Dent de Loup
By:- Julian Smart
Race Record to date : 25 ( 7-9-5-4 )
Dent de Loup got off to a cracking start to his career, literally, by breaking the arm of one of the handlers who was attempting to break him in for racing. Needless to say he was gelded soon after!
Dent began serious race training in La Teste, a small province in the south of France. His understanding for the tasks ahead of him was immediate, he broke his maiden first time out 5/9/94 over 1800m at Beaumont de Lomagne in the south of France. His only other start in Europe was a strong second place finish in the Grand Prix Sultan D'Orion, one of the most prestigious 3 year old races in Europe if not the most prestigious. Shortly there after we arrived in the UAE where Dent promptly won first time of asking. Most noteworthy in his first season of racing was his strong second place finish in the last leg of the Maktoum Challenge behind eventual winner Bashar (Passem Lotois). The last leg of the Maktoum Challenge was the first leg for Dent and the start of an impressive streak of consistency.
Race record 94-95, 5 races, 2-1-0-2.
The following season was to be the making of Dent de Loup. He went down by a nose in the first leg of the Maktoum Challenge, following that with a win in the next leg over 2400m and then winning the last leg over 2000m making him the overall Maktoum Challenge winner for 95-96. Along with this he became the first horse trained outside Dubai to win their triple crown and to top it all he was named Arabian Racehorse of the year for 95-96. Rounding off his 95-96 campaign he became the first, and upto now, only Arabian in the UAE to carry 60.5 kg when just failing to catch the great Alanudd in the Emirates Championship on 25/4/96, finishing second by a mere 1 3/4 lengths over 2200m
Record 95-96, 8 starts, 3-3-1-1, Maktoum Challenge & Arabian of the Year.
The 96-97 season did not prove to be quite as productive as the previous season but Dent still managed to compete in all three legs of the Maktoum Challenge once again. He finished 2nd behind Alanudd in the first leg over 1600m, 4th in the 2400m and 3rd over 2000m. Dent finished 2nd overall in the Maktoum Challenge so was still regarded as one of the most consistent horses in the UAE with a handicap rating of 140+. Only the two great mares 'Maha' and 'Alanudd' have ever held this rating. Once again his best race of the year was a strong second to Alanudd, this time in the President's Cup on turf in Abu Dhabi over 2200m he went down by 1 1/4 lengths carrying 59 kgs.
Record 96-97, 8 starts, 1-3-3-1
This new season Dent has bounced back in style, winning the first leg of the Challenge after having a fairly quiet start finishing 3rd and 2nd in other races. More recently he ran second to another H.H. The President's horse in the second leg over 2400m of the Triple Crown series. The third and the final leg will determine the overall winner with any one of three horses in the hunt, including Dent. If all goes well and Dent competes in the final leg, it will be his 10th consecutive Maktoum Challenge race, which will be a record
envied by everyone. Lets hope he can continue to race in many more although the resume reads quite well already n'est pas!
97-98 so far 4 starts, 1-2-1