THE 2020 Dubai World Cup Carnival got underway on Thursday at Meydan where the highlight was the $200,000 Group 3 Dubawi Stakes. Run over six furlongs on dirt, the race is a prep for the $2.5 million Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen. The Grade 3 Hutcheson Stakes winner and American import Gladiator King gave trainer Satish Seemar a sixth win in the race which was first run in 2011.

Making his local debut and first start in the colours of Ajman’s Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, the four-year-old son of Curlin colt chased the early pace under Mickael Barzalona before powering to the front a little over a furlong from home and finished strongly. Fresh from victory in the Listed Garhoud Sprint last time out, Ibn Malik rallied gamely for second, beaten just a neck. The favourite Drafted finished a length and a half back in third.