Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed al Maktoum's 8-year-old veteran Heavy Metal (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) shrugged off top weight against rivals as much as half his age to post a victory in Saturday's G3 Firebreak S. at Meydan that looked like little more than a paid workout. Bouncing from the barriers on top, Mickael Barzalona aboard Heavy Metal allowed Cosmo Charlie (Stay Thirsty) to join him on his outside down the backstretch, but turning for home it was quickly apparent it would be Heavy Metal all on his own as Barzalona sat motionless and the others came under a ride. Heavy Metal drew ever clearer down the lane under a still Barzalona, and the margin was 9 3/4 lengths eased down on the wire, with a further 6 1/4 lengths between Cosmo Charlie and the third-placed Fantastic Four (Arg) (Forestry).
Saturday, Meydan, Dubai
FIREBREAK S. (SPONSORED BY AZIZI DEVELOPMENTS)-G3, $200,000, MEY, 2-17, NH4yo/up & SH3yo/up, 1600m, 1:36.74, ft.
1–HEAVY METAL (GB), 129, g, 8, by Exceed and Excel (Aus)
1st Dam: Rock Opera (SAf) (G1SW-SAf & SP-UAE, $115,777), by Lecture
2nd Dam: Drummer Girl (SAf), by Al Mufti
3rd Dam: Swinging Girl (SAf), by Mullineaux
O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum; B-Darley (GB);
T-Salem bin Ghadayer; J-Mickael Barzalona. $120,000. Lifetime
Record: 57-14-8-1, $1,180,704. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for
the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Cosmo Charlie, 126, g, 4, Stay Thirsty–Lake Como, by Salt
Lake. ($85,000 yrl '15 FTKJUL) O-Ramzan Kadyrov; B-Roger S
Braugh Jr (KY); T-Doug Watson. $40,000.[bullet ad=”us-bred-ky-bred-ft-grad”][bullet ad=”baccaribloodstock-bred-raised-sold”]3–Fantastic Four (Arg), 126, h, 5, Forestry–Fanny Doll (Arg), by
Lode. O-Abdulelah Abdulaziz Al Mousa; B-Haras Santa Maria
De Araras (Arg); T-Neil Bruss. $20,000.[bullet ad=”irt-shell”]Margins: 9 3/4, 6 1/4, NK.
Also Ran: Richard Pankhurst (GB), Bravo Zolo (Ire), Nobelium.
Click for the Racing Post result. VIDEO.
Heavy Metal was winning for the sixth time over this course and distance since last January. The chestnut had taken out last year's G3 Burj Naahar on Super Saturday before struggling home eighth in the G2 Godolphin Mile over the rare muddy track on Dubai World Cup night. He opened this campaign with a 4 1/2-length score in the Listed Dubai Creek Mile on Dec. 21, and had the same measure over the dual Group 1 winner Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}) in the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1 on Jan. 11. Heavy Metal failed to see out the added 1 1/2 furlongs of the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 on Feb. 8, but was right back at home over his mile here on Saturday.
Pedigree Notes…
Bred by Darley in Britain, Heavy Metal is the second foal out of Rock Opera, winner of the G1 Alan Robertson Fillies Championship in her native country. She has had little luck as a producer since foaling Heavy Metal, with two barren years, one dead foal and two non-winners. She has some well-bred representatives to come, however, with a 2-year-old colt by Invincible Spirit (Ire) and a yearling son of Shamardal. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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