LAST Saturday was the second biggest fixture of the UAE season, Super Saturday, and the day’s highlight was the $450,000 Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge R3, over the same 10 furlongs on dirt as the $12 million Dubai World Cup in a couple of weeks’ time.

It was won by Salute The Soldier, as it was in 2021, and he thus became the only dual winner of the race which was first run in 1994. The mount of Adrie de Vries, the eight-year-old gelded son of Sepoy bred by Alan Spence stayed on resolutely down the straight to lead in the final half a furlong, providing consecutive wins on the card for the jockey, owners Victorious and the trainer Fawzi Nass.

De Vries said: “We went a good pace and I was able to give him a nice breather before the straight. It took him a while to pick up but then he stayed on very strongly. His stamina, perhaps an issue in the past, has seemingly improved.”

The complexion of the three-year-old feature, and a trial for the Group 2 UAE Derby, the $170,000 Listed Al Bastakiya over the same nine and a half furlongs on dirt as the final classic of the UAE season, completely changed in the final furlong, Mr Raj hitting the front only to be caught late by Go Soldier Go.

Nearer last than first on the home turn, the Brandywine Farm-bred son of Tapiture made steady progress throughout the straight, de Vries timing it perfectly in the colours of Victorious for Nass. He is now a dual course and distance winner.

Turf highlight

The main turf highlight, the $350,000 Group 1 Jebel Hatta, the local trial for the Dubai Turf over the same nine furlongs, was won for a second consecutive year by Alfareeq, partnered as he was last year by Dane O’Neill for Musabbeh Al Mheiri.

It would be hard to begrudge the Shadwell-homebred six-year-old son of Dark Angel another victory, his first for 12 months, as he had finished runner-up in all three previous starts this season. He had to show great determination though to finally overhaul local debutant El Drama in the closing stages. O’Neill said: “The runner-up just kept battling, but my lad is tough and deserved a win this season after some big efforts in defeat. He took a while to settle in after France, but Musabbeh and his team have done a great job with him.”

Dominated

Also on turf, the mile and a half $250,000 Group 2 Dubai City Of Gold was dominated from a long way out by Godolphin’s Global Storm, saddled by Charlie Appleby and partnered by William Buick who had been due to ride the withdrawn Rebel’s Romance for the same connections.

Sent to the front fully nine furlongs out, the Grenane House Stud-bred six-year-old Night Of Thunder gelding just galloped home relentlessly thereafter in a race he finished third in last year. This was his fifth career success, his second over the course and distance, but by far his most significant.

The $300,000 Ras Al Khor, a seven-furlong conditions race on the turf, was contested by a field of 14 but only one mattered; Godolphin’s track record-holder Al Suhail proving a class apart under Buick for Appleby, lowering his fastest time in the process. The winner is a Meon Valley Stud-bred son of Dubawi.

Comfortable win

Ridden by James Doyle, in the colours of Mohammed Khaleel Ahmed for Bhupat Seemar, Discovery Island was ultimately the comfortable winner of the $250,000 Group 3 Burj Nahaar, over a mile on dirt. The six-year-old Godolphin-bred Dubawi gelding has now won four of his 14 starts but, more significantly, half of his eight outings on dirt.

The only three-year-old in the six-furlong $250,000 Group 3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint, the Skymarc Farm-bred Al Dasim treated his 14 elders with contempt, storming clear to win impressively under Mickael Barzalona.

The colt by Harry Angel was maintaining his 100% UAE record, winning three times over this course and distance, twice previously in conditions races against his own age group. He was facing a new challenge here, and passed the test with ease. He is trained by George Boughey for Sheikh Abdullah Almalek Alsabah and looks a very exciting prospect among the sprinting ranks.

The fixture concluded with the six-furlong $250,000 Group 3 Mahab Al Shimaal on dirt, won impressively by local debutant Sound Money, Barzalona aboard, completing his double on the card and one for trainer Seemar too. He won in the colours of RRR Racing who also own the runner-up Isolate. Bred in partnership by Ger Burke’s Glidawn Stud, the winner is a five-year-old son of Flatter.

Arabian

The purebred Arabian $75,000 Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge R3 kicked off proceedings and the 2022 winner Jugurtha De Monlau followed up in style, never headed under Pat Dobbs in the colours of Yas Racing for Jean-Claude Pecout.

Bred by Robert Bourdette, the seven-year-old entire was chased throughout by Kerless Del Roc who cried enough in the final two furlongs under Fernando Jara, the latter having been aboard the winner 12 months ago.

SEVEN races at Jebel Ali on Sunday afternoon, highlighted by the Future Champions Cup, a seven-furlong conditions contest for three-year-olds, was won impressively by debutant Southern Artist, completing a rapid double for Bhupat Seemar and a treble on the card for Tadhg O’Shea.

Homebred by Fitri Hay, the Munnings colt always appeared to be travelling strongly under the champion jockey, and the pair put the race to bed, in a few strides, entering the final furlong. The owner’s husband, Jim, said: “It is very exciting and extra special to have a homebred winner, especially in a feature race. He seemed to win easily, so hopefully he can build on this.”

The preceding five-furlong handicap was won in taking fashion by the Godolphin-bred Leading Spirit, who dashed to the front in the final half a furlong, completing a double for O’Shea, sporting the silks of Touch Gold Racing for Seemar.

Conceding

Successfully conceding weight to his 11 rivals, the seven-year-old son of Invincible Spirit was registering his fifth career victory, and second over this course and distance. He also landed his penultimate outing, also over the minimum trip, on the Meydan turf so is clearly versatile. Seemar said: “He has always been talented but, obviously, he is getting older.”

O’Shea added: “That was a good performance under top-weight. I knew I was going to have to be patient as there was always going to be plenty of early pace.” The nine-furlong handicap provided O’Shea with his fourth winner and a third consecutive race fell the way of Seemar, the seven-year-old Ghostzapper gelding Ghost Of The Mambo delivering for HRH Prince Sultan bin Mishal Al Saud.

Fernando Jara and the Worksop Manor Stud-bred Justice Protecol, saddled by Ismail Mohammed for Saeed Humaid Al Tayer, were soon at the head of affairs in concluding mile handicap and never looked in danger of being denied. This was a fourth career win for the four-year-old son of Time Test.

Delivered

Pat Dobbs delivered Golden Arch in the final half a furlong to snatch a seven-furlong maiden for Doug Watson and Al Rashid Stables, the four-year-old Blame gelding opening his account at the eighth attempt, and his fifth this season and since being gelded.

Seemingly in trouble at halfway in a six-furlong handicap, Adrie de Vries was calmness personified until unleashing Imprison with a late surge to land the spoils for the Bouresly Racing Syndicate, trained by Rashed Bouresly. The 10-year-old gelded son of Sea The Stars was registering a third career success, all over this course and distance.

The fixture commenced with the only purebred Arabian race on the card, a seven-furlong handicap, and the formidable Khalid Khalifa Al Nabooda, Ernst Oertel and Tadhg O’Shea combination struck, AF Mutakafel proving his love for the track.

The homebred five-year-old entire has finished ‘first past the post’ on all three Jebel Ali outings, although was disqualified after doing so on his racecourse debut.

Irish-bred winner

BRED in partnership by Tinnakill Bloodstock and Langan Akerlund, the three-year-old National Defense colt Silent Defense and Oscar Chavez landed the only thoroughbred race on the card at Abu Dhabi last week, the concluding seven-furlong handicap, in the colours of the Bouresly Racing Syndicate for Rashed Bouresly.

The winner had shown a decent level of form on two of his three previous starts, and was a €40,000 purchase at last year’s inaugural Goffs Dubai World Cup Breeze Up Sale. He is the second winner out of a Casamento half-sister to Group 3 winner Mulaqat.