Dubai

The G1 Dubai Sheema Classic is a potential March target for G1 St Leger second Berkshire Rocco (Fr) (Sir Percy {GB}) according to trainer Andrew Balding. Since taking the Listed Noel Murless S. in October, the colt returned to be the runner-up in the H H the Amir Trophy in Qatar on Feb. 20. "He ran a smashing race," said Balding. "It was his first run for a while, and he's entitled to come on for that. All being well, he might head towards Meydan for the Sheema Classic. He's...

Star Safari (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) gave trainer Charlie Appleby his third and final win on the card in the G3 Dubai Millennium S. after the earlier success of Bright Melody (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the second race and Naval Crown (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the Listed Meydan Classic. Removed from the early cavalry charge, Star Safari raced last bar two as Halimi (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) motored along at the head of affairs. He began to slowly take closer order 500 metres from home and launched a four-wide bid...

Turf races rule the day in Thursday's Dubai World Cup Carnival card at Meydan. Each of the quintet of races for Thoroughbreds take place on the grass, with the $195,000 G3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy Sponsored by Gulf News the crown jewel. Held over 2810 metres, the contest drew 2019 race winner and G3 Deutsches St Leger hero Ispolini (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) who anchors the Godolphin brigade. Charlie Appleby's bay has been seen on the racecourse only sparingly, and he was in action only twice last year with a staying...

The Dubai World Cup Carnival continues at Meydan on Thursday, and the seven-race card is loaded with six stakes races-five at group level-a little over two weeks in advance of the Mar. 6 Super Saturday card. The G2 Zabeel Mile has been won the past two years by Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby. Per usual, the royal blue is well represented, and the 110-rated D'Bai (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) leads the foursome. The 2019 G2 Al Fahidi Fort victor was only three-quarters of a length back in second when defending his title...

Following a directive by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Deputy Chief of Dubai Police and Public Security, the Pat Smullen Conditions S. will be held at Jebel Ali on Feb. 19, the racecourse announced on Tuesday. The late Smullen, a multiple champion jockey in his native Ireland, passed away from pancreatic cancer last September. During his career as a jockey, he was the retained jockey for Jebel Ali Stables in Dubai from 2000-2002, and was also a stable jockey for His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al...

1st-Meydan, AED82,500, Maiden, 2-13, NH/SH 3yo, c/g, 1600m, 1:37.16, ft. PANADOL (c, 3, Flatter-Arradoul, by Dixieland Band), making his racecourse bow in this spot, was not the quickest away, but soon established a half-length lead as the field exited the chute. Bowling along and doing it very easily, the blaze-faced colt's advantage shrank on the bend. He was challenged by Anbar (Bodemeister) at the head of the lane, but shrugged off that foe to win going away by 7 3/4 lengths. Endifaa (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) emerged late to be best...

Over 700 horses have been nominated for the 25th running of the Dubai World Cup night card on Mar. 27. Nineteen countries are represented among the 762 horses which resulted in 1,511 nominations. Leading the 176 nominations for the $12-million G1 Dubai World Cup over 2000 metres on dirt is GI Pegasus World Cup hero Knicks Go (Paynter) for Brad Cox and GI Runhappy Malibu S. victor Charlatan (Speightstown) for Bob Baffert. MG1SW Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}) will also take part, while Godolphin fields undefeated Maxfield (Street Sense)...

Trainer Charlie Hills was very pleased with the recent performance of G1SP Equilateral (GB) (Equiano {Fr}) in the Listed Dubai Dash last Thursday, and the 6-year-old gelding will remain in Dubai for another tilt at the G2 Meydan Sprint on Feb. 18. In 2020, Equilateral ran second in the Sprint. "I was really delighted with him," said Hills. "Frankie [Dettori] gave him a great ride and it looked like he was always going to win the race. It's nice to have won the race twice now and he was 5lb...

Godolphin's Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), a Group 1 winner in Australia, Germany and Dubai, will not compete in either the Dubai World Cup Carnival or the Saudi Cup. The 7-year-old entire will instead make his next appearance in Europe according to his trainer Saeed bin Suroor. The bay signed off last year with a third in the G2 Joel S. at Newmarket on Sept. 25. "Benbatl will not run in Dubai or Saudi Arabia this year--we'll keep him for a European campaign and look to get him out in May,"...

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,...

Deirdre (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}), a winner of the G1 Nassau S. last summer, will compete on the Saudi Cup day undercard on Feb. 29 or Dubai in March, Racing Post reported on Monday. Fourth in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase in early December, the 6-year-old mare returned to trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam's Abington Stables shortly thereafter. Chapple-Hyam is filling in for Deirdre's regular trainer, Mitsuru Hashida. "Deirdre flew back here after Hong Kong rather than going home and you could say she is now a 'Newmarket Sheila', Chapple-Hyam told Racing...

Tracy Farmer's Sir Winston (Awesome Again), upset winner of last year's GI Belmont S., is expected to start in Aqueduct's Jazil S. at Aqueduct Jan. 25. The Mark Casse trainee was last seen finishing 12th in the Woodchopper S. over yielding Fair Grounds grass Dec. 28. "The problem was I was trying to get him ready for the [GI] Pegasus [World Cup Invitational]," Casse said of Sir Winston's disappointing effort in New Orleans. "It's not easy to find a spot for a Belmont Stakes winner. No conditions. He's trained well...