Indian Blessing tired but well; turf heroes to join
Godolphin
Two-time champion filly INDIAN BLESSING (Indian Charlie) was a little tired
on Sunday morning after her gallant second-place effort against males in the
Dubai Golden Shaheen (UAE-G1) but otherwise in good condition, said exercise
rider Janell Gruss.
“She came out of the race real well,” Gruss said. “But it’s hard to see her
run so well and get beat.”
Indian Blessing finished 1 1/4 lengths behind Prince Sultan Mohammed bin Saud
Al Kabeer’s Big City Man (Northern Afleet) at the finish line, but her effort
was outstanding, particularly considering she stumbled at the start. She
finished five lengths in front of Godolphin’s third-placed Diabolical (Artax),
and others behind her included European champion sprinter Marchand d’Or (Marchand
de Sable) and Grade 1 winner Black Seventeen (Is It True).
Godolphin had plenty to celebrate on Dubai World Cup night, enjoying a
one-two in both the U.A.E. Derby (UAE-G2) and Godolphin Mile (UAE-G2) but also
recruiting two other winners, GLADIATORUS (Silic [Fr]), who romped in the Dubai
Duty Free (UAE-G1), and EASTERN ANTHEM (Singspiel [Ire]), who just got up in the
Dubai Sheema Classic (UAE-G1).
“It has been a brilliant night,” said Simon Crisford, the Godolphin racing
manager. “We weren’t sure that REGAL RANSOM (Distorted Humor) would stay (the
about nine-furlong trip in the U.A.E. Derby), but, with DESERT PARTY (Street Cry
[Ire]) performing below-par, he has run them ragged.
“Similarly, TWO STEP SALSA (Petionville) and GAYEGO (Gilded Time) both ran
blinders (in the Godolphin Mile). Frankie (Dettori) probably got first run on
the winner (Two Step Salsa), which made the difference, but we have to be happy
with both horses.”
Two Step Salsa and Gayego will now aim for the May 25 Metropolitan H. (G1) at
Belmont Park.
“Gladiatorus and Eastern Anthem are both part of the Godolphin team,”
Crisford said, “and they will run in our blue colors in Europe this summer.”
“Not a bad night’s work,” smiled Luca Cumani as he calculated that the brave
runs of PURPLE MOON (Galileo [Ire]) and PRESVIS (Sakhee), while so near but so
far, had still earned his owners $1.5 million.
Purple Moon was beaten a whisker by Eastern Anthem and Spanish Moon (El Prado
[Ire]) in the Sheema Classic, while Presvis came from another county to finish
second in the Duty Free.
“Purple Moon has run a terrific race,” Cumani said, “and I am so proud of
him. He might stay two miles, but he is capable of winning at the top level over
a mile and a half as long as they go a decent pace. The moment they left the
stalls the brakes went on, and I feared the worst. He has done tremendously well
to finish so close. But we’ll give him a holiday now and then take him back to
Tokyo for the Japan Cup ([Jpn-G1] on November 29), on to Hong Kong for the Vase
([HK-G1] on December 13) and back here again to try and go one better at Meydan.
“Presvis also run a blinder, but his draw was always going to be a problem.
He has been on the go since January, so I am not sure that he will go to Royal
Ascot. But before we give him a break he will either go for the Audemars Piguet
Queen Elizabeth II Cup ([HK-G1] on April 26) in Hong Kong or the Singapore
Airlines International Cup ([Mal-G1] on May 17), which I won with Endless Hall
(in 2001).”
Australian challenger NICONERO (Danzero), who picked up $250,000 for
finishing fourth in the Dubai Duty Free, may head to Royal Ascot for the June 17
Prince of Wales’s S. (Eng-G1).
“He might be a seven-year-old, but he seems to be getting better and better,
and Craig (Williams) felt that but for suffering interference in the straight he
would have been third,” trainer David Hayes said. “He got bounced around like a
pinball.”
Hayes conceded that the A$500,000 bonus being offered to any horse who wins
the Australian Cup (Aus-G1) and the Prince of Wales is tempting.
“He would need a race before Ascot, and it would have to be either Singapore
or Hong Kong.
“I know Manton better than I know Newmarket, so I would rather stay down
there (when in England) if the Sangsters and Brian Meehan are agreeable, and,
although the Aussies have proved a big hit in the sprint races at the Royal
meeting, it has always been my ambition to have a middle-distance runner at
Ascot.
“Niconero is a good horse but no superstar, but he has a great bunch of
owners and it would be great to give it a go if he comes through his dress
rehearsal.”
Australia’s top mare TUESDAY JOY (Carnegie [Ire]) will leave Dubai for France
this week after her ninth placing behind Gladiatorus in the Duty Free. While no
official announcement has been made, it is understood she will now be trained by
Richard Gibson of Doctor Dino (Fr) (Muhtathir [GB]) fame.
“I wasn’t unhappy with her run. She’s racing like a stayer now and wants more
ground,” owner John Singleton said of her Dubai performance.
The October 4 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1) is on the mare’s agenda.