With Dubai World Cup night and its $29 million in prize money across eight races for Thoroughbreds less than a month away, Meydan will host the Super Saturday program this coming weekend, highlighted by course-and-distance preps for seven of those events.
Despite a subpar effort in his first start over the newly installed dirt track, reigning World Cup hero African Story (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) will get one final chance to earn his way into a defense of his title as he breaks from the rail in Round 3 of the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge. He was sent off the favorite in the international pools in Round 2 of the Challenge, a Group 2 over 1900 meters Feb. 5, but never landed a serious blow as Frankyfourfingers (Fr) (Sunday Break {Fr}) led throughout to score by a head over Prince Bishop (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), with Le Bernardin (Bernardini) a further 1 1/4 lengths back in third. The evening's other Group 1 event is the Jebel Hatta S. which has also attracted its 2014 winner, Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa's Vercingetorix (SAf) (Silvano {Ger}). The Mike de Kock trainee, who was subsequently runner-up to Just a Way (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) in the G1 Dubai Duty Free S. (now Dubai Turf), returned from a nine-month absence to defeat True Story (GB) (Manduro {Ger}) in the G2 Al Rashidiya S. Jan. 29. The latter stretches out to about 12 furlongs for the G2 Dubai City of Gold S.
In that race, he'll face Sheikhzayedroad (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), one of 15 Super Saturday runners for Team British Racing and one of a quartet entered by trainer David Simcock. He was one of a trio from his barn to launch a successful raid on Canada last season, in his case in the GI Northern Dancer S. Sept. 14. Later that afternoon, Qatar Racing's Trade Storm (GB) (Trade Fair {GB}) gave the stable a remarkable Grade I double in the GI Woodbine Mile, while Caspar Netscher (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) crossed the Atlantic the following month to score in the GII Nearctic S. Trade Storm takes in the Jebel Hatta for the second straight season, while Caspar Netscher tries the straight 1000 meters in the G3 Meydan Sprint. Fellow short-track specialist Extortionist (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) will try to overcome the 16 hole and will also have to deal with top Irish sprinter Sole Power (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}).
“He is incredibly well and is a little tighter than for his first run last year,” trainer Olly Stevens said of Extortionist. “He worked very well under Andrea [Atzeni] at Lingfield the other day, but I will not be surprised if he needs the race–it should put him spot on for three weeks' time.”
Super Saturday will also mark the international debut of Godolphin's Sir Fever (Uru) (Texas Fever) in the Listed Al Bastikiya S. The 2014 Uruguyan Horse of the Year, the dark bay is perfect in his 10 career starts and completed a sweep of that country's Triple Crown with a 5 1/2-length success in the Gran Premio Nacional when last spotted Nov. 9.
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