Six races filled with Thoroughbred stars from eight different nations allowed for a global affair on Thursday night at Meydan Racecourse, but it was locally based trainer Charlie Appleby and owner Godolphin who stole the show, with the latter landing four races and Appleby taking home a Group treble. Al Tayer Motors sponsored the evening, the eighth Dubai World Cup Carnival card of 2019, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, was on hand.
Races:
Race 1 - Jaguar F PACE Handicap
Race 2 - Land Rover Discovery Handicap
Race 3 - Dubai Millennium Stakes Sponsored By Jaguar
Race 4 - UAE Oaks Sponsored By Range Rover
Race 5 - Zabeel Mile Sponsored By Al Tayer Motors
Race 6 - Range Rover Velar Handicap
The feature of the evening was the $250,000 Zabeel Mile (G2), which included a complex field of milers looking to earn their way to the $6 million Dubai Turf sponsored by DP World (G1) next month.
Winner: MYTHICAL MAGIC
Owner: Godolphin
Trainer: Charlie Appleby
Jockey: William Buick
Official Time: 1:36.39 (1600mT, Track Record: 1:35.19 – Championship, 2017)
Margin of Victory: 3 Lengths
William Buick, Jockey, MYTHICAL MAGIC (1st) — “It was an excellent performance. He’s a beautiful, imposing horse and he’s getting things together now."
The final time was a strong 1:36.39 for the 1600m, with First Contact (Colm O’Donoghue), Wootton (James Doyle) and South African G1 winner Marinaresco (Bernard Fayd’Herbe) closing well to complete the top five.
Under the watchful eye of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the 1900m UAE Oaks sponsored by Range Rover (G3) went to Godolphin’s Divine Image. The progressive daughter of Scat Daddy came with a brilliant late run under William Buick to nab leader Swift Rose and Hayley Turner by a neck, handing trainer Charlie Appleby a first victory in the fillies’ $2.5 million UAE Derby preparation.
Winner: DIVINE IMAGE
Owner: Godolphin
Trainer: Charlie Appleby
Jockey: William Buick
Official Time: 2:01.76 (1900m, Track Record: 1:55.18 – Mendelssohn, 2018)
Margin of Victory: Neck
William Buick, Jockey, DIVINE IMAGE (1st) — “She was perfect away and I obviously asked her to get her position early. Coming into the first turn it is a short run, so I just took her back."
Aside from Divine Image’s hard-fought victory, Doug Watson trainee Razeena turned in an eye-catching performance with Pat Dobbs aboard, sitting four-wide off pace setter Swift Rose to stay on for third by 3½ lengths.
The final time was 2:01.76 for 1900m on the dirt course.
$200,000 DUBAI MILLENNIUM (GROUP 3)
Charlie Appleby recorded a third success in the $200,000 Dubai Millennium Stakes, having triumphed in 2018 and 2016 with Folkswood and Tryster, respectively.
Winner: Spotify
Owner: Godolphin
Trainer: Charlie Appleby
Jockey: James Doyle
Official Time: 2:05.55 (2000mT, Track Record: 2:00.67 – Hunter’s Light, 2015)
Margin of Victory: Short Head
James Doyle, Jockey, SPOTIFY (1st) — “I could feel him physically lower down and stick his head out when the second horse joined me. So, full credit to the horse. It was a race that looked like there would a lack of speed and we knew this fellow won here from a mile and a half stage and all the way around. We knew he would keep going. We got the soft end and we got some soft fractions down the back and then stretched in the straight and I think that won it for him.”
Remainder of Card
The meeting opened with the Jaguar F Pace, a 1400m dirt handicap, in which Rodiani landed the spoils, despite being one of the first under pressure with Connor Beasley sending out distress signals on the home turn. However, the 5-year-old gelded son of Exchange Rate found plenty for pressure and produced a decisive turn of foot about 250m out. Bred beautifully for the surface, Moqarrab ran on well for second in his dirt debut.
“We think 1400m is probably his best trip, but when we tried him the last time over the distance, he was basically disappointing in HH The President Cup,” said winning trainer Ahmad bin Harmash. “That was a Listed race on the Abu Dhabi turf, and back in class on dirt he has delivered tonight at the carnival. Connor has probably hit the front as early as we would want because the horse does not seem to like headgear, but was almost waiting for the others in the final stages.”
The 1200m turf handicap, the Land Rover Discovery, looked open on paper, but as it transpired proved a straightforward assignment for Ekhtiyaar, saddled by Doug Watson for His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum and partnered by the owner’s retained jockey, Jim Crowley. Formerly trained in Great Britain by Roger Varian, winning three times, the 5-year-old gelded son of Bated Breath made a very pleasing local debut when third on the first night of the Carnival, at the beginning of January, but had not been seen in competitive action since. Always travelling well for Crowley, he powered clear entering the final 400m to win in the style of a progressive sprinter.
Watson said: “We were drawn two which was a bit of a concern, especially dropping back in trip with him because we know he stays further, but everything worked out."
Watson confirmed afterward that Super Saturday’s (Mar. 9) $350,000 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint (G3) was the likely next target for Ekhtiyaar.
The concluding 1600m turf handicap, the Range Rover Velar was contested by the biggest field of the night, the maximum allowed of 16 and provided Godolphin a fourth success, this time Saeed bin Suroor saddling the winner courtesy of Major Partnership, a first ever UAE success for jockey Kevin Stott. Having been settled in midfield, the 4-year-old Iffraaj gelding was having his third Carnival start and made taking progress early in the straight before hitting the front about 250m from home, after which they always seemed to have the race in safekeeping.
Stott said: “This horse shows so much speed at home, we even tried him over 1200m, but we put cheek-pieces on today over this longer trip and they really helped. Basically, he is a horse who just does enough, so the headgear helped, but he probably still kept him a bit for himself, so there could be more to come.”
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