AFTER punching above her head in back-to-back races, MIGHTY GULLY returned to overnight allowance on April 6 but fell into the jaws of DESERT OF MALIBU, a grade-one horse competing two classes lower, allowed a bye by the conditions book.
Nevertheless, MIGHTY GULLY acquitted herself with 121lb, ridiculously sitting at level weight with a United States-bred grade-one winner, who won as expected, clocking 1:06.2 for five and a half furlongs.
MIGHTY GULLY tried keeping DESERT OF MALIBU honest but was no match for the American coming off the home turn after contesting spits of 22.3, 34.0 and 46.3. However, MIGHTY GULLY was clearly second-best in the line-up, eased, allowing third-place ANOTHER ONE to get within a half-length at the wire.
Superior horses also got the better of MIGHTY GULLY in her two previous races, outsped by Bruceontheloose Trophy runner-up, MONEY MARKET, at five furlongs straight. Prior to that run, she had finished sixth in the Bruceontheloose behind American invader OF A REVOLUTION, runner-up MONEY MARKET and DESERT OF MALIBU.
Whereas the conditions book, which allows superior horses to leave grade one and open allowance company without first satisfying weight depreciation, might have been MIGHTY GULLY’s bane in her last three races, the luck of the draw appears her only hindrance in Sunday’s Mabrouk Sprint at five furlongs straight.
Drawn at post-position one, MIGHTY GULLY will have to make her way to at least mid-track, which could be tricky with RICORICORICO drawn at stall two. American RICORICORICO gets a big weight pull, coming in at least 5lb lighter after clocking 57.3 at the trip three weeks ago.
RICORICORICO has twice won at the trip this season, beating not-too-speedy runners but could have transformed into a course-specialist, which makes him a dangerous rival in receipt of at least 13lb from local-bred MILE GULLY.
