SHEIKH Hamdan of Dubai had to settle for second places in both the Dubai World Cup (Mukhadram) and the Godolphin Mile (Soft Falling Rain, read elsewhere), at Meydan on Saturday, but in South Africa he enjoyed a Gr3 success when Majmu (AUS – headline photo by JC Photos) posted a popular win in the Pretty Polly Stakes for two-year-old fillies over 1100m at Turffontein.

The grey daughter of Redoute’s Choice came away to win by three lengths from Flame Cat in a time of 63,15s which was more than a second faster than the time clocked by Isphan, who won the equivalent Gr3 race for colts just half an hour later.

Few will dispute race caller Alistair Cohen’s assessment that Majmu is “the best two-year-old filly we’ve seen this season in Johannesburg” and the ease with which she wins holds promise for an extension of her prowess to other parts of the country later this term.

“When the penny drops, Majmu is going to be even better than she already is,” enthused jockey Anthony Delpech, who also rode the filly when she won the Listed Ruffian Stakes on debut recently.

“She’s green, she looks around and she doesn’t know what to do when she gets to the front. She lost about one and a half lengths at the start, but she got into contention easily. I had to give her a reminder to keep her going because when we raced past Flame Cat she was looking at everything.”

Mathew de Kock, who saddled Mike de Kock’s runners in Johannesburg while his family was at the Dubai World Cup,  thanked his dad, Shadwell’s Angus Gold and Form Bloodstock’s Jehan Malherbe for acquiring Majmu at the Ingles Sale in Australia and said: “She has lots of improvement to come, especially considering that the 1100m is too short for her, she will enjoy seven furlongs and more.”

Majmu is an exciting prospect for the KZN Champion Season, now around the corner, and Sheikh Hamdan will be looking forward to seeing her at the Dubai Carnival next year.