Meydan's 'Super Saturday' card on Mar. 7 is set to be staged against the backdrop of an empty grandstand, with the Emirates Racing Authority taking precautionary measures against the coronavirus outbreak. Nonetheless, race fans and pundits will have the chance to take in from afar performances from some key protagonists aiming toward the Dubai World Cup card on Mar. 28 during the evening's seven tailored prep races.
The G1 Jebel Hatta, one of two Group 1s on the card, looks to be at the mercy of Godolphin but, with the top four in the betting, the question is which one of the team's runners? The stand out and worthy favourite is Barney Roy (GB) (Excelebration {Ire}), now in act two of his racing career after an aborted attempt at being a stallion in 2018. The former Richard Hannon trainee and G1 St James's Palace S. winner joined Charlie Appleby's team last winter and he won a listed race at ParisLongchamp last May. His sole 2020 start saw him lead home the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Dream Castle (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the G2 Al Rashidiya S. over this trip and the pair will face each other again on Saturday.
“Barney Roy went into his last race fresh and well and was entitled to come forward a good bit and has done so,” Appleby said. “He takes very little training; as you see he's a lightly framed horse. His homework has pleased us and he goes into Super Saturday's Jebel Hatta in good order. He's drawn out a little bit, but he's the class horse in the race, so hopefully we can overcome that.”
Magic Lily (GB) (New Approach {GB}) will be the first of two runners on the card for the Oaks winner Dancing Rain (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) ahead of her full-brother Jalmoud (GB) appearing in the Dubai City of Gold. She is only lightly raced for her five years but has been faultless so far at the carnival, winning the G2 Cape Verdi and G2 Balanchine. The third member of her stable to line up in the Jebel Hatta is Spotify (Fr) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}), the winner of last season's G3 Dubai Millennium S who has made just one appearance this year when second to the classy Ghaiyyath in that same race.
The Newell family's 7-year-old mare Surrounding (Ire) (Lilbourne Lad {Ire}) was just over two lengths behind Magic Lily when fourth in her most recent start in the Balanchine. The nine furlongs of this trip may just test her stamina reserves but she has been a decent campaigner at home in Ireland with five stakes wins at seven furlongs and a mile.
Italian Group 3 winner Wait Forever (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) left Alduino Botti to join the Newmarket stable of his son Marco in October and he warmed up with two starts on the all-weather in the UK before heading to Dubai, where he has two third-place finishes to his name from three starts. This is a bit of a step up in class but he has Andrea Atzeni in the saddle.
Military Takes Up The Challenge
A disappointing turnout for the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge R3 sees only eight runners going to post and with an average runner rating of 106 this is well below Group 1 standard. Saying that, it will still take a performance of note to win the race and perhaps Military Law (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) is poised to do just that. Now trained by Musabbeh Al Mheiri, the lightly raced 5-year-old won three times in six starts for John Gosden, ending his time at Clarehaven Stables with a win on the Newcastle Polytrack last June. Bought for 110,000gns by Nasir Askar soon after at the July Sale at Tattersalls, Military Law has taken well to his new environment, winning a listed race at Meydan in December before beating all bar the world-class Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge R2 a month ago. He finished six lengths clear of the third-placed Gronkowski (Lonhro {Aus}) on that occasion and a similar performance on Saturday would see him hard to beat.
His chief rival would appear to be Matterhorn (Ire) (Raven's Pass), another recent recruit to Dubai having been with Mark Johnston until the end of last season. Matterhorn was a prolific winner for Johnston and a solid operator in group company last year with perhaps his best performance coming at Leopardstown in September when he finished a neck second to Space Traveller (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) in the G2 Clipper Logistics Boomerang S. Now under the care of Salem bin Ghadayer, Matterhorn made a pleasing start to his career in Dubai when finishing third to last year's Al Maktoum Challenge winner Capezzano (Bernardini) in the G3 Firebreak S. on Feb. 13, which was also his first run on dirt.
“He trains well and deals very well with the dirt,” bin Ghadayer said. “For me, he did well over a mile and 10 furlongs in England and his program has always been focused on Super Saturday. He's won seven of his nine starts on the all-weather and I think he will make a big name for himself. He has a lot of quality and class.”
Godolphin is represented in the 10-furlong event by Desert Fire (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}), with France's winning-most jockey Christophe Soumillon taking the mount on the Saeed Bin Suroor trained 5-year-old. Desert Fire is a four-time winner but has yet to run in a group race and has to put behind him a sub par run last time out though that mile and a half trip may have stretched his stamina. He also has to overcome the fact that it is his first time racing on dirt, a challenge that Saeed bin Suroor is well aware of.
“Desert Fire tries hard in his races, although this will be his first time racing on the dirt,” the trainer noted. “He has been working well and won nicely on the all-weather last season, when he gave weight to a good horse. We wanted to give him a chance on the dirt to see how he gets on.”
Doug Watson-trained runners command automatic respect in Meydan and his Quip (Distorted Humor) could be a dark horse. He has solid American form, including when winning the GII Oaklawn H. last year and finishing second in the GII Stephen Foster S. at Churchill Downs. He is entitled to come on from his first taste of Meydan when fifth in the G3 Firebreak S. last month.
“Quip has come on a ton,” Watson confirmed. “He's moving a lot better and I think he may have been just a bit ring-rusty last time, but I really liked the way he finished. He worked [on Sunday] and Pat [Dobbs] loved him.
“If you're going to run for $600,000 and stretch out a horse who has wins over a distance of ground, this is the race. If he's close to his best, he's right there with the best in the race. As far as the 2000 metres goes, his wins over [1800m] are as far as they often go in the States, so he just has not had the chance to go that extra distance, so it's hard to tell if he'll like it. I know he has raced well over nine furlongs and many of these may not even be able to go that far.”
Classy Defoe Seeking Gold
Last year we saw Godolphin's Old Persian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) strike with consecutive wins on Super Saturday and Dubai World Cup night in the G2 Dubai City Of Gold and the G1 Sheema Classic, and that is exactly the double to be attempted by Defoe (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}), the top weight in this year's renewal of the City of Gold, the card's closing contest.
The 6-year-old gelding recently touched down in the homeland of his owner Sheikh Mohammed Obaid, having been off the track since last July when finishing ninth in the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. Prior to that, however, he had won the G1 Coronation Cup and G2 Hardwicke S. in 2019 for Roger Varian and he adds a real touch of class to Super Saturday.
“He's trained well at home and this has been the plan for a while,” Varian said. “I'm happy with his condition. He arrived in Dubai Thursday morning, last week, and seems to have settled well in the international stables. He's versatile ground-wise and has form on fast and soft ground. He should love the track at Meydan, being a left-handed flat track.”
The Dubai City of Gold could turn into a tussle between old warriors as the 8-year-old Desert Encounter (Ire) (Halling), who was third in the race last year, posted another solid season in 2019 with four consecutive black-type wins closing out his season, which ended with his second victory in the GI Canadian International S. His first run since that start last October came a little over a fortnight ago at Meydan when he was a distant fifth behind Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the G3 Dubai Millennium S., dropping back in trip to 10 furlongs. The extra quarter mile of this contest will play to the strengths of David Simcock's 12-time winner.
Another Newmarket trainer, William Haggas, is represented by Pablo Escobarr (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who has been back to the UK since his runner-up finish over course and distance on Jan. 2. Back in early December he won the Listed Wild Flower S. over a mile and a half on Kempton's polytrack, beating Loxley (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), who reopposes here. The 5-year-old Loxley is one of three runners for Charlie Appleby, along with Jalmoud (GB) (New Approach {Ire})–a listed winner last spring on the soft turf of ParisLongchamp and subsequently third to Japan (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris–and First Nation (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).
Privilegiado (GB) (Sea The Moon {Ger}), who was third in the G3 Dubai Millennium S., finishing two lengths ahead of Desert Encounter, has won at up to a mile and six furlongs in Norway, where he is trained by Niels Petersen.
Blues To The Fore In Turf Sprint
The G3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint sees 4-year-old Space Blues (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) make a welcome return to the track for the first time since early August after two good placed efforts in Group 1 company in Deauville. A dual winner over seven furlongs, he was only a length behind Advertise (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) when third in the Prix Maurice de Gheest and, despite lacking recent match practice, is a long way ahead on ratings.
“Space Blues has good, solid form over seven back in Europe,” Appleby explained. “A typical Dubawi, he's just got stronger through the winter from three to four and it's always just been in the back of my mind to dip our toe into the sprinting scene with him. We've always felt he has natural pace, but as he's gotten stronger, he's been getting quicker. His homework has been very good and he's looked sharp. I'll be disappointed if he's not a player this weekend. In the end, he needs to be winning this to book himself a ticket to World Cup night for the Al Quoz. We're hopeful that we can be bang-there. It's interesting in dropping back to the six, but all evidence is encouraging us to take a go at it, for sure.”
The Shadwell duo of Rusumaat (Ire) (Arcano {Ire}) and Ekhtiyaar (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) have each made three starts this Carnival and met last time in the Listed Dubai Sprint, which was won by Rusumaat with Ekhtiyaar back in fourth.
With four runners each, Sheikh Mohammed and Sheikh Hamdan clearly have decent chances of landing the spoils and another of the Godolphin contenders to have been in good form of late is Land Of Legends (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}), who has twice finished runner-up this year in handicaps.
Stepping up in trip by a furlong from his sixth-place finish behind Waady (Ire) (Approve {Ire}) in the G2 Meydan Sprint is Tom Dascombe's Ayr Gold Cup winner Angel Alexander (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), who is best of those beyond the blue. Also heading into this from a warm up in that same Feb. 20 contest is Mazzini (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}). Third in last year's Nad Al Sheba Sprint, the 7-year-old had not been seen since finishing down the field in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint. He hails from the Bahrain stable of Fawzi Nass, who landed the inaugural running of the Naghi Motors Cup with Port Lions (Ire) Kodiac {GB}) at the Saudi Cup meeting last Saturday.
Bochart Looks To Keep Streak Alive
The first group race on the card is the G3 Mahab Al Shimaal over six furlongs on dirt and the ultra-progressive Bochart (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) looks set to continue his ascent up the ranks. The Satish Seemar trained 7-year-old has brought his form to a new level this year posting two wide-margin handicap wins, most recently beating Prodigal Son (Square Eddie) by seven lengths over the course and distance on Feb. 13. That performance saw his rating hit 112 and he looks set to make his first start in group company a winning one.
The Swedish-trained I Kirk (Swe) (Eishin Dunkirk) was soundly beaten in this race last year after winning a Meydan handicap in January 2019 but could get a bit closer this time around. He was dominant in Swedish sprints last summer and warmed up for this task with a respectable fifth behind Gladiator King (Curlin) in the G3 Al Shindagha Sprint in January and should strip a bit fitter as a result. Third in the Al Shindagha that day was Ibn Malik (Ire) (Raven's Pass) and he too has solid credentials having beaten the favourite Bochart and the rejuvenated Waady (Ire) (Approve {Ire}) in a listed race at Meydan in December. Ibn Malik has backed that up with two solid efforts since and while Bochart seems to be in a rich vein of form Ibn Malik can be relied on to run to his mark and finish thereabouts. Rodaini (Exchange Rate) hinted at a return to form when a close fourth last time out to Beyond Reason (Ire) (Australia {GB}) and if building on that could outrun his odds.
Kimbear Looks To Double Up
Plenty of old Meydan stalwarts return for battle in the G3 Burj Nahaar over a mile on the dirt and Doug Watson's Kimbear (Temple City) should make a bold bid to record a second win in this race. The 2018 victor was a late scratch from last year's edition and the 6-year-old entire has come back seemingly as good as ever despite a rather tame effort behind Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge R2 four weeks ago. Previous to that Kimbear had beaten long standing rival Secret Ambition (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) by just a short head in the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge R1 and there is precious little between the two horses. The Satish Seemar-trained Secret Ambition also knows how to beat Kimbear as evidenced by the 7-year-old's one-length victory over the Watson horse in a listed race at Meydan last December.
Fawzi Nass and Adrie De Vries combined to great effect in Saudi Arabia last week and the pair team up again with Salute The Soldier (Ger) (Sepoy {Aus}). The 5-year-old was a progressive type for Clive Cox in England last year and he has made a good impression at Meydan on his two starts so far winning a handicap in January before finishing fourth in the G2 Zabeel Mile. He looks to have scope for further improvement and could be hard to beat if he handles the dirt. The step up to a mile should suit the Doug O'Neill trained Prodigal Son (Square Eddie) but he will need a career best to beat some of his higher- rated opponents. The tough 10-year-old Heavy Metal (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) won this race in 2017 but has looked a shadow of his former self in two starts this year and needs to bounce right back to have a say in this contest.
Ya Hayati Tries Dirt in Al Bastakiya
The Al Bastakiya S. is the lone race to be contested below group level on the Super Saturday card and features a full field trying to earn their way into the G2 UAE Derby over the same track and distance in three weeks' time. The Dubawi (Ire) train has rolled on at this year's Dubai World Cup Carnival, with the likes of Benbatl (GB), Glorious Journey (GB) and Ghaiyyath (Ire) flying the flag on the turf and the dirt. Godolphin homebred Ya Hayati (Ire) tries a conventional dirt surface for the first time in his young career, having graduated at second asking going a mile over the Kempton all-weather last October before taking a 1900-metre conditions event on the turf when making his local debut on Feb. 13. His female family gives him every right to transition to the new surface, as his dam Wedding Toast (Street Sense) was a two-time Grade I winner on the main track in New York and the dual U.S. Classic-placed Congaree (Arazi) appears under the third dam. Others with a chance in an open-looking renewal include Emblem Storm (English Channel), a debut winner on Jan. 18 and third to Fore Left (Into Mischief) in the G3 UAE 2000 Guineas last time on Feb 6; Dubai Love (GB) (Night of Thunder), winner of the UAE 1000 Guineas and a latest distant runner-up to Down On Da Bayou (Super Saver) in the G3 UAE Oaks, and Russian import Tuz (Oxbow), who has won his two starts to date against decidedly easier competition by a combined 42 lengths.
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