Consistent Madjani completes hattrick

Dubai: When challenged, the great Madjani came up with that little bit of extra under Richard Hills to win the Emaar-sponsored Kahayla Classic (Group 1) for the third successive time and join the great Alanudd in the record books.

The win gave Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance and Industry, his sixth Kahayla win and fifth in a row since 2003, while the gutsy Charh finished second to make it a 1-2 finish for the proud owner.

The filly Mizzna, daughter of Alanudd, could not stop her mother's record from being equalled, but ran a brilliant race to finish third, while the Dutch-bred Robbie was fourth.

Early running

After Al Jaflane did all the early running, Madjani was always within striking distance as Mizzna raced on the outside and Robbie stayed near the rails. However, once they approached the home stretch, Hills moved Madjani into top gear.

But Charh (Tadhg O'Shea up), who had earlier this month won the Group 1 Emirates Challenge, came up with a searing run and almost eye-balled Madjani. It was then that Madjani answered Hills' call and the 7-year-old ran away to his 11th win in 12 starts and stake claim to being the world's top Purebred Arabian horse currently racing.

"We were worried coming into the race because he was injured when he stepped on a golf ball and I didn't think he would find more in the final stages of the race but he did, he is the best," said Hills.

"Charh travelled well and I was happy. Madjani was a little bit better," said O'Shea after losing out by just over a length.

Robbie, the five-year-old son of Makzan and a multi-group winner, looked like he needed this run here on dirt in the UAE. Both Mizzna and Robbie did well, but Madjani was just too good while for the locally-bred hero, Dynamite, the difference in distance was almost 15 lengths.