THE Mike de Kock-trained Mahbooba was the impressive winner of the 1800m Al Rashidiya Trial Presented By Longines, the featured turf race on the first night of the 2012 Dubai World Cup Carnival at a meeting sponsored by Longines.

Mahbooba (Christophe Soumillon), after the race with Yousuf Al Sayegh, representing Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum. (Andrew Watkins).

First one past the post in last year’s UAE 1000 Guineas, Mahbooba was a winner in England during the summer and won well to the delight of winning jockey Christophe Soumillon who said: “She was good on [all-weather] last year but seems just as good on the turf. This trip of 1800m was probably as short as she would want as she won over 2400m in England and stays well. I am not sure what future plans will be but we should have plenty of options with her and she is an ideal sort for the Carnival.”

Mike commented: “A mile and a half is her game, so this was an excellent win. We’ll play it by ear for the rest of the Carnival.”

He said about Anaerobio, unplaced in a 1600m handicap earlier: “He didn’t perform to expectations but he needed it badly, he hadn’t raced for 18 months.”

Mike is second only to Saeed bin Suroor in the history of the Carnival and it was the Godolphin handler who made a flying start to the evening when his Sarrsar won the opening 1900m Longines Conquest Collection handicap from stable companion Cappone.