The Dubai International Racing Carnival really hit the ground running with the Godolphin Stables having three winners and the de Kock yard having two, and with other winners from the UK and Ireland it more than lived up to its International Billing. The big names of the racing world were there in force and it was great to see such support. Even jockeys not riding that night were in attendance including Olivier Peslier. On the back of another successful European season Peslier was in ebullient form and really looking forward to pulling on his breeches this week. When asked about the star of his 2010 Goldikova he was fascinating and could hardly control his excitement at another year ahead with this filly at the top of his rides list. He is so keen on her he said “I went to visit her on 28th December to give her carrots for Christmas and she was in great form”.
Stephane Chevalier who is going to be using Peslier’s services during the Carnival said “I have got to find him some winners now!” He is planning to run Letteratura tonight in the second race over 1400m. “She would have a good chance over that distance but we think she is even better over 1200m” so the crack French team will assess the Danehill Dancer’s mares after tonight’s meeting.
Chevalier also confirmed that his exciting Meydan winner Lando Junior is on course for the
1950m handicap at Jebel Ali on 11th February. Raised 2 lbs by the handicapper, to a rating of 95, for his victory over Swinging Sixties, the trainer said “he came out of his last run well and the conditions of this race look just about perfect for him”.
Saeed Bin Suroor, who saddled a double with the very impressive Mendip being the highlight, gave positive news about Mastery “he came back from Hong Kong well and is in great form. The plan with him is to have one run before the Sheema Classic.” A stable spokesman for Ali Rashid Al Raihe reported “Al Shemaali is on course for the second round of the Al Maktoum Challenge” where he will meet amongst others Mendip.
After Frankie Dettori rode Mendip to success he showed he still has the marketing wow factor. When receiving the trophy for the Longines sponsored Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1 he held his wrist out under the huge watch on the presentation platform pretending to wear it. Dave Hodgson, Director of Corporate Communications for Meydan said “that is what advertisers’ dream of”.
It was great to see William Buick back at Meydan although he was working for a TV channel and not riding. He has not sat on a horse since his fall and he will not be returning to race riding until February 3rd he hopes. Although there are no official concussion guidelines in the UAE he is taking a self-imposed 28 day rest as per the British rules before he resumes. Buick said “I hope to start riding out after the second Carnival meeting” and he also added “he felt fine now following his concussion”. He will go back to England briefly the week prior to his planned return to have a concussion check with BHA senior medical practitioner Dr Michael Turner.
In the last race a very game syndicate of three couples calling themselves the “thirty acre racing partnership” found they had a change in luck when Steele Tango finally got his head in front. They were clearly elated as he won when they had all travelled over here and gave Epsom trainer Roger Teal a high profile win. The plan seems to be to give him one more run to increase his handicap mark then come back on World Cup night to take on Tazeez, who got the better of this son of Okawango twice last year, in possibly the Dubai Duty Free Stakes .
At Jebel Ali on Friday Dhruba Selvaratnam and Keiren Fallon enjoyed a successful afternoon with a double. Otaared won the Zayed University Jebel Ali Mile Prep and according to the trainer “he will return to try and do in the double in the Jebel Ali Mile itself.” The second part of the double was the highly impressive Emmrooz who Dhruba said “we will see him at the Carnival next”.
The Dubai Racing Channel Ten to Follow competition is now underway and well done to Rebecca Byrne of the Emirates Entertainment Racing Club for topping the list. A good start is always essential in these competitions and her entry included three winners in No Risk Al Maury, Mendip and Our Giant. There is still all to play for and entry is still open.
Last week I mentioned to look out for celebrities at Meydan and topping the bill on the first night was the World’s Number One golfer Lee Westwood. As a co-owner of Wonder Lawn, he witnessed the son of Fort Wood finish fourth in the Longines Evidenza Stakes and he was not disheartened saying “I am in the region for the next three weeks playing golf in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, then Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, followed by the Dubai Desert Classic at the Emirates so I will be back next week to see if he can improve his placing”. His night was not fruitless as Our Giant, another Mike de Kock trained horse he is a co-owner of, won the 1200m Longines Conquest Conditions Stakes and looks a top sprinter whom his rivals will find hard to beat. The seven year old son of Giants Causeway is a huge animal blessed with serious speed.
It was great to see so much humour amongst the serious racing, and on watching his Inxile being defeated by Our Giant, Dandy Nicholls quipped “at least I was beaten by only my dad!” laughing at the fact that they look fairly similar but for about a foot in height.
Entries for the World Cup night were given an exciting boost with the news that Ballydoyle have made four entries for the meeting headed by Cape Blanco who won both Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby and the Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes in 2010. The son of Galileo has just been rated as the top three-year-old colt on turf over 10 furlongs in the world in the 2010 Thoroughbred Rankings with a rating of 126. He has been entered for the $US10 million World Cup, but also has another option having been entered for the $US 5 million Sheema Classic as well.
The Dubai Racing Club's international manager Martin Talty confirmed the entries from Coolmore. "It's fantastic that a horse of the calibre of Cape Blanco, an Irish Derby and Irish Champion Stakes winner, is entered for the World Cup," Talty said. "It is a race that deserves a horse of that quality."
If he were to run in the Sheema Classic he would face another Ballydoyle inmate in Joshua Tree, who is now owned by Kalifa Bin Hamad Al Attiyah, who was also nominated at last Thursday’s deadline stage. Joshua Tree’s biggest success to date was when winning the G1 Canadian International at Woodbine in October 2010.
Ballydoyle trainer Aiden O’Brien has entered two other horses for the card with Master Of Hounds and Alexander Pope both being entered for the UAE Derby.
Master Of Hounds has already raced outside his native Ireland as having won his Maiden at Tipperary he was third in the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster behind Casamento who subsequently has joined Godolphin. This meant the son of Kingmambo was considered good enough to have a crack at the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf where he was a creditable sxth behind Pluck.
Alexander Pope is far less exposed having won a Maiden and then scorching up in December in a race at Dundalk to win by seven lengths. These two three year olds are sure to be very tough nuts to crack.
The entries could signal the beginning of a new dawn between Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Maktoum and Coolemore supremo John Magnier who have not always seen eye to eye in the past. Ballydoyle have not had a runner here since Powerscourt was fifth in the Sheema Classic due to the ongoing disagreement but Magniers wide Sue part owned Front House who won the G2 Swain Stakes at Nad Al Sheba in 2009.
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