THE second meeting of the 2022 Dubai World Cup Carnival featured a pair of Group 2 races on turf, the Al Fahidi Fort and Al Rashidiya, and both were won by Godolphin runners on an evening when they captured five of the seven races.

The nine-furlong 2 Al Rashidiya was won in style by the homebred Desert Fire, spearheading a dominant Godolphin 1-2-3 under Hector Crouch for Saeed bin Suroor, with the pair chased home by Charlie Appleby duo Royal Fleet and Art Du Val. The David O’Meara-trained Lord Glitters stayed on well in the final two furlongs to claim fourth.

It was a sixth consecutive Godolphin victory in the race and bin Suroor’s charge has now won six times. This was a career highlight and a second Meydan Carnival success for the seven-year-old Cape Cross gelding as he won a mile turf handicap three years ago. It was the biggest success to date for Crouch.

The following seven-furlong Group 2 Al Fahidi Fort attracted a field of 14, but most were outclassed by Naval Crown, a fourth winner on the card for Godolphin and second for both Charlie Appleby and William Buick. The homebred four-year-old Dubawi colt hit the front a furlong and a half from home and soon had the prize in the bag. Appleby was winning the race for a sixth time in eight years.

The trainer said: “We were pretty confident coming here tonight because he has filled out and is a stronger horse this year. This seven furlongs looks ideal for him and we will aim at that new conditions race on Super Saturday before campaigning him in Europe.”

The dirt highlight, the Group 3 Dubawi Stakes over six furlongs, was contested by just seven, and Al Tariq was never headed under Pat Dobbs for trainer Doug Watson and owner Abdul Mohsen Al Abdul Kareem. They kicked clear in the final two furlongs and were never going to be denied. A six-year-old Oasis Dream gelding, Al Tariq was winning for a fifth time and adding this big race success to last year’s Listed Jebel Ali Sprint and Super Saturday’s Group 3 Al Shindagha Sprint.

Silent Speech

The opening Dubai Trophy, a conditions race over six furlongs for three-year-olds, was another totally dominated by Godolphin, supplying the first three home, the trio headed by Silent Speech who was partnered by William Buick for Charlie Appleby. The three-year-old homebred Dubawi colt hit the front two furlongs from home and ran out a comprehensive winner. He was chased home by the Saeed bin Suroor duo of Home City and Wild Place.

This was a second success for Silent Speech who was runner-up on turf at Newmarket at the end of October before landing a seven-furlong maiden on the all-weather at Wolverhampton a month later.

Another conditions race for three-year-olds on turf, the none-furlong Jumeirah Derby Trial, was also dictated by Godolphin, Frankie Dettori treating the crowd to a flying dismount after landing the spoils aboard Island Falcon for bin Suroor, chased home by Appleby’s New Kingdom.

The homebred Iffraaj colt took command a furlong out and recorded a second consecutive success on his third start, having landed an extended mile maiden at the end of October. Bin Suroor said: “This horse is improving all the time and will probably be better the further he goes so we might step him up in trip.”

Guineas trial

The seven-furlong UAE 2000 Guineas Trial on dirt had a field of seven, and it was won by Rawy who was sent straight to the head of affairs by Mickael Barzalona and had the race in safekeeping after halfway for RRR Racing and Salem bin Ghadayer. This was his maiden win on his third outing. Bin Ghadayer trains the three-year-old son of Frosted and said: “He needed his first run for experience and was beaten by a good horse at Jebel Ali last week, so we expected a big run this evening even after just a week off. He recovered well from that though and we have always really liked him.”

The finale, a 10-furlong rated conditions stakes, was turned into a procession by Dubai Icon, a fifth Godolphin winner on the card. The six-year-old homebred son of New Approach won in the hands of Pat Cosgrave, completing a treble for Bin Suroor.

Valiant Prince crowned in Meydan feature

RACING at Meydan on Sunday, not a Dubai World Cup Carnival fixture, featured a mile turf handicap. A capacity field of 16 lined up but the race was won convincingly by Godolphin’s Valiant Prince, with William Buick in the saddle for Charlie Appleby.

It was only a fifth career appearance and second victory for the four-year-old son of Dubawi who shed his maiden tag on the all-weather at Chelmsford on his previous outing at the beginning of September, his first since he was gelded. Buick said: “We did not have a great draw, so I was keen to be prominent and out of traffic. He then quickened nicely and has won that well.”

A mile dirt maiden for three-year-olds was won stylishly by debutant Bendoog under James Doyle, sporting the silks of Mohammed Khaleel Ahmed for Bhupat Seemar. A Gun Runner colt, he was in control from a long way out. An impressed Doyle said: “He is a big three-year-old and to win like that first time was quite impressive. He seems a nice type.”

With a capacity field facing the starter, the six-furlong turf handicap looked competitive, but actually proved a straightforward assignment for Dane O’Neill and Jadwal, saddled by Doug Watson for Shadwell. A homebred four-year-old gelded son of Mustajeeb, he was winning for the second time, on just his third start for Watson, adding this to a win in July 2020 when trained by Charlie Hills.

Mickael Barzalona and Book Review made every post a winning one in a dirt handicap over a mile and half a furlong for Salem bin Ghadayer and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum. The five-year-old gelded son of Dubawi never looked in danger of being denied a third career success, all in the UAE for current connections.

Double denied

Godolphin, Buick and Appleby were denied a double in the 10-furlong turf handicap when Echo Point was thwarted close home by Al Madhar, a first UAE winner, with his only horse to have raced locally, for owner Tawfik A Saeed Ali. Antonio Fresu performed the steering for Musabbeh Al Mheiri on the five-year-old Siyouni gelding.

The only purebred Arabian race was the opening dirt maiden in which Inato De Carrere made it third time lucky in the UAE, on his sixth career start, with Omani apprentice Saif Al Balushi in the saddle in the colours of Ali Haddad for Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.

Al Balushi was soon back in the winner’s enclosure, landing the following seven-furlong turf maiden for fillies and mares aboard Majhoola for Ahmad bin Harmash and owner Mohammed Ahmad Ali Al Subousi. The five-year-old daughter of Trappe Shot was winning at the seventh attempt and on her turf debut.

Round-up

SATURDAY’S Al Ain meeting concluded with the only thoroughbred race on the card, a 13-furlong handicap. Trainer Helal Alalawi completed a double on the card, this time in partnership with Omani jockey Abdul Aziz Al Balushi who always looked confident in the saddle on Arabian Moon who is owned by the National Stables.

A five-year gelded son of Al Kazeem, it was a second career success for the horse whose previous victory was also over this track and trip last February.

Two days later, at Abu Dhabi, the seven-race programme again featured just a single race for thoroughbreds, and it was also the final race of the day. This time it was a seven-furlong maiden and Richard Mullen completed a double on the day aboard the American-bred four-year-old gelding Nibraas, a son of Uncle Mo trained by Nicholas Bachalard for Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.