Mile no problem for Mawj in Jumeirah Fillies Guineas

Mawj proved that a mile was well within her compass as she routed her opposition in the Jumeirah Fillies Guineas at Meydan, UAE, on Friday, 24 February.

The half-sister to last season’s Poule d’Essai des Poulains victor and dual Breeders’ Cup hero Modern Games had previously raced over six and seven furlongs, including winning the G2 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes and finishing third in the G1 Cheveley Park Stakes.

After breaking smartly, Mawj soon took up the running under Danny Tudhope and established a length advantage over Cite d’Or, with Fairy Cross tracking the leaders in fourth.

Alseyoob moved up around runners turning in and attempted to close on Mawj at the top of the straight, but the Saeed bin Suroor-trained filly streaked away from the field over a furlong and a half out.

Mawj continued to stretch clear in the final furlong and was eased close home to score by a cosy eight and a half lengths over Fairy Cross.

Saeed bin Suroor said: “Mawj has plenty of speed, as she showed over six furlongs. In her last race over seven, she won well on soft ground, and tonight she led all the way. She is a nice filly who has improved a lot.

“This race was the plan. Now we will look at the English Guineas or the French Guineas – it will depend on what the boss decides. There is also the UAE Derby on the dirt, but it is more likely that we will take her back to England. The nine furlongs of the UAE Derby could be worth a try but we are in no rush. We will see how she comes out of this race, speak to the boss, and then make a decision.

“As a two-year-old, Mawj was tiny and skinny. You would not think she is a lot but every time she worked in the morning she showed some class. We gave her a break between races and you could see her condition changing. She grew a little when she arrived in Dubai and the warm weather helped her. She looks a nice filly for the future.”

Danny Tudhope said: “The trip was an unknown and I did not really want to make it, but there was no pace. Mawj has a lot of speed, as we all know, so I let her stride on and she came back to me.

“We had an uncontested lead but she quickened up very nicely. We know she stays the trip now and the nicer ground today has made her look better as well. She is only a little filly but she feels very good.”