Meydan

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,...

Champion Hong Kong stayer Exultant (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) can earn a long-awaited trip overseas with a strong performance in Sunday's G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin Racecourse, with the US$6-million G1 Dubai Sheema Classic (2410m) on the horizon. Winner of the 2018 G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase (2400m), the horse formerly trained by Mick Halford as Irishcorrespondent landed this event, but focused on a domestic campaign that saw him close the season victoriously in the G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2400m). Third from a...

Capezzano (Bernardini) was a revelation at last year's carnival when winning three straight including the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge R3 by 9 1/2 lengths over Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}), but the 6-year-old gelding had been off since coming up lame after a last-place finish in the G1 Dubai World Cup. The dark bay had never won first-up but he put that stat firmly behind him with a seven-length victory in stakes record time in Thursday's G3 Firebreak S. going a mile on the dirt. Bouncing away from gate five,...

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...

Godolphin's MG1SW Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), trying dirt for the first time in the 1900-metre G2 Al Maktoum Challenge R2, answered that surface question emphatically, drawing off to win by two lengths over Military Law (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) at Meydan on Thursday. 2018 GI Belmont S. runner-up Gronkowski (Lonhro {Aus}) ran third, 6 3/4 lengths behind after a wide trip. Part of the early pace discussion from the bell, Christophe Soumillon settled his mount in a perfect position in third just off the tempo set by dueling leaders Chiefdom (The...

Two-time GI Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Doug O'Neill made the ground-breaking move of sending a string of around a dozen horses to train at Meydan and tackle the three-month Dubai World Cup Carnival this season, and the Southern California-based conditioner got off the mark in the desert on Thursday when Fore Left (Twirling Candy) went gate to wire in the one-mile G3 UAE 2000 Guineas. Fore Left carries the colours of Paul Reddam, who also owned both of O'Neill's Derby winners, I'll Have Another (Flower Alley) and Nyquist (Uncle Mo). Fastest...

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...

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...

Juddmonte Farms' Equilateral (GB) (Equiano {Fr}) holds the disctinction of being the first winner at the Dubai International Racing Carnival for trainer Charlie Hills after cruising to victory in the Listed Dubai Dash on the turf at Meydan. Held up early on in the five-furlong sprint, the 5-year-old eased into contention in the second half to run home two lengths clear of Sheikh Hamdan's Waady (Ire) (Approve {Ire}), with a close call for third when Shadwell's other runner Rusumaat (Ire) (Arcano {Ire}) narrowly gained the verdict over the Michal Appleby-trained...

Dubai Love (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) had already proved she stayed a mile as a juvenile and back up to that distance in the Listed UAE 1000 Guineas she was able to turn the tables with the favoured Final Song (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), to whom she had finished fourth in the trial three weeks earlier. In this instance Final Song had to settle for third behind her stablemate, continuing a good start to Thursday's Meydan meeting for trainer Saeed Bin Suroor and Godolphin, who also won the opening...

A total of 902 horses, with 1,774 nominations between them, threw their collective hats in the ring for the 25th $35-million Dubai World Cup night card at Meydan on Mar. 28. Among the leading hopefuls are Japanese Horse of the Year and 2019 G1 Dubai Turf heroine Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}); America's 2019 Horse of the Year candidate and MGISW Maximum Security (New Year's Day); last year's G1 Investec Derby hero Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}); Hong Kong superstar and outstanding miler Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road to...

The Dubai World Cup Carnival steps up a notch on Thursday, as the Listed UAE 1000 Guineas, the prep for the Feb. 20 G3 UAE Oaks, goes as the second race on the card. Nine 3-year-old fillies stand their ground with four hailing from the Godolphin yards led by G2 Queen Mary S. and G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. third Final Song (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) for Saeed bin Suroor. The bay easily won the UAE 1000 Guineas Trial conditions race over 1400 metres by 1 3/4 lengths on Jan....