March 9, 2003

Ipi Tombe winning the Jebel Hatta Stakes-G3
IPI TOMBE WINS SIXTH IN A ROW,
$2-MILLION DUTY FREE IS NEXT IN DUBAI

Ipi Tombe has been stamped as the favorite for the March 29 renewal of the $2-million Dubai Duty Free after giving weight and a beating to a field of 9 males last night at Nad al Sheba race course in Dubai in the Jebel Hatta, a Group 3 fixture run over the 1 1/8-mile distance of the Duty Free.

The superstar South African import shattered the stakes record, coming home in 1:48 3/5. In her previous start in Dubai, she chopped more than a second from the course record for a mile.

In winning her sixth consecutive race and improving her career record to 10 wins in 12 starts, the dark bay daughter of Manshood scored by 3 ¾¾ lengths. As in her previous effort in the desert for trainer Michael de Kock, the filly was eased at the end or the margin would have been greater.

Owned by Team Valor and WinStar Farm, both of Versailles, Kentucky, and the Sunmark Partners of South Africa and Zimbabwe, Ipi Tombe now comes up to the Duty Free in peak form.

""With the big race just 3 weeks away,"" said de Kock, ""we didn''t want to do too much with her. But she faced the best field of horses in her career, gave them all a kilo (2.2) and won with something in reserve. She improved for a second time over all and she will be tough to beat next time.""

The filly not only did not get a sex allowance, she had to give weight all around to her male rivals, several of which had displayed Group-winning form in Europe, including three Godolphin runners.

Ipi Tombe in the Jebel Hatta Winner's Circle
Runner-up in the race was the Irish import Sights on Gold. Highdown, a Group 2 winner last time out in France, tracked Ipi Tombe to the lane, then retreated to sixth.

Ipi Tombe rated in sixth early under Keven Shea (who is unbeaten aboard the filly), moved to challenge three-eighths from home and drew off at will through the lane.

""She is one of those rare fillies that come along every so often that can cut it with males at a middle distance on an International level,"" said Barry Irwin, Team Valor''s president who put together the partnership that now races the filly.

""She will come to Elliott Walden after the Duty Free and I can see her pointing for a race like the Arlington Million in the summer. We may not have to run her against fillies, except for the WinStar stakes at Keeneland in the fall.""