High-class sprinter Mitbaahy opened his account for the season in the Net World Sports Queensferry Stakes at Chester.
Roger Varian’s four-year-old won at Listed and Group Three level last season and rounded off his campaign with a midfield finish in the Prix de l’Abbaye at ParisLongchamp.
He was unable to trouble the judge in either the Temple Stakes at Haydock or the King’s Stand at Royal Ascot earlier this term and it was a similar story when stepped up to six furlongs for last month’s Hackwood Stakes at Newbury.
However, after going off at odds of 10-1 ahead of a Listed test on the Roodee, Mitbaahy travelled smoothly in the hands of Ray Dawson and was good value for the winning margin over a length over 9-4 favourite Fast Response.
“He ran in the Abbaye last year and actually ran very well. Five furlongs probably wasn’t his trip, but he was finishing quite strong and connections have decided to step him up,” Dawson told Sky Sports Racing afterwards.
“We were drawn low so we ended up on the rail and in fairness he travelled around lovely, picked up nicely on the ground and put the race to bed the way you like to see a horse do it.
“He’s a proper little sprinter and I’m delighted that conditions suited today and he’s got his head in front and won quite nicely.”
