The Group I Juddmonte International (1m2½ f) at York overnight saw outstanding three year-old Siyouni colt Paddington chasing a fifth Group I win, but he could not quite overcome the might of two older star gallopers by Frankel.
John and Thady Gosden sent out seasoned G1 performers Mostahdaf and Nashwa with the five year-old stallion making it back to back G1 wins lining up for the first time since his victory at Royal Ascot in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes.
Ridden again by Frankie Dettori, Mostahdaf set the pace and kept it going to the line to win by a length over the four year-old mare Nashwa with Paddington a gallant third a neck away in a thrilling finish.
“Mostahdaf is a proper horse and he's won that in a proper time. He won from the back at Ascot and from the front here and he's getting better with age. He handles good to soft but his ideal is summer racing ground. I wouldn't take him to the Arc if it's going to be soft ground and the Irish Champion might be a possibility,” said John Gosden.
Frankie Dettori might be retiring at the end of the year, but is in hot form.
“There was only one way of beating Paddington and that was by racing in front of him. We went a nice, even tempo and it was a case of come and catch me. The key was trying to get the fractions right. Thankfully after 36 years I’ve learned how to do it," Dettori said.
“I still had two lengths’ rope two furlongs out, and at that point I expected Paddington to be on my quarters. I knew then he’d do well to catch me.”
Paddington was brave in defeat and Aidan O’Brien felt his last effort to win the Sussex on a bog track may have taken a toll on the three year-old.
“Paddington ran a great race but he had a tough race the last day and maybe it was a race too much for him. Maybe I pulled the elastic band too long,” he said after the race.
“He had a tough race at Goodwood on soft ground, he had to fight twice and he was a little bit down on himself today. Maybe I should have waited and gone to Leopardstown, give him a little more time to recover.
“He is only a baby three-year-old. Ryan felt he was just a little bit flat but he still ran a good race. We were happy for him to come here, that's why he was here, but you don't really know until the speedometer goes to red. Frankie went even and strong all the way and Ryan said he didn't travel with his usual fluency. He definitely won't go to the Irish Champion.”
A homebred for Shadwell, Mostahdaf has 10 wins and two placings from 16 starts with this victory his second at the elite level.
Mostahdaf is a half-brother to dual Group I winner Nazeef from stakes-winning Dubawi mare Handassa, a half-sister to Group winners Desert Stone and Euginio.
The Frankel x Dubawi nick is building some impressive stats with 28 winners from 33 runners (84.8% winner to runner) and eight stakes-winners, four of them Group I winners with 25% SW to runner!!
