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| Staff Writer |
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George Boughey, a Newmarket-based trainer, is aiming to build on his successful first tilt at Meydan prizes earlier this year. His string of horses, which includes five runners, arrived in Dubai on Saturday evening. One of the new recruits to his stable is Walbank, a 3YO son of Kodiac who was second in the Norfolk Stakes as a 2YO at Royal Ascot last year. Another runner is Salvuccio, a 2YO who has won his last two five-furlong races at Wolverhampton and Newcastle respectively.
Last season, Al Dasim arrived in the UAE off the back of two wins at Wolverhampton and went on to win three races at Meydan, including the Group Three Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint before finishing seventh to Danyah in the Group One Al Quoz Sprint. Boughey is hoping that his gelded son of Dutch Art, who has been improving, will follow in Al Dasim's footsteps.
Boughey-trained filly Perdika had a positive experience at Meydan in 2023, her four runs there included a second place behind Al Dasim in the Dubai Trophy Presented By Nakheel in February. Later on, she returned to Europe where she won two Listed races and was second to Highfield Princess in the Group One Prix de L’Abbaye de Longchamp on Arc weekend.
Completing the Boughey Meydan squad are 5YO All The King’s Men, a two-time winner for Boughey, improving 3YO Naxos, and 4YO Koy Koy. Boughey's string has the potential to make a mark at Meydan, and he hopes to use Will Buick for most of his runners.
Salvuccio, who has been gelded since winning at Newcastle in October, has the same programme in mind as Al Dasim. Boughey believes he fits the same profile as Al Dasim, and he's on the right upward curve. Naxos has quietly got himself up to a rating of almost 100, and Boughey thinks it wouldn't be surprising to see him running on the Dirt. Koy Koy, who was unlucky not to follow up at Ayr two weeks after winning over 1600m at Wolverhampton in September, goes to Dubai off a career high mark. Finally, All The King’s Men, who likes a strong pace to run at and goes well left-handed, has been improving recently.
Walbank, who had a bit of a stop-start season, will probably start off in a six-furlong handicap in early January. If Boughey can get some sort of spark back into him, he thinks he could be a bit of fun out there.
Boughey, who is in only his fourth full season with a trainer’s license, needs five more successes to reach 100 again this year. His 136 British winners in 2022 included a first Classic success in the 1,000 Guineas with Cachet. The highlight of this year has been Via Sistina’s victory in the Group One Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh in July.