Dubai

Australian trainer Michael Costa has been appointed as His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's trainer at Jebel Ali Stables in Dubai. The contract was signed in the emirate on Friday. Costa, who runs Michael Costa Racing, will continue to operate his stable in Australia for the majority of the 2021/2022 season and, after all of his horses and staff have been placed with new trainers and positions, will move to Dubai and take up his new role. The horseman will oversee sourcing a large band of racing talent...

Group 1 winner A Case Of You (Ire) (Hot Streak {Ire}) will remain in Dubai and target the G1 Al Quoz Sprint on Mar. 26. He was a distant second to Godolphin's Man Of Promise (Into Mischief) in the six-furlong G3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint at Meydan on Mar. 5. Gary Devlin's 4-year-old colt captured the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp on Oct. 3 and was a good fifth in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 6. He made his 4-year-old bow a...

The McMurray Family's Happy Romance (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}), who ran third in the 1400-metre G3 1351 Turf Sprint in Riyadh on Feb. 26, is pointing to the 1200-metre G1 Al Quoz Sprint on Mar. 26, according to trainer Richard Hannon. A winner of the G3 Hackwood S. last July, the bay filly ran fourth in the G1 Betfair Sprint Cup S. on Sept. 4 and tired to 11th in the G1 QIPCO British Champions Sprint S. on Oct. 16. Hannon said, "Happy Romance ran a blinder in Riyadh. She...

Prince Faisal's globetrotting multiple Group 1 winner Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) has recovered in good order from a last-placed finish in the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup near the end of February, but will not defend his G1 Dubai Sheema Classic title on Mar. 26. The John and Thady Gosden trainee will instead wait until the G1 Coral-Eclipse S. in July. Also, a winner of the G1 Juddmonte International S. at York in August, the 5-year-old entire was fourth in the G1 QIPCO Champion S. on Oct. 16. Ted Voute,...

It was a Godolphin exacta in the G3 Dubai Millennium S. at Meydan on Friday as Royal Fleet (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), a paternal grandson of the race's namesake, defeated last year's winner Star Safari (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) by a short head. Away without incident, which could not be said for the slow-starting Lucius Tiberius (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), the Charlie Appleby trainee was aggressive as the field left the short chute and found an ideal position in a pressing second as Marie's Diamond (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) cut out the...

Undefeated Colts Square Off In UAE 2000 Guineas If Mohammed Khaleel Ahmed's undefeated Bendoog (Gun Runner) takes Friday's 1600-metre G3 UAE 2000 Guineas, the bay colt will become his sire's 10th black-type winner and sixth at the graded/group level. Gun Runner--the Horse of the Year and Three Chimneys stallion who was champion first-season sire in America last year-ran second to Arrogate in the 2017 G1 Dubai World Cup. One of two in the race for his owner along with Bhupat Seemar stablemate and winner Conglomerate (Ire) (Central Banker), Bendoog faces...

GISW Hot Rod Charlie Preps For The Dubai World Cup Doug O'Neill's Grade I winner Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow), one of five runners for the GI Kentucky Derby-winning trainer on Meydan's Dubai World Cup Carnival Friday card, is easily the highest-rated horse to compete on the day, and he gains the services of William Buick, Godolphin being without a runner in the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2. After finishing second at 100-1 in the 2020 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Hot Rod Charlie franked that form to be one of...

by Alan Carasso Naval Crown (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) provided his all-conquering sire his third winner in the last four runnings of the G2 Al Fahidi Fort S. and 143rd worldwide scorer at graded/group stakes level with a deceptively easy success in the seven-furlong test Friday at Meydan. Away alertly from a low barrier, the athletic bay found himself forwardly placed and was locked away at the fence as the veteran Ajwad (GB) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}) was ridden for speed from gate 13 and came across the field to lead...

Friday marks the second week of the Dubai World Cup Carnival at Meydan in Dubai, and three group races are slated to go ahead, as well as two G2 UAE Derby preps on the seven-race card. Godolphin fields a typically strong hand in the 1800-metre G2 Al Rashidiya Presented By Riviera Beachfront By Azizi on grass, which is an early pointer to the G1 Dubai Turf at the end of March. Aiming for a sixth consecutive renewal, the royal blue silks will be carried by a quintet from trainers-Charlie Appleby...

It has been something of a whirlwind week for Alice Haynes. In fact, make that a whirlwind year. On Saturday morning she arrived back in the UK from Dubai having overseen her first two runners there. By Friday she will be back at Meydan to saddle Freyabella (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) and Mr Professor (Ire) (Profitable {Ire}) again. In between that, Haynes has been riding out five or six lots a day on a cold and frosty Newmarket Heath at the head of a string which has risen in numbers on...

Looking for her first win since last July, Pevensey Bay (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) marked her return in style, closing with a flourish to earn a career high win in Friday's G2 Cape Verdi S. at Meydan. A hair sluggish away from the gate, Pevensey Bay settled along the inside near the back early as Down On Da Bayou (Super Saver) raced to the front. The pacesetter began to pick up the tempo on the first turn while heading into the final 800 meters. Completely buried along the rail with the pacesetter...

Dale Brennan's Golden Goal (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) indicated he could be rounding into his best form at age seven last year with a second-place finish in the G2 Godolphin Mile. Making his second start since in Friday's G2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1, he fulfilled that prophecy with a near gate-to-wire, 1 1/2-length victory. Joining Doug Watson after winning twice in Britain at three for trainer Saeed bin Suroor, the £240,000 yearling Golden Goal made just two starts in both 2019 and 2020, winning once the former season and...