Dubai: I’m sure we all agree that Thursday’s big-race meeting at Meydan threw up some vital clues to the 22nd Dubai World Cup meeting, which, believe it or not, is just over five weeks away.
With time running out for horses to reveal themselves as worthy contenders, connections have been desperately searching for some pointers ahead of the sensational showpiece that the DWC meeting is, with $30 million in prize money on offer on the glittering nine-race card.
While several horses that have been artfully campaigned during the last two months in the Dubai World Cup Carnival and have oozed quality, have already been earmarked for the big day, others were still in the process of coming up with the goods.
Ali Rashid Al Raihe’s sprinting sensation Ertijaal and Alain de Royer-Dupre’s classy Zarak were always destined for the big day and they showed just why they are leading contenders in their respective races — the $1 million Al Quoz Sprint and the $6million Dubai Turf or the $6 million Dubai Sheema Classic.
There was so much to like about Etijaal’s performance under a confident ride by the masterly Jim Crowley and it will take a very special horse to deny him a victory that he could have had last year in the Sprint.
Royer-Dupre astutely planned and executed Dolniya’s victory in the 2015 Sheema Classic a feat that he will attempt to repeat with Zarak, who I believe is headed for the 1800 metre Duty Turf with the 2400-metre Sheema Classic also an option.
That said, my performance of the night award would have to go to Championship, a truly beautiful name for a horse, who looked better than even when toying with his rivals to win the 1600 metre Zabeel Mile.
A horse that only had a maiden victory to his name when previously trained in the UK, Championship has been a revelation ever since transferring to Ahmad Bin Harmash’s prestigious Al Aasfa Stables.
Who can forget his five-and-a-half-length victory on his UAE debut last January from where he has progressed in leaps and bounds, winning the National Day Cup in Abu Dhabi and the Al Fahidi Fort at Meydan four weeks ago.
He looks a very exciting horse for the future and Bin Harmash, now in his fourth and most successful season to date, must be really relishing the prospect of testing him against the Solow, Ribchester, Tepin and Zarak, should he make the cut for the Dubai Turf.
Likewise, Satish Seemar, whose patience seems endless with his horses, produced a very serious contender for the Group 1 Godolphin Mile in North America.
Unsuccessful when previously raced by Godolphin in the UK the five-year-old son of Dubawi has won all four of his races here at Meydan, with his best effort so far being the seven-length victory in Thursday’s Zabeel Mile.
I believe that he’s done enough to announce his big race credential and that Seemar will not want to run him again until March 25, where it looks like he will start as the favourite in the popular dirt mile.
Then who can forget the victory of Opal Tiara, a filly that her trainer Mick Channon said “cost nothing” to breed, in the Group 2 $200,000 Balanchine Stakes.
Bred by Channon, Opal Tiara has earned the right to aim for the $6million purse of the Group 1 Dubai Turf, the joint second richest turf race in the world on March 25, Dubai World Cup day.
Ridden with supreme confidence by Oisin Murphy Channon’s filly displayed plenty of courage and ability to see off French raider Via Firenze in a thrilling finish to the 1,800-metre contest.
So I believe there is so much more to look forward to in the coming weeks leading up the Super Saturday, where some of our aforementioned stars may reappear, en route to another fabulous Dubai World Cup meeting.
