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| Rowan Anderson |
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Master trainer Charlie Appleby will be looking to continue his success for the current UAE season in the Zabeel Trophy.
Appleby landed a double on Friday during the opening of the Dubai World Cup Carnival in the Ertijaal Dubai Dash with Lazuli and the Group Two Al Fahidi Fort with Al Suhail.
Racing at Meydan returns tonight featuring a six-race card highlighted by the Zabeel Trophy, a rated conditions contest over the turf mile.
A field of eight has been set with the top-rated Sovereign Prince to lead the pack in terms of favouritism.
The 4YO gelded son of Dubawi x Gamilati comes into the race having won both starts last season, including the Listed Jumeriah Classic.
Trained by master trainer Charlie Appleby for owner-breeder Godolphin he will be prepared to make it a repeat for the team after stablemate Path of Thunder won last year’s edition.
William Buick is back onboard Sovereign Prince after piloting him home to two of his last three victories with the gelding being unbeaten at Meydan winning both starts there highlighted by the Listed class race win.
At his last start he contested the Group 3 Saudi Derby at the end of February, finishing fifth in the dirt Classic and has not been seen at the track since.
For that Saudi start he finished 3.75 lengths off the leader but will see a drop in class here and will be performing back at his impressive level.
Musabbeh Al Mheiri prepares Shadwell pair Zainhom and Alkaamel, with the owner’s retained jockey, Dane O’Neill, opting to partner the latter, a 7yo gelded son of Havana Gold.
Coming off a 58-day break from the track he is a dual Meydan winner, over 1600m on dirt and 1400m on turf, he is versatile on both surfaces and distance and could throw down a challenge to the field.
Antonio Fresu will mount 9YO Zainhom who comes into this as the most raced of the field with 43 starts for 3-5-10.
The homebred Street Cry gelding also has two wins in the UAE to his name over 1600m at Jebel Ali and 1400m on the Meydan turf, his most recent success, in February 2021.
The partnership of Bhupat Seemar and Tadhg O’Shea will see Zero To A Hundred compete after the trainer-jockey partnership delivered the hoop’s 700th UAE winner in Friday’s Group 3 Dubawi Stakes with Switzerland.
The 7YO gelded son of Dubawi has only run in the region exclusively through his career having won twice over 1600m at Meydan, on dirt in November 2021 and turf last March. This will be his third outing of the current campaign and he was far from disgraced when seventh in the Listed National Day Cup, over 1600m, at Abu Dhabi at the beginning of December.
He last won in March last year by the slightest of lengths in The Palm Tower handicap but will be fresh and ready under the talented hand of Seemar.
From two Ahmad bin Harmash runners, Ray Dawson partners Tamborrada with Saif Al Balushi aboard stable companion Zaman.
Uruguayan-based trainer Julio Olascoaga will look to build on his UAE success after his stablemate Long Kiss took out the Jumeriah Classic Trial on Friday. His mount in this is Perfect Love, a 4YO Heliostatic x Per Amore colt Perfect Love who will be ridden by Jose da Silva.
He has been competitive his past two starts finishing third his last two starts and having last won in September 2021 in Maronas, Uruguay.
The field of eight is completed by Lucius Tiberius, trained by Osama Refai and Oscar Chavez booked for the ride.
The field will jump from the barriers at 7:45PM tonight as race four at Meyda