19 Abr. GB. Dubai Duty Free S. G3. Newbury. 7f. Turf. 47.000 £
1.- MUTHABARA (R.Hills)
2.- DREAM DAY (R.Moore)
3.- LADY DEAUVILLE (S.Donohoe)


THE competition intensified for the Stanjamesuk.com 1,000 Guineas yesterday when Muthabara, the talking horse of the fillies' Classic, produced an impressive response to the trial performances of Infallible and Natagora.

Until yesterday, Muthabara owed her prominence in the ante-post betting to what she had achieved in a Goodwood racecourse gallop, rather than in a race, but she provided public evidence of her potential when quickening from an improbable winning position to capture the Dubai Duty Free Stakes, better known as the Fred Darling.

After taking her unbeaten record to three, Muthabara was promoted to 7-2 favourite for the 1,000 Guineas with Ladbrokes, but she remained available at 9-2 with William Hill and Coral following her defeat of Dream Day and Lady Deauville. She is 4-1 with the 1,000 Guineas sponsor.

From a high draw, Richard Hills joined Don't Forget Faith and Nahoodh in a small group that raced towards the stands' rail, only to find they had a lot of running to do with two furlongs to race.

Edging back towards the middle of the track, Muthabara produced a powerful finish to cut down the leaders to win going away by a length and a quarter.

John Dunlop, who landed the Fred Darling with two other future 1,000 Guineas winners in Salsabil and Shadayid, and who was winning the Classic trial for the sixth time, said: "In the end she won with quite a lot in hand. I was slightly worried at the furlong pole and the going was not ideal, so I am delighted. She'll like a mile and is sure to be a different filly in a fortnight's time.

"She had had only two races in her life before, so this was most important from an experience point of view, more than anything else."
Hills had ridden Hamdan Al Maktoum's filly in the aforementioned gallop at Goodwood, and was also impressed by yesterday's effort.
"I was travelling well and was expecting her to pick up straight away, but nothing happened, then in the last furlong she really did pick up," he said.
"I can only put that down to her being off the track for so long, and not knowing what to do. She will get a mile well."

Dream Day could take her chance at Newmarket after holding soft-ground specialist Lady Deauville by three-quarters of a length, with her stablemate Elizabeth Swann back in fourth.

Trainer Richard Hannon said: "I think Dream Day might as well run, although she is in the French Guineas as well.
"She'll come on a hell of a lot for that, as she came into training fairly late.
She's just going through her coat now."

Lady Deauville's trainer Paul Blockley said: "The aim is the 1,000 Guineas, and a mile will suit her, though the weather could go against her. She is better on soft ground."

Eddie Ahern, rider of Elizabeth Swann, picked up a three-day whip ban and is suspended from May 5-7.