Sorry, mmsc.....
Connections contemplate retirement for Maraahel
by Neil Morrice
.
CONNECTIONS of multiple Group-race winner Maraahel are contemplating retirement for the six-year-old following his defeat in the Emirates Airline Champion Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday.
The Sir Michael Stoute-trained entire finished tenth of 12 starters in the Group 1 contest, beaten some 24 lengths by the winner Literato. He remains £9,065 short of £1 million in earnings from a 30-race career that has yielded seven Pattern-race wins but defeat at all 14 attempts at Group 1 level.
Although Maraahel was unable to adopt his favoured forcing tactics after missing the break for Richard Hills, owner Hamdan Al Maktoum's racing manager Angus Gold is not putting that forward as an excuse.
Gold said: "It didn't help, but we're certainly not using it as an excuse and you have to remember he's not getting any younger."
Maraahel, who in June beat Scorpion half a length in the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot, contested last season's Hong Kong Vase but is unlikely to be making any more forays abroad.
Gold added: "He hasn't run well the last two times and is not performing well enough to go to Hong Kong. I shall talk to Sir Michael and Sheikh Hamdan and we'll make a decision on his future after that."