The Godolphin trainers’ rivalry: Mahmood Al Zarooni hopeful about Xin Xu Lin for the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1 on 12th January
If the Godolphin trainer, Saeed bin Suroor, can dream considering the history of testing Mendip to win the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1, to be held at Meydan on 12th January, for a second time, then Mahmood Al Zarooni is not really far behind
with his trainee, Xin Xu Lin.
The point where both the horses and their trainers stand equal is the year’s gap, the two potential winners of the Al Maktoum Challenge have not raced.
Xin Xu Lin last raced in the UAE Derby, sponsored by Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah, on 26th March, 2011, at the Meydan race course.
Last year Xin Xu Lin was being ridden by Frankie Dettori, but this time he will be under the Australian riding sensation, Mickael Barzalona, who was the first jockey of the Dubai World Carnival to ride a winner.
Mahmood Al Zarooni already has three winners against his name, ever since the 5th January, 2012, races in the Carnival, and he is hopeful about his fourth win coming through Xin Xu Lin in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1.
"He ran well for a long way in the UAE Derby before tiring so we have freshened him up and he seems in really good form. The trip will be his minimum but I am expecting a good run”, explained Mahmood Al Zarooni.
The five-year-old Xin Xu Lin, son of Wondertross, out of Barbiera, broke his maiden on 20th March, 2010, at Cidade Jardim in Brazil.
Ever since then he has contested in six Grade 1 races from 16th May, 2010, to 11th December, 2010, winning four of them.
The credit of winning three out of the four is to be shared with the jockey, A C Silva.
Xin Xu Lin won the Group 1 Grande Premio Juliano Martins on 16th May at Cidade Jardim, winning by 2 ¾ lengths.
On 7th September, 2010, at Cidade Jardim, Xin Xu Lin won the Group 1 Grande Premio Ipiranga by 7 ½ lengths, in a field of fourteen.
He then won the Grade 1 Grande Premio Derby Paulista United Arab Emirates on 6th November, 2010, at the same racecourse.
The last Grade 1 race that Xin Xu Lin won was the Gran Premio Carlos Pellgrini on 11th December, 2010, at San Isidro in Argentina.
Mendip has not only missed on running for a year, but has run only once throughout the year 2011, when he came fifth.
How will his profile look after 12th January’s Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1, will be seen soon enough.
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