Mohaather takes Summer success on Ascot return

Keith Hamer
July 15, 2020 1:52 pm

Compensation for luckless Royal meeting run.

Mohaather made amends for an unlucky run at the Royal meeting in some style with a clear-cut victory in the Betfred Summer Mile at Ascot.

The four-year-old had gone into many notebooks having had no opportunity to show his ability in the Queen Anne Stakes, but he put that right to comfortably dismiss the opposition and take this Group Two heat.

It was only the seventh race of his career and his third since he won the Greenham Stakes at Newbury in May 2019.

Mohaather (2-1) had a trouble-free passage on this occasion with the race going to plan, as Marie’s Diamond, who was third in the Queen Anne, made the running with Lord Tennyson joining him.

There were plenty in with chances as they straightened up for home, but Mohaather looked to be going best in the centre of the course for Dane O’Neill.

He quickened up nicely and drew away to win by three and three-quarter lengths from San Donato. Duke Of Hazzard was third.

“I thought it was a solid-looking Group Two and he’s won it with a lot in hand to suggest he gets the mile really well,” said Tregoning.

“Hopefully, we’ll get a Group One or two with him, if we’re clever. We should be able to do it. It’s very exciting for everybody and a big boost for us.

“It hasn’t been easy, but luckily he’s got a very good owner. Sheikh Hamdan (al Maktoum) is so patient and so good to train for.

“I just have to worry about getting the horse to the races in tip-top order and we managed it today.

“We had to come back to Ascot as obviously he got no run (in the Queen Anne). It was just the way the race panned out.”

Tregoning is now likely to look at the Group One Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood next for Mohaather.

“We’ve got to move on from that and look forward to what we can do with him now,” said the Whitsbury handler.

“We’ve got a good horse here and he’s going to be aimed at the top mile races like the Sussex. We’ll probably go to Goodwood.”

Mohaather was cut to 9-2 from 6-1 for the Sussex Stakes with Betfair.

O’Neill was completing a double having struck on the William Haggas-trained Manaabit (17-2) in the Betfred ‘Ascot Official Bookmaker’ Fillies’ Handicap.