, and de Kock said post-race he would not be afraid to entertain a switch to the dirt for Janoobi, considering the lack of a mile turf race on World Cup night.
Pedigree Notes…
Janoobi, a full-brother to the Group 3-winning Sedge (Saf), is out of an unraced daughter of South Africa's champion 2-year-old filly Scented Royal (Saf) (Royal Prerogative {GB}). There are plenty of stakes horses in the family, and the third dam is the American-bred but South African-raced G1 Garden Province S. winner Diorissimo (Triple Bend).
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