Godolphin's royal blue silks were seemingly everywhere at Meydan on Thursday, as the operation swept four of the five Thoroughbred races on the card and both group stakes with Volcanic Sky (GB) (Street Cry {Ire}) in the G3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy and Star Safari (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the G3 Dubai Millennium S. The former was coming in off a win in a Feb. 11 2410-metre handicap score locally and gave his trainer Saeed bin Suroor and jockey Frankie Dettori a win on the card.
The bay sat in a tracking second just ahead of Global Heat (Ire) (Toronado {Ire}) past the wire the first time as Corsen (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) showed the way by daylight. Positions were largely static heading into the final of two turns. Volcanic Sky pounced midway on the bend and was pursued by Away He Goes (Ire) (Farhh {GB}) turning into the lane. Shaken up a bit by Dettori, he clung to his increasingly tenuous lead, as a trio of Godolphin rivals emerged as the biggest dangers close home. The wire came in time for Volcanic Sky, however.
Global Heat, who had been so persistent earlier in the race, re-rallied up the inside and cut the winning margin down to a short head. Brilliant Light (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) was third, another 1 1/4 lengths back, the same margin in front of Group 1 winner Ispolini (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in fourth, giving Godolphin the first four home.
“I took the initiative half way around the turn because the leader dropped away and I kicked on and I got first run on the others,” said Dettori. “He kind of lost concentration in the end, but he has been running well all season and he deserved a big win. He is very honest and wears his heart on his sleeve, and you know he is always going to run in the frame or win like tonight, and they don't come more consistent than him, so well done to the team.”
Added bin Suroor, “He is a tough horse and he always tries very hard. He is a big strong horse and he always improves after his first race. Frankie was in a nice position all through the race, and at the last two furlongs I felt he had a chance to win. The horse finished his race really well and this opens up the options for him and we might think of taking him to Dubai World Cup day.”
First tried above of handicap company only last September, the gelding was fifth in the Listed Eqtidaar Godolphin S. over 12 furlongs at Newmarket. The bay returned off a 118-day break to take sixth in the Jan. 21 Listed Dubai Racing Club Classic to the same horse that had beaten him at HQ in Charlie Appleby's Walton Street (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}). Tried at 14 furlongs, Volcanic Sky responded with a solid effort to be second in the Listed Meydan Cup on Feb. 4.
Pedigree Notes
The winner is the 132nd black-type winner and 79th group winner for his late Darley sire. Volcanic Sky joins Agathonia, who won at the listed level in Germany and was second in the G3 Preis der Mehl-Mulhens Stuftung, as stakes winners by Street Cry out of Diktat (GB) mares. The G1 Australian Derby second Tupac Amaru (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) was also produced by a Diktat mare and that sire now has 31 black-type winners as a broodmare sire.
The first stakes winner for his two-time Group 3 winning dam, Volcanic Sky is also a full to the SP mare Minidress (GB), herself already responsible for the Irish SP Petticoat (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) and a half-brother to the dam of Japanese listed winner Rose Law (GB) (New Approach {Ire}), who was second in the G3 Unicorn S.
Short Skirt's half-sister, the English/Irish highweight Whitewater Affair (GB) (Machiavellian) foaling Japanese dual champion Victoire Pisa (Jpn) (Neo Universe {Jpn}), also a champion in the UAE after winning the G1 Dubai World Cup, in addition to G1 Yasuda Kinen scorer Asakusa Den'en (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}). G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies heroine and Japanese Champion Juvenile Filly Rose Tissage (Jpn), a rare progeny of the late reluctant breeder War Emblem, is also under the second dam. The winning third dam Short Rations (GB) (Lorenzaccio {GB}) produced G1 Irish St. Leger hero Arctic Owl (GB) (Most Welcome {GB}) and the sire Marooned (GB) (Mill Reef), a winner of the G1 Sydney Cup in Australia.
Thursday, Meydan, Middle East
NAD AL SHEBA TROPHY (SPONSORED BY GULF NEWS)-G3, $195,000, Meydan, 2-25, NH4yo/up & SH3yo/up, 2810mT, 2:56.63, gd.
1–VOLCANIC SKY (GB), 126, g, 6, Street Cry (Ire)
1st Dam: Short Skirt (GB) (MGSW & MG1SP-Eng,
$357,566), by Diktat (GB)
2nd Dam: Much Too Risky (GB), by Bustino (GB)
3rd Dam: Short Rations (GB), by Lorenzaccio (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O/B-Godolphin (GB); T-Saeed bin
Suroor; J-Lanfranco Dettori. $117,000. Lifetime Record:
19-4-6-3, $230,334. *1/2 to Minidress (GB) (Street Cry {Ire}),
SP-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Global Heat (Ire), 126, g, 3, Toronado (Ire)–Raskutani (GB),
by Dansili (GB). (190,000gns Wlg '16 TATNOV; 325,000gns Ylg
'17 TATOCT). O-Godolphin; B-Wellsummers Farm (IRE);
T-Saeed bin Suroor. $39,000.
3–Brilliant Light (GB), 121, g, 4, Sea The Stars (Ire)–Flame of
Gibraltar (Ire), by Rock of Gibraltar (Ire). O/B-Godolphin (GB);
T-Saeed bin Suroor. $19,500.
Margins: SHD, 1 1/4, 1 1/4.
Also Ran: Ispolini (GB), Away He Goes (Ire), Mondain (GB), Yakeen (Aus), Corsen (GB).
Click for the Racing Post chart or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
