Falls Of Lora rises to the occasion

Trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni thrilled as the UAE 1000 Guineas winner shows her ability under Frankie Dettori.

Falls Of Lora was ridden to victory by Frankie Dettori at Sandown racecourse. Alan Crowhurst / Getty Images

SANDOWN PARK, England // Falls Of Lora bounced back to form for Mahmood Al Zarooni in the Listed Distaff today.

The UAE 1000 Guineas winner had finished well down the field in the Sandringham Handicap at Royal Ascot 18 days ago but showed her true ability under a vintage ride from Frankie Dettori. After poor weather over the past week, the going at Sandown was described as good to soft but the drying ground seemed to help the daughter of Street Cry, the former Dubai World Cup winner.

"Our plan was to find out today how good she is. I decided to run her here to find out about the ground but now I know for sure!" Al Zarooni joked.

Falls Of Lora was allotted a 3lbs penalty for her Dubai victory but the extra weight did little to stop her cutting down Ladys First under Paul Hanagan, who was having his first ride for a week after falling heavily at Newmarket.

Hanagan looked to have flown inside the final furlong but Dettori kept his partner flat to the boards and the pair just got in front and held on by a head.

Kunooz, Al Zarooni's other runner, was seventh of the nine runners under Mickael Barzalona.

"She's come here with a penalty and Mahmood was worried about the ground but Frankie gave her a canny ride and she finished off really strongly," Simon Crisford, Godolphin's racing manager, said. "He's riding brilliantly at the moment."

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