Charlie Appleby

Second choice on the board, Zakouski (GB) (Shamardal) just nipped heavy favourite Mythical Magic (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) by a neck in a blanket finish in the $250,000 G2 Zabeel Mile going a mile over the Meydan grass on Thursday. It was a similar margin back to Dream Castle (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in third, with pacesetter Salute The Soldier (Ger) (Sepoy {Aus}) another neck behind in fourth. Charlie Appleby trained the first two home, with Saeed bin Suroor's Dream Castle giving Godolphin the trifecta. Content to race in fourth against the...

Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) had not been seen since beating just two home in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on Oct. 6, and upon return in Thursday's G3 Dubai Millennium S. going 2000 metres on the Meydan turf he looked much more like the horse that won the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden by 14 lengths last summer, blowing apart an overmatched field by 8 1/2 lengths. An exciting proposition at two off the back of a five-length maiden win and a score in Newmarket's G3 Autumn S.,...

Thursday's Dubai Carnival action continues to build toward the Mar. 7 Super Saturday card and the Mar. 28 Dubai World Cup night, as four group races are on tap. The highest rated Dubai-based horse, Godolphin's German Group 1 winner Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) (126) for Charlie Appleby, returns in the 2000-metre G3 Dubai Millennium S. over the grass at Meydan after a last out 10th making the early running in the Oct. 6 G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Run as the first race of seven on the evening,...

Magic Lily (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) continued to make up for lost time when backing up her victory in the Jan. 16 G2 Cape Verdi with a one-length score in Thursday's G2 Balanchine S. at Meydan. An eight-length debut winner at two and third in the G1 Fillies' Mile, Magic Lily had high hopes riding on her shoulders heading into her 3-year-old campaign in 2018 but an injury kept her on the shelf for two years. Back in action last October, Magic Lily was second in listed company in France...

2019's breakout 9 1/2-length G1 Al Maktoum Challenge R3 victor Capezzano (Bernardini) makes his first appearance of 2020 for Sultan Ali and trainer Salem bin Ghadayer in the 1600-metre G3 Firebreak S. at Meydan. One of three in the event for bin Ghadayer on Thursday, the 6-year-old gelding ran a puzzling 12th when favoured in the G1 Dubai World Cup at the end of March and aims to bounce back in this warm up for the inaugural Feb. 29 $20-million Saudi Cup, before a possible start in the $12-million G1...

The G2 Al Rashidiya S. at Meydan on Thursday came down to a pair of Godolphin Group 1 winners in the final furlong, and it was the returning G1 St James's Palace S. winner Barney Roy (GB) (Excelebration {Ire}) who collared and passed the defending race winner and last year's G1 Jebel Hatta S. winner Dream Castle (GB) (Frankel {GB}) inside the final eighth to score by two lengths, leading home a Godolphin top four finish. Barney Roy was making his fourth start back from a failed stud career due...

2017 G1 St James's Palace S. hero Barney Roy (GB) (Excelebration {Ire}) makes his Dubai debut in the grassy G2 Al Rashidiya over 1800 metres at Meydan on Thursday, as the Dubai World Cup Carnival takes another step toward Super Saturday and then Dubai World Cup night itself. One of four in the race for Godolphin, the Charlie Appleby-trained gelding who made an abortive attempt at stud in 2018, won the Listed Prix de Montretout at ParisLongchamp last May. He was a last out eighth in the G1 Queen Anne...

Tattersalls October co-topper Glorious Journey (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) bounced back from a ninth in the Oct. 6 G1 Qatar Prix de la Foret at ParisLongchamp, with a comfortable win in the G2 Al Fahidi Fort over 1400 metres at Meydan on Thursday. The first three home were all trained by Charlie Appleby who was winning this contest for the fifth time, with Her Highness Sheikha Al Jalila's 2.6-million guineas purchase besting the Godolphin duo of Mythical Magic (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) and Mubtasim (Ire) (Arcano {Ire}) by 3/4s of a length...

Magic Lily (GB) (New Approach {Ire}), third in the G1 Fillies' Mile as a juvenile, made good on her early promise with a narrow victory over Team Valor International's Nisreen (Ire) (Raven's Pass) in the G2 Cape Verde at Meydan on Thursday. The Charlie Appleby runner bore the Godolphin blue silks in the one-mile contest under pilot James Doyle, who, along with Appleby, were winning their third Cape Verde. The 5-year-old completed the Cape Verde in a new stakes and track record-setting time of 1:34.84. Sent straight to the head...

Mick Halford is a familiar face at Meydan, with a victory in the G2 Dubai Gold Cup in 2014 with Paul Rooney's Certerach (Ire) (Halling) being among his highlights, and the Kildare-based trainer gets his 2020 carnival season underway on Thursday with a pair of stakes runners at Meydan. The lightly raced 4-year-old Simsir (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) lines up with a shot in the Listed Zabeel Turf, although he will have to see off last season's G1 Jebel Hatta winner Dream Castle (GB) (Frankel {GB}) among 10 rivals. The Aga...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Today's Observations features the debut of a full-brother to Churchill and Clemmie. 5.15 Curragh, Mdn, €17,500, 2yo, 7fT PARADISO (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}) is a full-brother to Churchill (Ire) and Clemmie (Ire) who may be down the Ballydoyle pecking order if jockey bookings are to be believed. Seamie Heffernan takes...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Today's Observations features a seven-figure KEESEP yearling graduate. 5.45 Yarmouth, Novice, £14,000, 2yo, 7f 3yT SUN CUISINE (Medaglia d'Oro) was a $1.3-million purchase by Godolphin at the Keeneland September Sale who debuts for the Charlie Appleby stable. The February-foaled bay is the first foal out of the GII John...