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| Sumita Pawar |
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After her heartbreaking defeat at the Breeders' Cup on Saturday, Mawj is now getting ready for a winter campaign in Dubai.
In May, trainer Saeed bin Suroor achieved his first British Classic success in 14 years with the daughter of Exceed And Excel, who narrowly beat Tahiyra in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket. Unfortunately, the filly was injured and missed most of the season. However, in October, she made a triumphant return from her five-month break, winning the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland.
She then faced off against the colts in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, where she led until the final furlong at Santa Anita, but was ultimately beaten by fellow Godolphin runner Master Of The Seas by just a nose. Despite the narrow loss, Bin Suroor remained gracious in defeat and took time to reflect on the race.
He said, “She ran a huge race and we thought she was going to win, but she was beaten by a good horse, also a Godolphin horse, and I’m happy for Charlie (Appleby).
Mawj will now head to Bin Suroor’s home country for the winter carnival at Meydan before returning to Britain next season in search of more major prizes.
“Now she is going back to Dubai and we’ll try and find a race for her, maybe the Jebel Hatta and then the Dubai Turf. After that we’ll find races for her in the UK and Europe,” the trainer added.
“I think a mile is her best trip, but sometimes it can be hard to find races for her. I know she won over nine furlongs at Keeneland, but at the mile I think she is at her best.”