Tag: Meydan

Prince Bishop stars on Dubai World Cup night

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A top quality card on Dubai World Cup night featuring five Group 1 races ended with success for the Maktoum family when Prince Bishop stormed to victory in the main event.

For much of the race it had looked as though California Chrome would add his name to the roll of honour but he had no answer when William Buick produced Prince Bishop on his outside. The winner has been a grand servant to Saeed bin Suroor with eleven victories in a 28-race career but this is by far his biggest success.

It was quite a night for the veterans with Brown Panther winning the Dubai Gold Cup for Tom Dascombe and Sole Power returning to his best in the Al Quoz Sprint. Perhaps the most significant performance of the night came from the French-trained Solow in the Dubai Turf.

The grey stormed clear of last year’s French Derby and Irish Champion Stakes winner The Grey Gatsby to win by four lengths. He looks set to be one of the stars of the season on turf. The French were also celebrating after Dolniya won the Dubai Sheema Classic under Christophe Soumillon. She confirmed her superiority over Flintshire from their recent meeting at Chantilly.

The Americans did not return empty-handed with Secret Circle gaining a well-deserved Group 1 success in the Dubai Golden Shaheen under a confident ride from Victor Espinoza. Although the winning margin was only a head, he never really looked like being caught by Super Jockey.

The UAE Derby was won in spectacular style by Mubtaahij for Mike de Kock and the colt will now head for the Kentucky Derby. He travelled easily throughout and gained revenge on his narrow 2000 Guineas conqueror Maftool who was beaten half a mile from home. The winning margin was eight lengths but it could have been doubled had Soumillon wished.

The form may be questionable but Mubtaahij goes to Kentucky with a major chance and is available at 12-1 with UK bookmakers. He will of course come up against the Baffert duo of American Pharoah and Dortmund who currently dominate the market.

Tamarkuz won the opening Godolphin Mile, giving us a tidy 30-1 treble on our Ante-Post update; Tamarkuz (6-4), Mubtaahij (11-4) and Solow (9-4).

Ante-post

Mubtaahij @12-1 Coral (Kentucky Derby)

Dubai World Cup – Ante-Post Update

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Last week we recommended Epiphaneia as the each-way bet at 8-1 for the Dubai World Cup at Meydan on Saturday. That is still the best price available with California Chrome holding steady at around 6-4 despite being drawn out wide.

Unless California Chrome puts on a show, there is a danger that the big race will not live up to its billing. It certainly does not look the strongest renewal but the same cannot be said for the rest of the card.

There are five Group 1 races and three Group 2 races but only the Sheema Classic and the World Cup are televised by Channel 4. SKY viewers can watch all eight races live and it promises to be an entertaining card.

Tamarkuz is confidently expected to win the Godolphin Mile under Paul Hanagan after being drawn on the inside of the 16 runners. His main danger may come from Surfer but he is drawn widest of all and will do well to reach the frame from there.

The Dubai Gold Cup features the popular Brown Panther for the Michael Owen/Tom Dascombe partnership. He blotted his copybook by running away with his rider before the start at Woodbine but will be ponied to the start on Saturday. Ahzeemah was runner-up to the ill-fated Cavalryman here a year ago but ran inexplicably badly last time.

The UAE Derby should go the way of Mike de Kock’s Mubtaahij who looked as if he would have won the 2000 Guineas with another few strides. He is taken to gain revenge on Maftool over this slightly longer trip.

There are two big sprints and both will take a lot of sorting out. Sole Power needs everything to go right in the Al Quoz while Secret Circle and Rich Tapestry give the Americans a very strong hand in the Dubai Golden Shaheen. Solow is expected to win the Dubai Turf for France at the expense of The Grey Gatsby who surely won’t be 100% for his first race of the season.

The Dubai Sheema Classic is arguably the best race of the night. Main Sequence has been a revelation since joining Graham Motion in America. He renews rivalry with Breeders’ Cup victim Flintshire who had a recent pipe-opener in France. Harp Star, given too much to do in the Arc, and Dolniya add depth to the field along with the progressive Designs In Rome.

Tamarkuz @6-4 Godolphin Mile Bet365

Mubtaahij @11-4 UAE Derby Bet365

Solow @9-4 Dubai Turf Betfair

Dubai World Cup Preview

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It’s Dubai World Cup weekend and the surface has been receiving as much attention as the leading contenders in the big race build-up.

After five years racing on a Tapeta surface, the decision was taken to switch back to a dirt track to attract the top American horses to Meydan. There was not a single American-trained runner in last year’s renewal but the move appears to have paid off with California Chrome set to start favourite.

Sheikh Hamdan has questioned the logic behind making the horse favourite, as no American horse has raced on the new surface as yet. Even though California Chrome has won on a range of dirt surfaces, the Sheikh feels that the surface at Meydan will be a new experience for last year’s Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner.

That has not deterred punters who see only one result on Saturday with Art Sherman’s four-year-old as short as 5-4 having been 4-1 just a couple of weeks ago. The chestnut ought to be in great shape for this after chasing home the smart Shared Belief in the San Antonio Invitational last month. Although his Triple Crown hopes ended in the Belmont, he did run a fine race when third to Bayern and Toast Of New York in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

It’s a shame that the runner-up could not be here to add to the quality of the race but Lea could make a race of it. William Mott trains the six-year-old son of First Samurai who was second in a Grade 1 at Gulfstream Park last month. He was attempting to win the race for a second consecutive year but could not get past Constitution.

Last year’s World Cup winner African Story bounced back to form when winning the Al Maktoum Challenge by a neck from Prince Bishop earlier this month. Last season he comfortably beat Mukhadram by two and three-quarter lengths and would have a chance if back in that kind of form. Prince Bishop renews rivalry but both Godolphin horses are now eight years of age.

There has been support for Japanese raider Epiphaneia, a close fifth to Gentildonna at Nakayama in December. He was going like a winner at the two furlong marker in that mile and a half contest so this drop in trip should improve his chances. He had previously won the Japan Cup impressively by four lengths from Just A Way.

Side Glance seems to have been around forever but Andrew Balding’s gelding is still only eight. He ran some fine races in Australia including finishing only half a length away in fourth in the Cox Plate. He has not got his head in front since winning the Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington in 2013.

With the value all taken about the favourite, it may be worth going each-way on Epiphaneia to land the prize for Japan and Christophe Soumillon.

Epiphaneia @8-1 BetVictor

Each-way 1/5 odds, 1,2,3

Local Time to boost classic claims in UAE Oaks

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Local Time could put herself in the picture for the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket by winning the UAE Oaks impressively at Meydan on Thursday.

The daughter of Invincible Spirit has won her last five races for Trainer Saeed bin Suroor who is looking for an incredible tenth win in the race. Last year he won the UAE 1000 Guineas and Oaks with the smart filly Ihtimal. She was only beaten three-quarters of a length at Newmarket behind Miss France and finished an unlucky fifth in the Oaks at Epsom. Tragically, she met with a fatal accident on the gallops in January.

Hopefully there will be a brighter future for Godolphin’s latest star filly who would need to be supplemented for the Newmarket classic. That is by no means unlikely and she looks impossible to oppose in the Oaks with stable companion Good Place her nearest market rival.  James Doyle partners the favourite with William Buick aboard Good Place, an improving daughter of Street Cry who should appreciate the step up in distance.

She has been slowly away in both of her races in Dubai this winter but will have plenty of time to settle in this small field. The only realistic danger to the Godolphin duo is Mike de Kock’s Shahrasal who was third in the UAE 1000 Guineas. It is difficult to see any reason why Local Time cannot confirm the form and I don’t see the extra furlong and a half posing a problem.

There are plenty of familiar names in action on Thursday’s card including Outstrip and Safety Check in the Zabeel Mile. Outstrip has been disappointing since winning the Breeders’ Cup juvenile in 2013, although he did finish within three lengths of Kingman last season. He was slowly away here last month and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the grey fitted with some headgear at some point during the summer.

His stable companion Safety Check was an emphatic winner of a Group 2 here last month but steps up to a mile. Six of his seven wins have been over seven furlongs and he could be vulnerable over this distance. Brendan Powell’s Dark Emerald is on a hat-trick while Johan Strauss, Darwin and Short Squeeze are others with claims in a very competitive event.

Local Time 1000 Guineas Newmarket @40-1 888Sport

UAE 2000 Guineas Preview

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Most of us are pre-occupied with the run up to the Cheltenham festival at the moment but Sheikh Mohammed is already assessing his classic hopes for the new flat season. The brilliant success of Local Time in the UAE 1000 Guineas is going to be hard to top in the colt’s equivalent on Thursday but a decent field has been assembled.

South African trainer Mike de Kock has dominated this race in previous seasons and is double-handed as he goes for a sixth victory. His colts finished first and second in the trial race last month with Mubtaahij storming five lengths clear of Ajwad.

De Kock has revealed that jockey Christophe Soumillon has chosen to ride Ajwad in preference here with Pat Dobbs aboard Mubtaahij. I have watched the race closely and, try as I might, cannot find any reason why Mubtaahij won’t beat Ajwad again on Thursday. Both colts broke well and travelled nicely at the head of the field before Mubtaahij stretched clear in the straight.

If there was an unlucky horse it was Godolphin’s Maftool who was slowly away and ran on steadily to finish third. The betting suggests that he will make a race of it this time but he still needs to improve. He did win a Group 3 at Newmarket in September but it wasn’t a particularly strong race and he appeared to have his limitations exposed in the Dewhurst. He was no match for Belardo that day, finishing fifth of the six runner field. I also felt that Maftool tended to hang fire a little in the closing stages, although that may have been due to his exertions in trying to make up the lost ground.

The Godolphin colt finished second to Richard Hannon’s Burnt Sugar over six furlongs at Kempton prior to his Newmarket win. The winner is yet to win beyond that distance and Maftool should have his measure. Godolphin are also represented by Zephuros who finished fourth in the trial without ever really threatening. He ran well enough when fifth to Mastermind at the last meeting here but it would be a surprise if he were to prove good enough.

Padlock was even further back in sixth place in the trial with Unorthodox finishing eighth. Mubtaahij can show himself to be a smart colt and land a sixth UAE 2000 Guineas for his trainer.

Tip

Mubtaahij 3.55 Meydan @7-4 Betfair

Dubai World Cup Update

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John Gosden pulled a fast one by switching The Fugue from the World Cup to the Dubai Duty Free and has set up a clash with Dank. The vibes from both Gosden and Sir Michael Stoute are very cautious as you may expect for a first run of the season.

There is no doubt that The Fugue has the class to win this but if she is at all rusty it could leave the way open for the in-form Just A Way. Having tipped Dank, I am a little concerned to see her pushed out to 13-2 and I’m going to back The Fugue in the hope that she is fit enough.

The World Cup does not look the strongest renewal and it provides Ruler Of The World with a great opportunity. I’m not convinced that Mukhadram and Hillstar are really top drawer and I can see the potential for a shock result here. I’m going to side with Hong Kong raider Military Attack and hope that he gets a clear run.

If the field for the World Cup is slightly disappointing, the same certainly isn’t true of the Sheema Classic. Aidan O’Brien trained Magician brilliantly to win the Breeders’ Cup Turf after a lengthy absence and he looks a good bet now that he is proven over a mile and a half. Ryan Moore can scarcely have ridden a better race than he did that day and he will be in no hurry again on Saturday.

The danger is likely to come from two-time Japan Cup winner Gentildonna. Moore rode her to a nose victory last year and will be looking to outwit Joseph O’Brien on Magician. It would be interesting to know which horse Moore would have ridden had he been given the choice.

Our old friend Simenon runs in the Gold Cup but has been done no favours by the draw. You may recall he came agonisingly close to landing a 33-1 tip for us in the Ascot Gold Cup and was placed fourth at the same odds in the Melbourne Cup. He certainly doesn’t owe us anything so we can invest a few pounds each-way on him here. The in-form Cavalryman is the one to beat as he seeks back-to-back victories in the race.

I’m a great fan of Breeders’ Cup form and I’m going to have a small bet on Flotilla at 12-1 in the mile. Nothing else really catches my eye and she would have an outstanding chance if back to her French Guineas form. It’s the best overall card that I can remember for this meeting and should give us plenty of clues for the season ahead. I still rate Long John the banker bet of the night at 9-4.

World Cup – Military Attack at 7-1 Paddy Power

Duty Free – The Fugue at 7-2 Coral, Dank at 13-2 Betfair SB

Sheema Classic – Magician at 100-30 SpreadEx

Gold Cup – Simenon at 7-1 Coral

Godolphin Mile – Flotilla at 12-1 Coral

UAE Derby – Long John at 9-4 Betfair SB