Dubai Sheema Classic
Only 10 have been declared for the Group 1, $5 million Dubai Sheema Classic
going about 1 1/2 miles on the turf at Meydan, but it is a select field of
horses mostly proven at the highest level.
Trainer Aidan O’Brien would appear to have a very strong hand with both
Treasure Beach, winner of last year’s Group 1 Irish Derby, and multiple Group 1
victor St Nicholas Abbey.
The trainer’s son Joseph rides the latter, and the pair made history last
year when landing the Breeders’ Cup Turf, with the jockey becoming the youngest
ever to ride a Breeders’ Cup winner at America’s flagship meeting.
St Nicholas Abbey and Treasure Beach remained in maintenance mode Friday for
The exercise was overseen by three of Coolmore proprietor John Magnier’s
“It would mean a lot for St Nicholas Abbey to win after the death (on
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Jamie Spencer was aboard Treasure Beach and will ride the Galileo colt for
the first time on Saturday.
“The horse has strong form but there are others in the race with strong
credentials,” Spencer said. “Cirrus des Aigles has won a (Group 1) Champion
Stakes, St Nicholas Abbey a Breeders’ Cup Turf, so mine will have to be
somewhere near his best.”
Also doubly represented in the Sheema will be South African Mike de Kock, who
will saddle Bold Silvano and Mahbooba. The former has been re-routed to his race
from the Dubai World Cup after two disappointing all-weather runs this year.
Bold Silvano’s turf form in their native South Africa was very good, though, and
he is one of the night’s most interesting runners given the switch of surfaces.
The Silvano six-year-old will be ridden by Christophe Soumillon with Kevin
Shea on Mahbooba, who should appreciate the step up to this trip. The Galileo
mare won twice over 1,800 meters at the Dubai World Cup Carnival, one of which
was the Group 2 Balanchine.
With Soumillon retained to partner Bold Silvano, Olivier Peslier picks up the
plum spare ride on French challenger Cirrus des Aigles, winner of last year’s
Champion Stakes at Ascot when beating Dubai World Cup favorite So You Think.
Peslier’s mount was also being aimed at the world’s most valuable horse race but
connections elected for this race after he was beaten by Zazou and Peslier in a
trial race at Chantilly four weeks ago.
The son of Even Top was positively bouncing Friday morning when he came onto
the all-weather under regular work rider Zoe Gargoulaud.
“I wanted him to do a slow canter, but he decided to go a little bit faster,”
trainer Corinne Barande-Barbe said. “He was pulling a bit. He decides what to do
and was very happy this morning. Luckily there were all these Japanese
photographers so he pulled himself up to see what was happening. He is good,
very supple, perfect.”
William Haggas saddles the unbeaten four-year-old Beaten Up, who did not race
as a juvenile but won all three starts last year working through maiden and
conditions company to land the Group 3 St Simon Stakes at Newbury. This is
obviously a big step up in class but the Beat Hollow gelding has done nothing
wrong thus far.
Marco Botti trains Jakkalberry, who made an early visit to the main track
Friday. The Storming Home son will be hoping for a good gallop as he was staying
on well over 2,800 meters last time in the Group 3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy to finish
third.
Godolphin has three runners with Frankie Dettori riding Cavalryman, one of
two trained by Saeed bin Suroor. He was just in front of stablemate Songcraft
(the pair dead-heated for third in the Group 2 Dubai City of Gold) on Super
Sarurday when Shimraan, trained by fellow Godolphin handler Mahmoud Al Zarooni,
was well beaten.
Dubai Duty Free
The Group 1, $5 million Dubai Duty Free is often the most competitive race on
The United Kingdom are very well represented, and last year’s winner Presvis
“Presvis enjoyed another easy morning,” Cumani said of the Sakhee colt. “He
Presvis has already earned official distinction as the highest-earning
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Cumani hopes Presvis will add substantially to the bounty on Saturday,
although the horse is beholden to a strong early gallop to show his best.
“I have been through the race,” Cumani said, “and while there are horses that
have occasionally made the running in the past, there is no obvious
front-runner. We need other people to co-operate.”
Michael Bell relies on Wigmore Hall, an unlucky third last year when denied a
clear run until Presvis and River Jetez had flown. The draw could have been a
lot kinder to Bell’s charge, as well as Dubawi Gold, also trained in the UK by
Richard Hannon — they are in stalls 15 and 16 respectively.
“It’s a very strong race but I am really pleased with him,” Bell said of
Wigmore Hall. “He looks bang on his game right now, but against that, this
year’s renewal looks a grade above last year’s.
“It didn’t work out for us last year. We had no run in the straight and as we
switched out to challenge we opened the door for (the winner) Presvis, who
sneaked through a gap that would have been ours in another stride or two if we’d
stayed where we were. Hopefully we will get any breaks going this time.”
The fourth UK representative is the Roger Charlton-trained Cityscape,
previously considered a soft ground performer but who showed in Hong Kong last
December that he can not only handle fast ground but also international
competition when second in the Group 1 Hong Kong Mile.
Cityscape saw the turf track for the first time this morning, having
exercised on the training track Wednesday and Thursday.
“The horse enjoys his overseas trips,” Charlton said. “He traveled well and
has been eating and drinking. He has done no work since he arrived (on Monday)
and cantered round on the grass today; the track is in good condition. He is a
very good-moving horse who handles fast ground.”
Saeed bin Suroor saddles two for Godolphin and Frankie Dettori will partner
Delegator in the all blue with Silvestre De Sousa on stablemate Rio De La Plata,
a multiple Group 1 winner. Dettori’s mount is trying the longest trip he has
tackled to date but has a fantastic turn of foot which, if he stays, could prove
decisive.
Fellow Godolphin handler Mahmoud Al Zarooni relies on City Style, who has
shown steady progression throughout the 2012 Dubai World Cup Carnival. However,
he was beaten over Saturday’s course and distance in the Group 2 Al Rashidiya by
Musir, one of two runners in the race for Mike de Kock.
The South African handler has won this race twice before and Musir is a
proven international performer, having won in Turkey last year. However, it
looks significant that Christophe Soumillon rejects him to ride stablemate
Mutahadee, another who has improved throughout his 2012 Dubai campaign.
Hong Kong are also well represented and old rivals Ambitious Dragon, Xtension
and California Memory are all genuine contenders in a wide open race. The trio
have actually clashed on their last two starts and, on each occasion, the Tony
Millard-trained Ambitious Dragon has come out on top. John Moore trains Xtension,
second both times ahead of California Memory, winner of last year’s Group 1 Hong
Kong Cup.
Aidan O’Brien saddles Await the Dawn, a Group 2 winner at Royal Ascot last
year and very lightly-raced for a five-year-old. It could be that 2012 will be
his breakthrough year although this trip would appear very much his minimum
stamina requirement.
Japan won this in 2007 with Admire Moon and their runner this year, Dark
Shadow, certainly should not be underestimated.
“We have just one day to go, so I just gave him an easy canter on turf
course,” jockey Yuichi Fukunaga said. “It was good for me to work on the
surface, which was my first experience. I usually do not have many chances to be
up on him except when racing, but I believe the stablestaff have done all their
best to him, and I must meet their expectations. The turf course was more firm
than I looked, which was a very good factor for the Japanese horses. If I can
bring full of his talent, he must have a big chance.”
Should there be a late withdrawal, Albaasil, currently a reserve, would have
a big each-way chance for Doug Watson and would be a final career ride for
Richard Hills, retained jockey for the horse’s owner His Highness Sheikh Hamdan
bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Hills retires after the meeting.
Al Quoz Sprint
The shortest race of the night, the 1,000 meter Group 1, $1 million Al Quoz
Joy and Fun won this for Hong Kong in 2010 and looks sure to go well again
War Artist’s first start was a promising effort in the prep race on Super
“It looks wide open. I’m not sure that we are well drawn (in stall 15),”
Monsieur Joe was fourth in the same race for Robert Cowell and the UK-based
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Secret Asset and Group 1 winner Margot Did help represent the English
challenge but look to face a stiff task, especially having been well beaten in
the prep when American raider Regally Ready, winner of last year’s Group 2
Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, was a bitter disappointment.
“I think she is spot on,” trainer Michael Bell said of Margot Did. “I’m happy
with her high draw (16 stall). She doesn’t like to be crowded so she can mind
her own business out there. She’ll just break out and come down the
middle-to-stands side of the track.”
The race has a truly international flavor and Singapore’s Better Be the One
will have his supporters after an excellent third in this last year. Australian
sprinters always merit consideration and connections of Ortensia sound very
bullish regarding her chances after her Group 1 victory last year in the
Burswood-Winterbottom Stakes. She looks sure to be staying on strongly as her
best form is at 1,200 meters.
The same applies to August Rush, a Group 1 winner in his native South Africa
and trained by Herman Brown. He ran well on Super Saturday making his
local/all-weather debut when third in the Group 3 Mahab Al Shimaal and it looks
significant connections have decided to revert to turf.
Eagle Regiment joins Joy and Fun in the Hong Hong contingent and A Shin Virgo
represents Japan in an ultra competitive sprint where luck in running will be of
paramount importance given the number of runners.
Eagle Regiment cantered on the all-weather Friday and trainer Manfred Man
said his Group 1 winner was making incremental progress with a minor off-foreleg
complaint, but stressed that his runner would still perform well on Saturday
evening.
“He’s feeling better and better. He worked well today; it was good for him
because he’s usually lazy in the morning,” Man said. “He is back to his best
racing bodyweight and he will run well tomorrow. His leg is not perfect, not 100
percent, but that does not stop him running to his very best and his very best
is very good.”
Dubai Gold Cup
The latest addition to the card, the Group 3, $1 million Dubai Gold Cup is
Frankie Dettori rides Opinion Poll on this occasion, having beaten him on Fox
South African trainers Herman Brown and Mike de Kock both saddle two with
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Irish Flame has never reproduced his best form at Meydan but at least
threatens to stay this far, while stablemate Zanzamar has seemingly improved
switched to turf. He could have run in the Dubai Sheema Classic so connections
clearly feel he will stay.
One horse guaranteed to stay is French challenger Kasbah Bliss and, if it
develops into a war of attritions, he would be a big danger.
“He has put away his work on Monday and looks well,” trainer François Doumen
said. “He is maybe a little bit fresher than he was — which is not too bad as
he was really very relaxed. He thinks he is in the Club Med here. He is in good
shape, not too heavy. He is very professional and knows his job. He is very
supple for a horse of his age, it’s amazing.”
Joshua Tree and Barbican both represent the UK with the former, trained by
Marco Botti, needing to bounce back to his best stepped up markedly in trip.
Barbican is interesting as he should stay and is a first UAE runner for the
ultra-shrewd Alan Bailey.
Australia’s Unusual Suspect has shown little in three UAE outings and Japan’s
Makani Bisty appears to have something to find to trouble the best of these.
Averroes, trained near Abu Dhabi by Ernst Oertel, has twice been well beaten by
Fox Hunt and would be a surprise winner.