Meydan

4th-Meydan, AED165,000, Maiden, 3yo, 1600m, 1:39.07, ft. MESHTRI (c, 3, Medaglia d'Oro--Clothes Fall Off {MSW & MGSP, $485,860}, by Daaher) made the most of his belated racetrack debut to score by a hard-fought half-length. Spearing through to lead shortly after the break, the bay was overtaken by Nevershow Weakness (Lord Nelson) underneath him and was content to take the sit for the in-form James Orman. Asked to come after the front-runner as they turned into the straight, Meshtri drew on even terms with about 300 metres to travel and just...

In this series, we will have a look at American-bred first-time juvenile starters (through the end of 2023) and debuting 3-year-olds in maiden races at Meydan Racecourse, with a specific focus on pedigree and/or performance in a sales ring in the meetings leading up to the Dubai World Cup program Saturday, Mar. 30, 2024. The flagship venue for racing in the United Arab Emirates, Meydan will host racing predominantly on Fridays, with the exception of Super Saturday Mar. 2 and Dubai World Cup night. Here are the horses of interest...

Algiers (Ire) (Shamardal), runner-up in the G1 Dubai World Cup last March, will contest the GI Breeders' Cup Mile rather than the 10-furlong GI Classic, according to the gelding's connections. "He just looked very effective over a mile and a mile-and-one at Meydan and he has a lot of speed," explained Ed Crisford. "I'm not saying he doesn't stay the 10 furlongs, it's just that we felt at Santa Anita a mile may play to his strengths more." An impressive winner going a mile in the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge...

Purses will rise 27% during the 2023-2024 Dubai racing season at Meydan Racecourse, the Dubai Racing Club (DRC) announced earlier this week. The new minimum purse of AED165,000 will be for non-stakes races, while all Group 1 races will be increased to a purse of at least AED1 million. The prize-money of $30.5 million on Dubai World Cup night will remain unchanged. In addition, all Meydan cards will feature nine races except for the first two. Other changes revealed by the DRC include two new feature race nights: Festive Friday...

The tracks of the Emirates Racing Association (ERA) will stage a total of 61 meetings in 2023-2024 after the fixture list was given the stamp of approval by His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of the Presidential Court and Chairman of the ERA. The racing season in the Emirates begins Oct. 28 at Al Ain Racecourse and continues the following day at Sharjah Longines Racecourse. Jebel Ali Racecourse will open its doors for the first time on Nov. 4, and racing at...

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES -- The pyrotechnics display following the conclusion of Saturday's Dubai World Cup program nearly matched those on the racetrack about 30 minutes earlier when Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) raced past a weakening Algiers (Ire) (Shamardal) in the final furlong to give Japan a first victory in a dirt renewal of the G1 Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline. Not only was it the third victory on the night for the nation who took home five trophies 12 months ago, but it also gave Japan...

With the team from Japan fully expected to play a major role on Dubai World Cup day at Meydan, it was an Irish-Japanese collaboration that struck early in the card when Masaaki Matsushima and the Coolmore partners' Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) swooped late to claim the G2 Dubai Gold Cup Sponsored By Al Tayer Motors. The redoubtable 7-year-old is a seasoned world traveller for Aidan O'Brien. His previous five starts had come in Ireland, France, America, Hong Kong, and Qatar, but this was Broome's first appearance at Meydan, where he...

Making just his third start in Dubai and stretching out to a mile for the first time in over two years, RRR Racing's Isolate (Mark Valeski) never gave his 13 rivals a chance in Saturday's G2 Godolphin Mile Sponsored by One Zaabeel as he put on a powerful front-running display to carry visiting jockey Tyler Gaffalione to an easy 5 1/2-length victory. Not the fastest away from the stalls in the mile chute, the $70,000 Keeneland November weanling speared through from between horses to take up the running linking up...

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES -- From the very beginning, young trainer George Boughey has made one thing quite clear--when the opportunity presents, he wants to travel horses to play the game on the international stage at the very highest level. At this time last year, Sheikh Abdullah Almalek Alsabah's Al Dasim (Ire) (Harry Angel {Ire}) was about a month away from making an early-season debut; twelve months on from that somewhat disappointing fifth when favoured in a five-furlong maiden at Leicester, the chestnut colt will be one of the choices...

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES -- WinStar Farm, Commonwealth Thoroughbreds and Zedan Racing LLC's Country Grammer (Tonalist) was assigned gate 14 in a field of 15 when he goes out in defense of his title in Saturday's G1 Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline at Meydan Racecourse, with the draw held at the Armani Hotel located in the towering Burj Khalifa in Central Dubai. The 6-year-old, the final World Cup ride for jockey Frankie Dettori, won the GII San Antonio S. in dominating fashion in late December at Santa Anita...

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES -- Bloodstock agents are equal parts pedigree analysts, money managers and equine recruiters for those audacious (crazy?) enough to dabble in Thoroughbred ownership. Few have followed the trajectory of the career of Country Grammer (Tonalist) more closely than the well-respected Peter Bradley, who went to work on behalf of the late Paul Pompa, Jr. at the 2019 OBS April Sale. It was Bradley's name on the docket when the hammer fell in the first 20 minutes of the final day of the auction, having parted with...

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES -- A colt from the third crop of boom American stallion Gun Runner (lot 18) was hammered down to Stephen Hillen, agent for prominent owner Dr Jim Hay, for €543,210 to top Tuesday's second renewal of the Goffs Dubai Breeze-Up Sale, held in the parade ring at Meydan Racecourse. On behalf of the Scotsman, Hillen also acquired the second-dearest offering of the evening, a Justify half-brother to GISW Fog of War (War Front) (lot 2), for the equivalent of €518,519. Following the withdrawal of 10 horses,...