THURSDAY’S second meeting of the 2021 Dubai World Cup Carnival at Meydan was packed with quality, the only one of the six races not for thoroughbreds being a Group 1 contest for purebred Arabians.

The thoroughbred highlight was the Group 2 Cape Verdi presented by Longines, for fillies and mares run over a mile on the turf. On a night to savour for Godolphin, it was landed in some style by their Charlie Appleby-trained Althiqa.

The trainer was winning the race for the fourth time, as was the winning jockey James Doyle, and the pair were combining to do so for the third time together.

William Buick set the pace on the winner’s stable companion, Summer Romance, and had most of the nine runners in trouble a long way out. The exceptions were the winner and eventual runner-up, the Roger Varian-trained Sytlistique. The pair stayed on strongly, with Summer Romance losing third close home to another Godolphin runner, Saeed bin Suroor’s Dubai Love who made up loads of ground in the long straight.

Appleby and Doyle were actually taking the prize for a third consecutive year with this four-year-old homebred filly by Dark Angel, the first foal of a stakes winning daughter of Shamardal. Althiqa won a listed race over seven furlongs at Deauville last summer.

Doyle said: “She has really quickened nicely there when I asked her. She really hit the line well, so will definitely be worth a crack at the extra furlong in the Balanchine Stakes. Before tonight, we thought a mile was as far as she would want to go, so that was very pleasing.”

Dettori’s Whisper

Run over a mile, but this time on dirt, the Listed UAE 1000 Guineas presented by Longines was contested by a field of seven, but from just under halfway only one mattered. Successful in the seven-furlong UAE 1000 Guineas Trial three weeks ago on the same track, Godolphin’s Soft Whisper was always cantering under Frankie Dettori and, once he released an inch of rein leaving the home straight, she shot clear to win, eased down, in facile fashion, for Saeed bin Suroor.

Another homebred, the daughter of Dubawi was runner-up on her first two starts before landing a pair of nurseries at Salisbury and Pontefract, the latter over a mile. On this evidence, the improving daughter of a 10-furlong winner by Sea The Stars will find the nine and a half furlongs of the UAE Oaks to her liking.

It was a fourth win in the race for Dettori, who afterwards said: “I am not sure how good the race was, but we could have won by twice as far and she could not have been more impressive. She seems to love that dirt surface and now has loads of options. Saeed and his team are talking about the Saudi Derby, UAE Derby, UAE Oaks and all those type of races.”

Appleby domination

The final stakes race on the card for thoroughbreds was the Listed Zabeel Turf, a 10-furlong handicap. It was totally dominated by Godolphin, responsible for eight of the 15 runners and supplying the first six home!

Leading the way was Mickael Barzalona aboard Ya Hayati, chased home by stable companions Bright Melody and Star Safari, all trained by Charlie Appleby. Yet another Godolphin homebred, the four-year-old gelded son of Dubawi, the first foal of dual Grade 1 winner Wedding Toast, won the Meydan Trophy over half a furlong less on his UAE debut last February, but was then disappointing and subsequently gelded.

Bedouin is apt winner for Dubai ruler

A MILE handicap on turf, sponsored by Longines, was won by the in-form trio of Godolphin, Saeed bin Suroor and Frankie Dettori, the trio completing a double in the last two races just as they had done seven days ago.

This time it was Bedouin’s Story, who made a rather tardy start and raced in the last half of the full field of 16 throughout the majority of the race, who produced a late surge to deny stablemate Dubai Mirage in the final strides. The six-year-old son of Farhh was recording his fifth career success and the first since July 2019 when he won over seven furlongs at York. This was his first run in almost 16 months.

Restricted to three-year-olds, the Al Bastakiya Trial presented by Longines is a nine and a half furlong conditions race on dirt. It attracted a field of 15 and Uruguay became the latest international country on the Carnival’s winner’s roster, El Patriota claiming the prize.

One of two runners foaled in the southern hemisphere, and forced to concede weight to 13 of his rivals, the Ecologo colt is owned by Stud La Pomme who also bred him.

The winner was always travelling well under Vagner Leal, opening his UAE account at just the sixth attempt, before pouncing passing the furlong pole.

Winner of three of his four starts in Uruguay, including both dirt outings, El Patriota’svictories in his native country included a local Group 1 success.

The successful trainer Cintra Pereira was actually saddling his fourth Carnival winner, having previously been based in Brazil, and he said: “We know this is a very good horse and were very hopeful, but this is a big result and we are delighted to win with him. These conditions were ideal and, I imagine, we will think about the Al Bastakiya and UAE Derby. It is very special to have another winner in Dubai, a full 11 years after the previous one!”

Arabian opener

The meeting’s curtain raiser on dirt, and only purebred Arabian race on the card, was the nine and a half furlong Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge R2 presented by Longines. It was won in style by RB Frynchh Dude, and was the biggest career success for trainer Helal Alalawi.

Ridden by Pat Cosgrave, sporting the blue and white silks of Byerley Racing, the five-year-old entire was settled early. When Cosgrave said go, his mount picked up nicely, hit the front a furlong and a half out and was never in danger thereafter, breaking the track record in the process.

A Grade 3 winner in his native USA, he won the Listed Madjani Stakes over this course and distance in the middle of December, his previous outing. Cosgrave said: “He is a lovely, straightforward horse who you can ride to suit the race because he is genuine and versatile.”

Watson hits form with Al Ain double

THE only thoroughbred race on the card at Al Ain last Saturday was a 10-furlong handicap. The lead changed hands several times throughout the contest, but once local and dirt debutant Pharoah King loomed large and grabbed the lead, the result was in no doubt.

Winning rider Pat Dobbs was completing an effortless double, and trainer Doug Watson also saddled a double on the night. Owned by Ali A Aneizi, the winner is a four-year-old gelded son of American Pharoah. He was a maiden after three runs in Britain for John Gosden.

A $525,000 foal and $800,000 yearling, Pharoah King raced in England for Qatar Racing. He was purchased by new connections for what could prove a bargain 45,000gns at Tattersalls in August. Speaking from home, Watson said: “We have always really liked this horse from the first moment he stepped in the yard. He had been working really well, particularly over the last month or so.

“We had planned to run him at Meydan last week, but that was not possible, so we sent him to Al Ain as the race looked ideal. Hopefully he can build on that because he has not had much racing and is a nice horse.”

Nibras Passion

Racing on Sunday was in the capital, Abu Dhabi, when the concluding race on the card was the only one for thoroughbreds. It was a seven-furlong maiden and it presented the perfect opportunity for local debutant Nibras Passion, the only three-year-old among the 14 runners, to register a first success on his fourth outing.

The son of Iffraaj, bred by the Player’s Whatton Manor Stud, was sold by them as a yearling for 22,000gns before almost doubling in value as a breezer, realising 40,000gns. He has been trained throughout his fledgling career by Ismail Mohammed for Saeed H Al Tayer.

He could not have made a better start to his local campaign, taking up the running with a furlong to race and powering clear under Bernardo Pinheiro to win by two and a half lengths. A fourth winner from the first four foals of his dam, Nibras Passion is out of a half-sister to the champion sprinter Overdose.