Meydan

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...

Meydan's Super Saturday card on Mar. 7 will be staged without spectators, with the Emirates Racing Authority taking preventative action in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Thursday's Al Ain meeting was also held without spectators, and so will Friday's meeting at Jebel Ali and Sunday's meeting at Abu Dhabi. Super Saturday stages seven races intended as preps for the Dubai World Cup card on Mar. 28. Horse connections, sponsors and media will be the only persons permitted to attend.

Trainer Freddy Head will prepare George Strawbridge's Another Sky (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) for the Prix du Jockey Club after the colt made an impressive debut at Chantilly to become the newest 'TDN Rising Star.' The half-brother to 2016 G1 French Derby and G1 Champion S. winner Almanzor (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) delighted the trainer, as he made most of the running and coasted home by 4 1/2 lengths, despite being eased down in the closing stages of the 1800-metre event over the all-weather track at Chantilly. Head revealed it...

Champion and MGISW Maximum Security (New Year's Day) appears unlikely to bid for a big-race double in Dubai following his win in the inaugural $20-million Saudi Cup over Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute). Before landing the inaugural running of the world's most valuable race Saturday, the Jason Servis-trained 4-year-old was best known for passing the post in front in last year's GI Kentucky Derby--only to be demoted. The Gary and Mary West and Coolmore partnership colorbearer was swiftly installed as favorite for the G1 Dubai World Cup Mar. 28--but speaking on...

Down on Da Bayou (Super Saver) looks to follow up her devastating 19-length victory in the Feb. 20 G3 UAE Oaks with a victory over the boys in the Samba Saudi Derby at King Abdulaziz Racetrack Saturday. The bay filly will be making her sixth lifetime start in the 1600-meter race, but her first away from Meydan. Billy Batts (City Zip), second in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, will be trying the dirt for the first time. The Peter Miller trainee, previously owned by Rockingham Ranch, will be...

Trainer Doug O'Neill can surely count his maiden voyage to Dubai as a successful one, with two winners-both of stakes-and 13 runners in the money from 22 starts through Thursday. And there is a chance that Parsimony (Dominus) could lead him to bigger and better things after an eye-catching victory in Thursday's Listed Curlin S. Parsimony is apparently a horse that took his accomplished trainer some time to unravel; not only did it take the grey 18 starts to break his maiden, but within his first year on the track...

It was a blue wash at the start of Thursday's G3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy at Meydan, with the five Godolphin runners leading the four others past the stands the first time in the 2810 metre turf contest, and it remained that way at the finish, with Secret Advisor (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) leading home a Godolphin top four finish in the feature. Last year's G3 Bahrain Trophy and Belmont Gold Cup winner Spanish Mission (Noble Mission {GB}) traveled last early but failed to fire when put to pressure in the...

The Hong Kong Jockey Club and the Dubai Racing Club have partnered to offer World Pool betting for Meydan's Mar. 7 Super Saturday card and Mar. 28 Dubai World Cup meeting. Overseas pari-mutuel wagers placed through partners from Australia, Canada, Europe, Singapore and the U.S. will be commingled into Hong Kong's pools directly or via Premier Gateway International (PGI) during the two Dubai meetings. This will provide maximum liquidity and stronger opportunities for customers. Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, the Hong Kong Jockey Club's chief executive officer, said, "The commingling development in Hong...

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...

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed's Down On Da Bayou (Super Saver) had to play second fiddle to Godolphin fillies in the Listed UAE 1000 Guineas on Jan. 23 and the trial three weeks prior to that, but fortunes were reversed and son prevailed over father in the G3 UAE Oaks at Meydan on Thursday evening, with Down On Da Bayou strolling home by 18 1/2 lengths over Dubai Love (GB) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) while stepping up to 1900 metres for the first time. Breaking well from the extreme outside gate...

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.,...