Chelmsford debut for first foal out of globetrotter Mahbooba

The card at Chelmsford on Tuesday is set to be graced by the debuts of two brilliantly bred colts, one of them the first foal out of the top-class globetrotter Mahbooba.

Mabrook - a son of Dubawi trained by Marco Botti for Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, whose silks Mahbooba carried with such distinction – is set to be unleashed in the mile maiden for three-year-olds and up at the Essex track (7.10pm).

Mahbooba, a Galileo filly bred in Australia by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa, started her career with Mike De Kock in South Africa, where she won the Group 1 Golden Slipper. She was later campaigned successfully at Meydan, where she won the UAE 1,000 Guineas, finished second in the UAE Oaks and third in the UAE Derby.

Mahbooba then travelled to Britain, where she won the Listed Godolphin Stakes by six lengths, and on to Canada, where she finished sixth in the EP Taylor Stakes.

She signed off her career back at Meydan at four, when she won the Group 2 Balanchine, ran second in the Cape Verdi and fifth in the Dubai Sheema Classic.

Mabrook, bred on the same Dubawi-Galileo cross as Night Of Thunder and Dartmouth, is Mahbooba's first foal. She has in the pipeline a two-year-old colt by Dansili named Mootasadir, a yearling colt by Dansili and was covered by Invincible Spirit last year.

Mabrook faces another debutant with a stunning pedigree in Abjar, who represents trainer Sir Michael Stoute and owner Al Shaqab Racing, which paid 525,000gns for the colt through Charlie Gordon-Watson at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale in 2015.

Abjar is by first-season sire Nathaniel and was bred by the stallion's stewards Newsells Park Stud out of Prix de l'Opera heroine Kinnaird.

Kinnaird has done well in the paddocks, producing four winners including Royal Lodge Stakes scorer Berkshire, Listed-placed Abdon and Keenes Royale, the dam of Richmond and July Stakes winner Ivawood.

Kinnaird has a two-year-old colt by Frankel named Ben Vrackie, was rested after producing him, and was sent to Oasis Dream last year.

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