RACING at Meydan on Sunday comprised seven non-Carnival contests, and while the programme contained no obvious feature, it did offer competitive fare.

Four AED 95,000 (about €24,000) handicaps shared top billing, the first run over the same 10-furlongs on dirt as the Group 1 Dubai World Cup. It was won in style by Grand Dubai, who was probably never headed under Bernardo Pinheiro, celebrating a double for handler Musabbeh Al Mheiri and in the silks of former champion trainer Ali Rashid Al Rayhi.

Bred in Ireland by Belmont Bloodstock, the five-year-old son of Dawn Approach was winning for just the second time, adding to a previous success at Meydan in December 2000. He was sold as a newly-turned yearling for €3,500, and made €9,000 at Tattersalls Ireland the following September.

Equally valuable, a turf handicap over nine furlongs pretty much only concerned Zucchini who made all the running under Ray Dawson, riding for Ahmad bin Harmash and the trainer’s son, Hamdan Harmash.

Dawson said: “All credit to the horse basically; he has done this in style and in a determined manner.”

The eight-year-old followed up his win the previous weekend at Jebel Ali, and took his tally of victories to four. He is a Godolphin-bred son of Dubawi.

The third such race, a mile dirt handicap, was basically turned into a procession by Mickael Barzalona and Hyde Park who probably never saw another rival. The nine-year-old Juddmonte-bred is a son of Oasis Dream is now a five-time winner, and is trained by Salem bin Ghadayer for Sultan Ali. He sold as a three-year-old at Tattersalls for 210,000gns.

The concluding six-furlong handicap was also worth AED 95,000. It provided Mohammad Mardood his first ever winner as trainer in the shape of the South African-bred Celtic Voyager, a six-year-old son of Vercingetorix, and, completing a double on the card for jockey Francois Herholdt.

Invincibly

A 10-furlong turf handicap was all about the Invincible Spirit five-year-old Invincibly. Bred by the recently-deceased Frank Dunne at his Hamwood Stud, the gelding was soon in front under South African Herholdt, for whom this was a first Meydan success, for Rashed Bouresly and the Bouresly Racing Syndicate.

A mile turf maiden for three-year-olds was dominated by Fawzi Nass who owned and trained the winner, the American-bred Legend Of Cannes. The winning son of Cairo Prince was never headed under Gabriel Malune, riding his very first UAE winner, and he was chased home by stablemate Sharar. The winner was bred by the Randal Family Trust and sold as a yearling for just $35,000.

The action kicked off with the only purebred Arabian race on the card, a dirt conditions race over nine and a half furlongs, and it was won in fine style by Rajee under Bernardo Pinheiro for Majed Al Jahoor and Yas Racing, also the breeders of the six-year-old entire.

Fresu doubles up on Branwell

ANTONIO Fresu won the opening two races on the Al Ain card on Saturday, and he brought up his and trainer Musabbeh Al Mheiri’s double on Branwell, in the sole race on the card for thoroughbreds.

An Irish-bred, five-year-old son of Dubawi, Branwell was placed a couple of times at two for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby, before selling at three at the ERA Sale in Dubai to his current owner, Jumaa Mubarak Al Junaibi, for AED 180,000 (€25,000). This was his first career success, at the 11th attempt, and came over 10 furlongs on dirt. He had two and a half lengths to spare over the Tadhg O’Shea-partnered Yurman who won here in December.