LAST Friday’s fourth meeting of the 2022 Dubai World Cup Carnival at Meydan featured the nine and a half-furlong Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge R2 on dirt, and class prevailed as Hot Rod Charlie made all the running to complete doubles on the card for Doug O’Neill and William Buick.

Owned by Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing, Strauss and Gainesway, the four-year-old American-bred son of Oxbow burned off all the opposition a furlong and a half from home and pulled clear to win impressively.

A three-time winner in the USA, including the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby, he was first past the post in the Grade 1 Haskell Stakes before being disqualified.

His UAE campaign is geared towards the Group 1 Dubai World Cup at the end of March and O’Neill said: “That was a great ride from William Buick and this really is a wonderful horse because he was probably only about 70% fit; so that was very exciting. We now have a lovely long break before the Dubai World Cup, seven weeks, so we have plenty of time to get him spot on. We are super excited!”

Dramatic finish

Earlier on the card, the six-furlong Oud Metha Stakes for three-year-olds on the dirt track produced a dramatic finish, with Buick producing Get Back Goldie to deny Little Afrodite in the dying strides for O’Neill and owners W C Racing, Aldabaugh, Wonderland and Goldstein.

A homebred colt by Goldencents, Buick’s mount picked up a furlong and a half out before snatching the spoils close home. This was a second victory for the colt who won a maiden claimer at Santa Anita in late October. Buick said: “The start was far from ideal but he soon latched on and has shown a touch of quality to win, given the situation we found ourselves in.”

Later on the card Buick was back in the winners’ enclosure after the turf feature, the nine-furlong Group 2 Balanchine for fillies and mares, completing his treble and doubles for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby aboard Creative Flair.

A four-year-old homebred by Dubawi filly, she was never far off the pace before Buick set sail for home and they never looked in much danger afterwards.

Creative Flair has now won four times in nine starts, adding this to three victories in Britain, notably a Newbury listed race in June. The winning rider said: “She deserved a big race win after some good efforts in defeat in Europe and America, so it is nice she is now a Group 2 winner.”

Classic win

Also on turf, but restricted to three-year-olds, the Listed Jumeirah Classic over a mile was contested by a select field of six and won comfortably by Sovereign Prince, James Doyle performing the steering for Godolphin and Appleby.

A homebred gelded son of Dubawi, it was a third success for Doyle’s mount and second at this year’s Carnival. Doyle said: “I was delighted with that and it was all pretty straightforward.”

The main support race on dirt was the mile Group 3 Firebreak Stakes. It went to the Knocktoran Stud-bred Hypothetical who was never headed under Mickael Barzalona in the colours of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum for Salem bin Ghadayer. A five-year-old entire by Lope De Vega, he won two Carnival handicaps over this dirt course and distance last year before finishing second in the Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge R2. He looks to be back to his best.

Barzalona said: “I am very pleased with him today after a bad run last time and he is versatile with regards to trip as he stays further. We wanted to be positive and let him enjoy himself out in front, and that was up there with his best performances.”

Withering effort

Over nine and a half furlongs on dirt, the Al Bastakiya Trial for three-year-olds went to the formidable Fawzi Nass and Adrie de Vries partnership, courtesy of the Victorious-owned Withering.

The Mondialiste colt missed the break and was soon trailing his 12 rivals, but de Vries kept creeping closer before throwing down his ultimately decisive challenge inside the final furlong.

A maiden after six starts, four in Britain for previous connections and two at Meydan, he relished this step up in trip. His only unplaced effort was at Royal Ascot in the Listed Chesham Stakes.

The meeting kicked off with the only purebred Arabian race on the card, with Rajeh landing the Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge R2, proving far too good for his five rivals. Antonio Fresu sported the silks of Basil Masoud Saleh Al Kesbi for trainer Musabbeh Al Mheiri. The eight-year-old entire was winning for the ninth time, but his first in the UAE.