Cavalryman charges to course record in Nad al Sheba Trophy

Last updated: 3/1/14 5:06 PM

Cavalryman threw down the gauntlet to anyone contemplating a challenge in the Dubai Gold Cup
(Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club)

High-class stayer Cavalryman demolished Saturday’s Group 3, $200,000 Nad al
Sheba Trophy in course-record time at Meydan, maintaining Godolphin’s perfect
record in the turf marathon, and signaling that he’ll be tough to dethrone in
the Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup on March 29.

Unraced since Glorious Goodwood last summer, the Saeed bin Suroor veteran was
primed for this reappearance. The eight-year-old was reserved just off the pace,
while Saddler’s Rock went forward and found himself prompted by Statutory. The
top two were spent in the homestretch, and Cavalryman deployed a lethal turn of
foot for Silvestre de Sousa. Storming 5 1/2 lengths clear, the son of Halling
broke the course mark by finishing about 1 3/4 miles on good turf in 2:56.48.

“We were very confident coming into the race as he had been working very well
at home,” de Sousa said, “and we knew he was fit for this seasonal return. For a
stayer he has a great turn of foot and he really quickened when I asked him.

“He stays the 3,200 meters, so hopefully will be a serious contender trying
to win the Gold Cup again.”

The Mike de Kock-trained Star Empire, at the back of the pack early, tried a
bold gambit when jockey Christophe Soumillon angled him over to the stands’ side
rail down the lane. Although no match for Cavalryman, Star Empire took second by
1 1/2 lengths from Certerach. Jutland, who stalked the pace, was a one-paced
fourth.

Simenon closed from near the rear and got up for fifth, followed by Model
Pupil, Moment in Time, Renew, Buckwheat, Without Fear, Saddler’s Rock and
Statutory. The also-eligibles Ralston Road, Topclas, Thecornishcockney and Great
Hall didn’t draw into the field.

Cavalryman’s seventh career stakes victory improved his scorecard to
34-8-4-5. Originally trained by Andre Fabre, the bay compiled an excellent
sophomore campaign in 2009, capturing the Grand Prix de Paris, Prix Niel and
Prix Matchem, missing narrowly in the Prix Greffulhe, and concluding with a
third to Sea the Stars in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Cavalryman subsequently
switch to the bin Suroor yard and endured a couple of subpar seasons. In the
fall of 2010, he managed to place third in the Grosser Preis von Baden and Gran
Premio del Jockey Club, and his best result of 2011 was a second in the Fred
Archer.

After a runner-up effort in the Dubai City of Gold in his 2012 debut,
Cavalryman was only seventh in the Sheema Classic. A step up in trip was
prescribed, and immediately paid dividends when he snapped his losing streak in
the 1 3/4-mile Grand Cup at York. Cavalryman doubled up with a 4 1/2-length romp
in the Esher at Sandown, later garnered runner-up honors in the Jockey Club Rose
Bowl, and checked in 12th of 24 in the Melbourne Cup.

Cavalryman opened 2013 with a close third in the Dubai City of Gold, but
thrived back up to two miles in the Dubai Gold Cup. That marked his only win of
the year, as he went on to finish fifth in the May 30 Henry II Stakes, third in
the July 11 Princess of Wales’s and sixth in the August 1 Goodwood Cup.

Bred by Darley in Great Britain, Cavalryman is out of the Group 3-placed
Highest Honor mare Silversword. She is also responsible for the Group 3-placed
Finity, a three-quarter sister to Cavalryman by Diesis, who is herself the
ancestress of Middle Park third Justice Day. This is the family of highweight
older German stayer Double Honour, Grade 1 hero Silver Ending and South African
Group 1 winner Copper Parade. Cavalryman’s fourth dam is the noted matron Basin,
a daughter of Broodmare of the Year Delta.

Kavanagh (left) just denied Dux Scholar, repeating in the turf sprint handicap he had won on this card in 2013
(Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club)

While settling for second best with Star Empire, de Kock and Soumillon had a
profitable evening with two winners on the card. The addition of cheekpieces
helped Kavanagh regain the winning thread in a turf sprint handicap, where he
got up in time to edge Dux Scholar by a neck. The Wilgerbosdrift homebred
negotiated about six grassy furlongs in 1:09 3/5.

“He really traveled strongly to carry me into the race,” Soumillon said, “but
the runner-up really battled hard and made it very tough. I thought we had just
made it as my horse had his head down on the line. We thought a lot of him at
the start of the season but were a little disappointed with him. I had to be
quite strong on him at the end and it’s good to get a win with him.

“It is nice to see him back to form and he clearly likes this straight
track.”

Now sporting a 33-8-5-2 line, Kavanagh had not won since his
course-and-distance score on the corresponding card almost exactly one year ago, on March 2, 2013. That
was bookended by a second in the Al Shindagha Sprint and a sixth in the Dubai
Golden Shaheen. Fifth in the KrisFlyer International Sprint in Singapore and
unplaced in his three British outings last year, Kavanagh failed to hit the
board in his first three starts of the 2014 Carnival. The seven-year-old has
plenty of back class as a multiple Group 2 winner and multiple Group 1-placed
performer in his native South Africa. He would boast a Group 1 victory, if he
hadn’t been disqualified in the 2010 Golden Horseshoe, elevating none other than
Cavalryman’s aforementioned relative, Copper Parade.

Sanshaawes has won two straight at about 1 1/4 miles, on Tapeta and turf
(Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club)

In the nightcap, Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Khalifa al Maktoum’s
Sanshaawes completed the double for de Kock and Soumillon, and made it two in a
row for himself as well. Victorious in an about 1 1/4-mile handicap on Tapeta
February 13, the South African-bred successfully reverted to turf here, and
reiterated his proficiency at the trip. Sanshaawes squeezed through between
rivals to prevail by three-quarters of a length in a final time of 2:03 2/5.

The progressive Sanshaawes has compiled a record of 15-3-4-2, including a
trio of stakes placings, most notably a near-miss third to Capetown Noir in last
year’s Cape Derby. The Ashaawes gelding is still a four-year-old on Southern
Hemisphere time, and is entitled to earn a stakes breakthrough.

Aside from the two South African-bred winners on Saturday, the Rainbow Nation
could also take satisfaction in the handicap victory earned by Capital
Attraction. The seven-year-old son of Speightstown, who was a well-beaten fourth
to Variety Club in the February 13 Firebreak Stakes, flattered that two-time
South African Horse of the Year on the rebound here.

From the yard of U.A.E. champion trainer Ernst Oertel, and ridden by U.A.E.
champion jockey Tadhg O’Shea, Capital Attraction defied the top weight of 132
pounds and swept to a 1 3/4-length decision. He comfortably held Disa Leader,
representing the de Kock/Soumillon team, and covered the metric mile in 1:37
1/5.

“He is such a nice, game horse and it is great to see him back to form,”
Oertel said of Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan’s runner. “He is so
tough and we might step him up in trip. We will be back next Saturday, but will
enter in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 (Group 1 at about 1 1/4 miles), as
well as the Burj Nahaar (Group 3 over this metric mile).

“I would love to run him over 2,000 meters at some stage, but we will look at
the entries before deciding.”

Capital Attraction will wheel back in a week for Super Saturday
(Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club)

Capital Attraction was second in the 2013 Burj Nahaar to two-time champ
African Story, and his other stakes credit was a third in last winter’s Jebel
Ali Mile. His resume now reads 25-6-1-5.

Back on January 23, Capital Attraction was a close third to yet another South
African, Alexandra Palace, in a handicap over this same track and trip. The
second-placer from that race, Free Wheeling, also scored on Saturday’s program.

Owned by Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed al Maktoum, Free Wheeling made light of
his 132-pound impost, rolled by 1 1/2 lengths, and negotiated about seven Tapeta
furlongs in 1:25. The Australian-bred thereby kicked off a double for bin Suroor
and de Sousa that was capped in style by Cavalryman. A Group 2 scorer in his
homeland, the Ad Valorem gelding brandishes a 23-4-5-2 line.

Co-highweight Tamarkuz unfortunately never had a chance to compete. Rearing
up when the gate opened, he then went to his knees and unseated Paul Hanagan.
Tamarkuz sustained a concussion, while Hanagan escaped injury, according to
Dubai Racing Club.

The program started with an upset, as Sultan Ali’s Samurai Sword bounced back
from a February 20 debacle to win a handicap. Last time, the Ahmad bin Harmash
trainee uncharacteristically set the pace before giving way and trailing home
last of 16 to Elleval. On Saturday, new rider Mickael Barzalona adopted his more
congenial late-running tactics, and Samurai Sword responded. Picking up well off
an early crawl, the son of Motivator kicked two lengths clear and completed
about 1 1/4 miles on Tapeta in 2:09 1/5, upping his mark to 10-3-1-1.

Mickdaam, on the other hand, was disappointing. Making his second start back
from a prolonged layoff, he came under pressure some way out and brought up the
rear of the six-horse field. That was the only lowlight of an otherwise
encouraging night for the de Kock stable, which appears to be clicking again
just in time for Super Saturday.

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