Removed from the early cavalry charge, Star Safari raced last bar two as Halimi (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) motored along at the head of affairs. He began to slowly take closer order 500 metres from home and launched a four-wide bid at the quarter-pole. Star Safari collared new leader Mailshot (Hard Spun) in upper stretch and then fended off the tardy rush of Bedouin's Story (GB) (Farhh {GB}) to his outside for a first black-type score. The winning margin was 1 1/4 lengths, with Halimi staying on for third another length behind.

“He is a pretty lightly raced horse and I really liked what he did tonight,” said William Buick. “It was a very straightforward win for him and he kept fighting all the way to the line. It might not be the best Group 3 around, but they are pretty well-seasoned horses and it was a good performance. He has had three runs this winter here, so I guess they might have one eye on the carnival next winter.”

A winner at Nottingham at two, he only made a single start at three finishing uplaced in a Deauville listed affair that November. Gelded and wwitched to Meydan, a handicap went his way last February, but he was benched once more until taking third in the Listed Zabeel Turf on Jan. 28. He returned to form with an 3/4-length win in another handicap going 2410 metres on Feb. 11.

Pedigree Notes

Star Safari is his sire's 74th black-type winner and broodmare sire Muhtathir (GB) (Elmaamul)'s 11th. His dam, who won twice in France at two and three, produced Star Safari as her first foal, and followed him with the New Approach (Ire) 4-year-old filly Invincible (Ger). Intimhir is a half-sister to German and Italian highweight Sortilege (Ire) (Tiger Hill {Ire})and French Group 3 winner Soudania (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), making her granddam the hugely influential Broodmare of the Year Sacarina (GB) (Old Vic {GB}). Other foals of Sacarina include the Monsun (Ger) trio of outstanding German and Italian champion and G1 Derman Derby hero Schiaparelli (Ger), his full-brother and fellow German Derby winner Samum (Ger) and their G1 German Oaks-winning sister Salve Regina (Ger). Another full-sister to that trio, the unraced Sanwa (Ger), has already thrown another German Derby winner and promising young sire in Sea The Moon (Ger) (Sea The Stars {Ire}).

Thursday, Meydan, Middle East
DUBAI MILLENNIUM S. (SPONSORED BY GULFNEWS.COM)-G3, $130,000, Meydan, 2-25, NH4yo/up & SH3yo/up, 2000mT, 2:04.01, gd.
1–STAR SAFARI (GB), 126, g, 5, by Sea The Stars (Ire)
1st Dam: Intimhir (Ire), by Muhtathir (GB)
2nd Dam: Sahel (Ger), by Monsun (Ger)
3rd Dam: Sacarina (GB), by Old Vic (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. (€200,000 Ylg '17
BBASEP). O-Godolphin; B-Gestut Brummerhof (GB); T-Charlie
Appleby; J-William Buick. $78,000. Lifetime Record: 7-4-0-1,
$238,302. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Bedouin's Story (GB), 126, g, 6, Farhh (GB)–Time Crystal
(Ire), by Sadler's Wells. (90,000gns Wlg '15 TATNOV).
O-Godolphin; B-Dukes Stud & Overbury Stallions Ltd (GB);
T-Saeed bin Suroor. $26,000.
3–Halimi (Ire), 126, g, 5, Teofilo (Ire)–Vincennes (GB), by King's
Best. O-Rabbah Racing; B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Simon Crisford.
$13,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 1, 3/4.
Also Ran: Dream Castle (GB), Mailshot, Red Cactus, Lucius Tiberius (Ire). Scratched: Royal Marine (Ire).
Click for the Racing Post chart or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video.

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Bred by Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, the son of Elmaamul will be best remembered for his Group 1 victories in the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville and in the Premio Vittorio Di Capua at San Siro when trained by Saeed bin Suroor.

Muhtathir began his career with John Gosden, for whom he won five races across two seasons in Sheikh Hamdan's silks – his biggest success coming in the Group 2 Celebration Mile at Goodwood.

The imposing chestnut was transferred to the yard of Saeed bin Suroor for his 4-year-old campaign, during which he tasted top-flight glory in Italy. However, it was as a five-year-old that he gained his biggest success when striding clear to take the Prix Jacques le Marois by three lengths under Frankie Dettori.

Muhtathir stood at Charles-Henri de Moussac's Haras du Mezeray in Normandy for most of his stud career, which has yielded a host of talented flat performers headed by Prix de l'Opera heroine Satwa Queen and top-class middle distance performer Doctor Dino, who is now a leading jumps sire in France.

In recent years, Muhtathir has made a significant impact as a sire of jumpers, producing the likes of dual Cheltenham Festival winner Envoi Allen and Grade 1-winning hurdler Quel Destin.

Shadwell Stud director, Richard Lancaster, said: “Muhtathir was a hugely talented performer on the racecourse and transferred that ability and will to win to his stock.

“He produced several high-class flat performers and in his later years became a highly sought-after sire of jumpers. He was still hugely popular this year, covering a limited book of 40 mares at €6,000 (US$7,077)

“I must give a special mention to the team at Haras du Mezeray, who did a superb job managing the horse and giving him the platform to flourish in his second career.”

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