Tag Archive for: Meydan

O’Callaghan seeking Meydan heroics from I Am Superman

/in /by

Following previous triumphs in Ireland and Australia, I Am Superman bids to win on a third continent in the Zabeel Mile at Meydan.

The son of Footstepsinthesand won once at Leopardstown and twice at Naas as a three-year-old for Michael O’Callaghan before being sent Down Under for a tilt at the 2019 Golden Eagle.

He came up short in that hugely lucrative contest, but remained in Australia with Peter and Paul Snowden and went on to claim two Group Two prizes and was last seen being beaten a head in a Group One at Caulfield in September.

Now back with O’Callaghan, who retained an interest in I Am Superman throughout his Australian spell, the seven-year-old takes on a five-strong Godolphin team in Friday’s Group Two feature.

O’Callaghan said: “We’re delighted to have him back and he’s settled in well since he got to Dubai. He hasn’t ran in four months, but he’s in great form.

“It looks a tidy enough contest and we’re stepping back up to a mile, which I don’t think will be a problem.

“Whatever he does he’ll probably improve a shade from it, but he’s as good as we can get him without having a run, so we’re looking forward to running him.”

Explaining I Am Superman’s journey so far, the trainer added: “We still own him in the same partnership that’s owned him since he was a yearling.

“He was sold to go to Hong Kong as a three-year-old after he won three (races) and he failed the vet for something insignificant, which often happens.

“We thought he was such a decent horse we’d send him to Australia for the prize-money, he won over $750,000 down there and he was beaten a head in a Group One on his last start.

“He’s as good as ever and I was keen to get him home to go pot hunting with him here this year, both in Dubai and in Europe.

“He’s a seven-year-old now and most horses wouldn’t still be improving, but his last run was the best run of his life, so hopefully there’s a good year left with him and we’ll have a bit of fun.”

The highest-rated horse in the field is Master Of The Seas – one of two runners for Charlie Appleby along with Modern News.

Master Of The Seas winning the Earl of Sefton Stakes at Newmarket
Master Of The Seas winning the Earl of Sefton Stakes at Newmarket (David Davies/PA)

Master Of The Seas won the Earl of Sefton Stakes at Newmarket on his only start of 2022 and Appleby is expecting him to improve for his comeback run.

“Master Of The Seas hasn’t been seen since the Earl of Sefton but has settled in well out in Dubai,” the Moulton Paddocks handler told the Godolphin website.

“His preparation has gone well, although we are very much working back from Dubai World Cup night and Super Saturday, so there will be some natural improvement from whatever he does here.

“He looks to be in great order and we are very much looking forward to getting him back on track.

“Modern News is a consistent horse, who showed some decent form in Group and Listed races in the UK last year. He goes into this fit and well, and certainly won’t look out of place in the field.”

Saeed bin Suroor is set to saddle three runners in the Zabeel Mile
Saeed bin Suroor is set to saddle three runners in the Zabeel Mile (Mike Egerton/PA)

Appleby’s fellow Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor saddled Real World to claim the Zabeel Mile 12 months ago and this year launches a three-pronged assault.

Assessing their prospects, he said: “Desert Fire, Land Of Legends and Laser Show have been working well, but this looks a tough race for the three of them.

“Desert Fire has won over this course and distance in the past, so dropping back to a mile won’t be a problem, while Land Of Legends enjoys racing around Meydan.

“Laser Show has had soundness issues, which has kept him off the track for a long time, but I was pleased with his latest piece of work and he is ready to go again.”

David O’Meara’s Shelir and the Ahmad bin Harmash-trained Erzindjan complete the field, having finished third and fourth respectively in the Al Fahidi Fort a fortnight ago.

Harry Eustace’s Cite d’Or carries British hopes in the UAE 1000 Guineas.

The Galiway filly won at Brighton and Beverley last year and rounded off her juvenile campaign with sixth place in the Group One Criterium de Saint-Cloud.

She makes her first start since in the Listed event on dirt and sets the standard on ratings.

“She’s in good form. I’ve actually visited her myself since she’s been out there and what I’ve seen I’ve been very happy with,” said Eustace.

“The main thing is the dirt is the question mark. If she does handle it she’ll run well and if she doesn’t she won’t basically.

“If we’re in contention after the first three or four furlongs and we’re there turning in she’ll run a race, and if she’s had to work hard for the first half it usually means they’re struggling on the surface, so we’ll see.

“There are other options later on, both on dirt and turf, so in a way this will help us decide where we go next.”

Real World pencilled in for Super Saturday return

/in /by

Real World, not seen since finishing a creditable second to Baaeed in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, has been gelded and is likely to reappear on Super Saturday at Meydan.

Saeed bin Suroor’s flagbearer was suffering with a cough in the second half of last summer and never made it back to the track, having also finished second to Baaeed in the Lockinge at Newbury.

After two failed attempts on dirt in last year’s Saudi Cup and Dubai World Cup, that experiment has been put on the back burner and he will race exclusively on turf from now on.

“Real World we know is a very smart horse, but sometimes when he went racing he wasn’t always thinking about it completely,” said Bin Suroor.

“In the mornings at home he was fine, but only when he got to the races did he start to get excited, sweating very badly and was coltish. He still ran well, but we made the decision to geld him in the summer.

“He was coughing a lot in the summer, that was why he hasn’t run since Ascot. It took him a long time to get over it, he had a lot of mucus. We just couldn’t run him.”

He went on: “Hopefully he’s over it now. It was frustrating, we had such a good horse and couldn’t run him. But you can’t run them when they aren’t healthy.

“He’s doing well so far in Dubai, in full training, but I want to find a race for him on Super Saturday, maybe the Jebel Hatta.

“We’ll keep him on the turf this year. We gave him a chance on the dirt but he didn’t handle it well, so that’s it. We’ll keep him to turf.”

Dubai first is another landmark for George Boughey

/in /by

George Boughey’s burgeoning career reached another landmark at Meydan on Friday as the Newmarket trainer enjoyed a first winner in Dubai.

Having recorded his first Classic winner last year with Cachet in the 1000 Guineas, it was the Mickael Barzalona-ridden Al Dasim – winner of his last two starts at Wolverhampton – who provided him with a maiden Dubai Carnival success when taking the Al Wasl Stakes by three lengths.

“It was obviously fantastic, our second runner in Dubai to be a winner. To have horses running all around the world and through the winter to have a nice team of horses to run in Dubai is fantastic,” Boughey told to Great British Racing International.

“He’s a horse who’s been targeted to come out here for a while. Sheikh Abdullah (owner) obviously wants to have horses running out here and he’s got a fantastic stable in Kuwait and in Saudi, and now to have a winner in Dubai is obviously great.

“He’s a horse who’ll probably head towards the Dubai Trophy in February. He’s shown an adaptability to run on turf and also on the all-weather, and it would be no surprise to see him run on the dirt.”

He added: “Everyone’s delighted and huge credit goes to my team out here – Ryan King and Charles Eddery who have the horses in great shape.”

Elsewhere on the card, Valiant Prince led home a Godolphin one-two-three in the Al Rashidiya.

The Dubawi colt was one of four runners carrying the royal blue silks in the Group Two, with Charlie Appleby and Saeed bin Suroor saddling a pair of contenders each.

Appleby was represented by Ottoman Fleet and Valiant Prince, the latter finishing powerfully under James Doyle to prevail.

Three-quarters of a length behind him was Bin Suroor’s Dubai Future, with Ottoman Fleet the third-placed horse by a further half a length.

“It was a big step forward on what he’s achieved in the past and I think he did a good job,” said Doyle.

“While we were drawn well and we had quite a cheap run round early, it got a bit hairy on the bend.

“It just meant the two in front just got away from us a bit, but it kind of suits him in a way – he doesn’t want to see loads of daylight.

“The way he picked up was quite a surprise to me. Once he got a bit of space he felt to me like he was always going to go and win comfortably.”

Dubai Future bidding to book Sheema Classic ticket at Meydan

/in /by

Saeed bin Suroor fields the first two home from the Bahrain Trophy in Friday’s Group Two Al Rashidiya at Meydan, as Dubai Future faces Passion And Glory once more.

The pair dominated the valuable event at Sakhir in November, with Dubai Future and Danny Tudhope coming out on top by three-quarters of a length.

Tudhope maintains the partnership with the seven-year-old, who has a possible tilt at the Sheema Classic on World Cup night on his agenda.

“He hasn’t had a run for two months but he’s been back in full training a while now, he’s working well and I’m happy with him,” said Bin Suroor.

“The Bahrain Trophy was obviously a good result and this is the best race for him before World Cup night.

“We will see how he runs here before deciding where he ends up. He’s a tough horse, a fighter, and we’ll just have to see how he runs before the World Cup meeting.

“Passion And Glory has also been training well since Dubai and I expect him to run well as well.”

Charlie Appleby’s four-year-old Ottoman Fleet, an easy Listed winner at Newmarket when last seen, looks the one to beat.

Bin Suroor is also hopeful of good runs from Soft Whisper and White Moonlight in the Ipi Tombe Stakes.

Soft Whisper winning under Frankie Dettori at the Cambridgeshire meeting in 2021
Soft Whisper winning under Frankie Dettori at the Cambridgeshire meeting in 2021 (Mike Egerton/PA)

Soft Whisper has won four times at Listed level, while White Moonlight has yet to recapture the promise she showed at two, although Bin Suroor does sees it on a morning at home.

“Soft Whisper is working well and likes it in Dubai, I’m really happy with her, she worked really well last week. She’s in the right race over the right trip (seven furlongs), so we’ll see how she goes,” he said.

“White Moonlight had three years off but she still shows me something on a morning, the problem is she is unsound.

“Every time she got close to a run she’d get another problem. I’ve given her lots of time, but I know she still has class. She’s better than she showed last time. What I see on the morning is very good.

“We just thought we’d give her a chance out here in Dubai before deciding on her future.”

Appleby again looks the man to beat, this time with Wild Beauty, not seen since finishing fifth of six behind Above The Curve in the Prix Saint-Alary at ParisLongchamp.