blog.indianracing.in

Dubai World Cup night clues aplenty were on offer at Nad Al Sheba on Thursday at the ninth meeting of the Dubai International Racing Carnival.

Sponsored by Meydan City, the night’s feature was the Listed Oaks, a dirt race for three-year-old fillies and won by Godolphin’s Devotee who was able to bounce back after a disappointing run in the UAE 1000 Guineas when found to have an irregular heartbeat.

Ridden by Frankie Dettori, she was completing a memorable double for the Godolphin team who had also won the inaugural running of the Dubai Racing Club Gold Cup, a 3200m turf conditions race, with the high-class Veracity.

Sent for home over 800m out by the Italian jockey, he ran on dourly to win the marathon.

Dettori said: “It has been a good night and Veracity is a tough horse who we know stays well. He has been tried in the highest company at times and deserved to get his head in front.

“Devotee was obviously a disappointment last time but we knew she was a good filly and her work has been good. She was brave when the other filly came to her and run on strongly.”

Archipenko will be heading for the Dubai Duty Free, in which he was third last year, after his win in the Group 3 Zabeel Mile, a 1600m turf contest.

He was completing a double for trainer Mike De Kock and jockey Kevin Shea who had earlier won the Group 3 Al Quoz Sprint, over 1200m on turf, with JJ The Jet Plane.

Both horses were burdened with Group 1 penalties and Shea was pleased: “JJ The Jet Plane is very quick and I was never worried on him tonight. He has done that in style. Archipenko’s class prevailed as he will have needed the run with the Duty Free still four weeks away.”

Racing opened with the 1200m turf conditions Meydan Business Park Trophy, which was won by Eve Johnson Houghton’s Beaver Patrol under Mick Kinane, while the following 1600m turf race, Signature Mall Trophy went to Furnace for Mubarak Bin Shafya and apprentice Antioco Murgia.

Gloria De Campeao finally opened his own and trainer Pascal Bary’s UAE account in the 1800m dirt handicap, the Meydan Hotel Trophy, and would be a possible for the Godolphin Mile, while the Dubai Sheema Classic could be a target for Luca Cumani’s Presvis who won the concluding 2000m turf Meydan Gateway Towers Trophy under Ryan Moore.

Multiple group winners Lord Admiral, Biarritz, Royal Vintage and Vertigineux highlight the Dubai International Racing Carnival Session of the annual Emirates Racing Authority Horses in Training Sale, sponsored by Al Basti Equiworld, at Nad Al Sheba next week.
 
In association with leading auction house Tattersalls, the sale will encompass 47 horses to be sold at the DIRC session on Tuesday March 3 with another 97 due to be sold the following evening at the ERA Horses in Training Sale.
 
At 112, Lord Admiral and Biarritz are the highest rated in the sale, Lord Admiral a three time Group winner including the Group 2 Jebel Hatta and Group 3 Al Rashidiya at the 2008 Dubai International Racing Carnival and plans are for him to attempt a second win in the Jebel Hatta on Super Thursday, two days after his sale.
 
Biarritz has shown good form in his native South Africa with success in the Group 2 Gauteng Guineas complementing his two placings at Group 1 level. Since his arrival in Dubai for the 2009 Carnival he has shown his quality with two placings from as many starts; a third behind Gladiatorus before a second to Alexandros.
 
Royal Vintage proved his class as a three-year-old at last year’s carnival, finishing second to stablemate Honour Devil in the Group 3 UAE 2000 Guineas and Group 2 UAE Derby though he did manage to defeat that horse in the Listed Al Bastakiya, his second black type success following a Group 2 victory in South Africa as a two-year-old.
 
A winner of seven of his 14 starts Vertigineux impressed on his only start to date in Dubai when third carrying top weight and is a dual Group 3 winner in his native France.
 
The horse is due to run in this week’s Group 3 Zabeel Mile at Nad Al Sheba.
 
“We are very pleased with the quality of horse entered for the Carnival session of the Sale and there are numerous opportunities for people to buy horses in preparation for our move to Meydan in 2010,” said Frank Gabriel, CEO of Dubai Racing Club.
 
“Everyone is welcome, there is no admission fee and this provides an ideal chance to become involved in the racing industry here in the UAE.”
 
“We are again pleased to be associated with Tattersalls and are pleased to welcome Al Basti Equiworld as the sponsor of the sale, the company having a great association with the Dubai Racing Club and Nad Al Sheba.”

Friday’s eighth meeting of the 2009 Dubai International Racing Carnival, kindly sponsored by Etisalat, was an all Thoroughbred eight race card with Irishman Johnny Murtagh taking the riding plaudits. He rode a double, including winning the featured 1777m Group 3 Balanchine Stakes, a race restricted to fillies and mares, on the Herman Brown-trained My Central who he brought from last to first in the final 500m.

The pair hit the front close home to the delight of Brown who said: “That was a great ride from Johnny and he says he was always confident during the race. We knew the step up in trip would suit and the horses are going well.”

Murtagh also won a handicap over the same course and distance, the Etisalat apple sunrise Trophy, on Mike De Kock’s Bankable who was making a winning first start since joining the South African and will be aimed at the Dubai Duty Free on Dubai World Cup night. Racing opened with two1300m turf handicaps and the first, the Etisalat Weyak, was won by De Kock’s Diana’s Choice who was winning her second race in succession under Kevin Shea who always looked very confident.

Shea explained: “We knew she would go close and is a really nice filly who we may take to Europe.” The following race over the same course and distance, the Etisalat Blackberry Handicap produced one of the best finishes of the Carnival with Richard Mullen managing to hit the front right on the line on the Rod Simpson-trained Balthazaar’s Gift. Denied a clear run on more than one occasion, he flashed home, as did the third Dohasa, to deny Grantley Adams in the very last stride.

Simpson was over the moon: “I did not think we could win 200m out, but all credit to Richard (Mullen) who has managed to find a gap and he has picked up really well.”

Mullen completed a double when partnering Satish Seemar’s Pompeyano to make a winning local debut in the Etisalat MMS 2000m turf handicap. The horse had to dig deep to withstand the challenge of Strategic News and Mullen was impressed: “He really battled when he had to having shown a decent turn of foot. Hopefully he can build on that.”

Charlie Cool won the concluding Etisalat Greentune, a 2000m turf handicap for Dhruba Selvaratnam and William Buick, while Richard Hills and Musabah Al Muhairi’s Snaafy won the Etisalat Hotspot Trophy, a 1500m dirt handicap. Both he and Diana’s Choice were winning successive Carnival races. Two Step Salsa, on his first Godolphin start, was the impressive winner of the 1200m dirt handicap, the Etisalat Wasel Trophy, under a jubilant Frankie Dettori.

The 2009 Dubai International Racing Carnival is well underway and this weekend Nad Al Sheba will host another two exciting editions on Thursday and Friday. Thursday will see the seventh DIRC meeting kindly sponsored by the Commercial Bank of Dubai.

Frank Gabriel Jr, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Racing Club said: “We’re passed the half-way mark of the Dubai International Racing Carnival and have seen some top class racing action. “This is partly due to sponsors like Commercial Bank of Dubai, who have continued to lend their support. We are pleased to welcome them to Nad Al Sheba this Thursday.”

Mr. Yaqoob Yousuf Hassan, Deputy Chief Executive of Commercial Bank of Dubai said: “We, at Commercial Bank of Dubai are indeed delighted to once again sponsor the much awaited Dubai International Racing Carnival for the 3rd consecutive year. “This magnificent event has indeed gained a lot of popularity locally as well as internationally. We are proud and feel privileged to support the sporting movement in the UAE especially to promote Dubai as a sporting hub. On behalf of the bank, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dubai Racing Club and the organizing committee for welcoming us to partner them.

“Last, but not the least we wish the Racing Carnival great success with a hope that the race fans and their families enjoy the racing season at the Nad Al Sheba Racecourse which will conclude with the world’s richest horse race, the Dubai World Cup in March 2009.”

Thursday’s meeting offers a number of hospitality options available to suit all tastes and budgets in both the Millennium Grandstand and the Maktoum Grandstand. Entrance to the public area of the racecourse is free of charge and there are also complimentary transfers to and from Nad Al Sheba from Dubai Marina (by Spinneys), Arabian Ranches (Shopping complex), Wafi (in front of Pyramids) and Emirates Towers (Boulevard entrance by Cartier).

The Godolphin team enjoyed a memorable night at Nad Al Sheba as the dominated the sixth meeting of the 2009 Dubai International Racing Carnival, kindly sponsored by Gulf News, when supplying four of the seven winners.
 
The quartet was highlighted by Desert Party who won the night’s feature, the Group 3 UAE 2000 Guineas for three-year-olds over 1600m on the dirt.
 
Frankie Dettori asked his mount to chase Redding Colliery and Godolphin stable companion Regal Ransom over 400m out and the pair hit the front at the 200m pole to win going away.
 
Trainer Saeed Bin Suroor was delighted: “We knew he had come out of his last race very well and improved from that run. This extra distance was never going to be a concern and, all being well, he will be UAE Derby bound.”
 
There was also a three-year-old conditions race, the GNP Plate, over 1300m on turf, and Godolphin clearly have a strong team in this age division as they won it with City Style who showed a nice turn of foot to land the spoils.
 
Earlier Bin Suroor and Dettori combined with Yamal to win the 4Men Trophy, a 1600m dirt handicap, before winning the concluding Xpress 2000 turf handicap with Kirklees after which the trainer explained: “Obviously it has been a great night and the horses are in good form. We are very pleased with the three-year-olds but Kirklees is a very nice horse also and he has done that nicely.”
 
Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, Mike De Kock and Johnny Murtagh are another formidable combination and won two of the first three races with Warsaw taking the opening 1400m dirt handicap, the GNADS4U, and Art of War in the Wheels 2000 handicap, also on dirt.
 
De Kock was pleased with those efforts: “Johnny (Murtagh) has pinched that on Art of War by kicking for home when he did – it was a great ride and the horse deserved a change of luck after a narrow defeat last week. Warsaw we thought would go on the dirt and he too was a bit unlucky last week.”
 
Force Freeze, trained by UAE Champion Trainer Doug Watson, won the 1100m Insideout Trophy in the hands of Fernando Jara.
 
Never far off the pace, he led 400m out but was probably headed 200m out before battling back bravely.
 
Watson explained: “When he was beaten last time we probably ran him back too quickly so we have freshened him up. That has worked and we will give him a bit of a break now.”
 
Three lucky racegoers collected Aed60,000 apiece for selecting all seven winners.
 

Friday’s fifth meeting of the 2009 Dubai International Racing Carnival, sponsored by GPD Investments, featured the UAE 1000 Guineas, the first Classic of the season.
 
Restricted to three-year-old fillies, the 1600m dirt contest carries Listed status and was won by the Jerry Barton-trained So Shiny who made all under Mick Kinane.
 
Barton, who saddled Deem to win the Cape Verdi the previous night, was delighted: “That was a nice effort and she is a filly we have always liked. Mick has done everything right and she has run on well. We will have to think about the Oaks now.”
 
The opening 1200m turf handicap divided and provided the first two races, the Empire Heights Trophy and the Oxford.
 
Mike De Kock and Kevin Shea combined with Diana’s Choice in the opening leg.
 
Never far off the pace, she quickened nicely close home to register a first UAE win.
 
Shea explained: “I was never concerned and that was a good performance.”
 
The second leg was won by Godolphin’s Asset with Frankie Dettori always looking confident on the Saeed Bin Suroor-trained six-year-old.
 
The trainer said: “He is a nice horse with a good turn of foot and Frankie has given him a great ride.”
 
That was the first of three winners for Bin Suroor with Dettori also in the saddle on Alexandros who was the impressive winner of the Park Lane Trophy, a 1777m grass handicap.
 
However, the Italian and Veracity were caught right on the line by stable companion Friston Forest in the Concourse 2750 handicap as Bin Suroor completed his treble.
 
Ted Durcan rode that winner and Bin Suroor was pleased with both horses: “They have both been off a while so that was a good performance by both. We will see how they are before making further plans.”
 
The 1700m dirt handicap, the Bluestone, produced an exciting finish with five horses holding live chances entering the final 100m.
 
It was Doug Watson’s Roman’s Run, under Fernando Jara, who prevailed to the delight of the trainer: “The fast pace certainly helped and it is nice to see this horse bounce back as he is a useful performer who has just had a few problems.”
 
The concluding handicap, the Mayfair, was back on the grass and France opened their 2009 account when Kachgai landed the spoils under Jose Martinez.

Friday’s second Dubai International Racing Carnival meeting of the weekend, kindly sponsored by GPD Investments, is highlighted by the first Classic of the season, the UAE 1000 Guineas.
 
Restricted to three-year-old fillies, ten have been declared for the 1600m dirt feature and trainer Saeed Bin Suroor, seeking his seventh win in the race, appears to have a very strong hand with Sos Brillante, a winner on the opening night of the Carnival, joined in the field by UAE debutante Devotee and it looks significant that Frankie Dettori chooses to partner the latter.
 
Bin Suroor said: “We were pleased with Sos Brillante’s win and she has been doing well at home since but Devotee has also been working well and has some good dirt form in America.”
 
Japanese contender Earth Living adds an extra dimension to the race.
 
The preceding race, the Concourse 2750 is a turf handicap and the longest Carnival race to date. A quality field of 14 have been declared.
 
Mourilyan, a dual Carnival winner for John Oxx last year, makes his first UAE start for new handler Herman Brown who said: “He is ready for a run and was highly tried last year. He was unlucky in Canada and is an exciting addition to the string – but I am sure he will improve for this run.”
 
The only horse giving him weight is Godolphin’s Veracity and Bin Suroor added: “He is a horse who stays well and has been going well at home. His last run in France was a good one and he will improve for this initial outing.”
 
Luca Cumani and Ryan Moore combined for a victory with Presvis two weeks ago and the pair team up with Swop in the concluding Mayfair 1600m turf handicap.
 
Arguably unlucky on the same night as his stable companion won, he faces stiff competition here from the likes of De Kock’s Russian Sage and the Alan Jarvis trained Wise Dennis who won a division of the Listed Zabeel Mile over the same course and distance last year.
 
Friday’s meeting offers a number of hospitality options available to suit all tastes and budgets in both the Millennium Grandstand and the Maktoum Grandstand.
 
Entrance to the public area of the racecourse is free of charge and there are also complimentary transfers to and from Nad Al Sheba from Dubai Marina (by Spinneys), Arabian Ranches (Shopping complex), Wafi (in front of Pyramids) and Emirates Towers (Boulevard entrance by Cartier).
 
Buses will leave at 5.00pm from these locations, and return departures will be at 10pm from the racecourse.
 

South African Champion Trainer Mike De Kock won the Group 3 Al Rashidiya for the third time when stable jockey Kevin Shea steered Silver Mist, through the mist, to win the 1777m turf feature in a driving finish.
 
Kindly sponsored by Dubal, the Al Rashidiya is the first grass feature of the 2009 Dubai International Racing Carnival and South Africa have now won four of the last six renewals after Shea took his mount to the front about 200m out.
 
Third Set and Kirklees chased him home but it was Shea’s moment and he explained: “That was a relief as I had to choose between three of them and am glad I picked this fellow. He picked up well when I won on him a fortnight ago and has done so again tonight.”
 
UAE Champion Trainer Doug Watson was in double form with Fares and Daragh O’Donohoe making the perfect start to proceedings by winning the opening 1600m Dubal Ingot 1600 dirt handicap, before Dynamic Saint under Ryan Moore won the 2000m Dubal Billet 2000 handicap, also on the dirt.
 
Watson explained: “I really thought Dynamic Saint would run well and that was a brave effort as he has had to put his head down and battle. Fares we really fancied last week and I am glad we ran him back quickly.”
 
Ryan Moore went on to complete his own double in the concluding 1600m Dubal Casthouse turf handicap on Herman Brown’s Strategic News whom he produced to lead in the dying strides.
 
It was a first 2009 winner for the trainer who said: “We thought he would go close and Ryan has timed that perfectly.”
 
The Dubal Power Dash, the 1000m dirt handicap and shortest race of the Carnival, was won by Change Alley for trainer Ali Rashid Al Raihe under Royston Ffrench.
 
He was another produced to lead in the dying strides on a night of exciting finishes.
 
It was a great night for the locally-based trainers with Saeed Bin Suroor and Ted Durcan combining with Age of Reason in the Dubal Plotline Trophy, a 2400m turf handicap and Erwan Charpy and Richard Hills landing the Dubal Trophy, a 1500m turf handicap with Ragheed.
 
That meant five winners for UAE-based trainers and two for those from South Africa.