Mahab Al Shimaal

In his previous 14 starts, the 5-year-old Eastern World (Ire) (Dubawi (Ire)), best known as the little brother of dual Dubai World Cup winner Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet (Aus)), had never raced under seven furlongs and had done his best work over a mile. In the Super Saturday finale, the Ahmad bin Harmish-trained gelding rewarded his astute trainer and promising jockey Ray Dawson when taking the six-furlong G3 Mahab Al Shimaal. Showing plenty of tactical speed, Eastern World and Dawson tracked the French-trained pacesetter Manjeer (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}). When angled out for...

A packed slate of seven pattern races is set for Meydan's 'Super Saturday' card for aspirants to the Dubai World Cup races on Mar. 27, and headlining the card is the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge R3 over the course and distance of the $12-million G1 Dubai World Cup. Last-out group winners Salute The Soldier (Ger) (Sepoy {Aus}) and Secret Ambition (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) are the headliners, but potential distance limitations for the pair of them perhaps levels the playing field. The 6-year-old Salute The Soldier went the furthest...

There was a surprise result in Super Saturday's opening group race, the G3 Mahab Al Shimaal over six furlongs, when the Satish Seemar-trained Wafy (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) came from way off the pace to deny stablemate and fellow longshot Leading Spirit (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}). The Tadhg O'Shea-ridden winner looked a forlorn hope early in the straight but the hectic gallop set by the pacesetters early on began to take its toll as the closers emerged from the pack late in the race. Leading Spirit looked the likely winner...

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...