My Indy effortlessly making big strides

London: "One step at the time, and eventually I will be getting there." Those words can safely be used about Godolphin's steadily improving thoroughbred My Indy, who was bred in Argentina.

South American thoroughbreds often are slow to mature but when they come good, they come really good. My Indy has probably yet to reach his full potential, though his wins in the first two rounds of the Maktoum Challenge mean that he sits quite high on the rankings already.

His clash with last year's World Cup runner-up Asiatic Boy in the Maktoum Challenge Round II (G3) here at Nad Al Sheba early in February was greatly anticipated. Experts saw it as two-horse affair, but the big match never developed.

Whereas My Indy continued his fine progress and won under Frankie Dettori, Asiatic Boy tired close home and could manage only third. Happy Boy, bouncing back to something like his previous best, got up for second.

My Indy took the 1800 metres race by only three parts of a length but it was quite a comfortable win. Three weeks earlier he had romped home in the first round of the series, beating Green Coast by almost six lengths after travelling extremely well throughout the contest.

Striding smoothly away from the pack that day, My Indy opened up a clear lead and, despite swishing his tail a couple of times close home, finished the race off in good style. One big plus about his win in the second round was that the swishing of the tail (often a negative sign) was no longer there.

The fact that he swished it on his seasonal debut can be put down to inexperience, rather than any form of resistance under pressure. My Indy is going through a maturing process these days, and he is lengths better than his form of last year, when he ran third in the UAE 2000 Guineas (G3) and sixth in the UAE Derby (G2), both times trailing the classy Honour Devil.

My Indy has looked quite strong in his two runs at this year's Carnival, and one would think he is one of the main contenders for the $6-million event.

My Indy is a half-brother to Oystercatcher, a Group 3 winning sprinter by Luhuk. By a son of the excellent Belmont Stakes (G1) winner A.P. Indy out of a daughter of Southern Halo, there is every chance of My Indy staying 2000 metres.

It is also worth noting that he won the Martinez Stakes (G2) over 1800 metres in Argentina as a juvenile, coming home by four lengths on heavy ground at Palermo.

And if he does again show the same stamina in a World Cup run, My Indy should finish in the top three. Can he win it? It is not out of reach, another two to three lengths of improvement, and My Indy is right there. With four wins from just seven starts, there should be a lot more to come from this runner.

Geir Stabell is the editor of www.globeform.com