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| Rowan Anderson |
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Dominant as ever.
The Godolphin powerhouse again showed why they have such a strong reputation as the leaders in producing winners across the world sweeping the seven race card at Meydan overnight.
Hosting the seventh fixture of the 2023 Dubai World Cup Carnival highlighted by the Group Three Nad Al Sheba Trophy over 2810m it was Godolphin making it a tenth overall win in the feature and their seventh consecutive.
Returning to the region for his seasonal debut and after winning the Listed Al Kail Trophy in his only other previous UAE start in January last year Siskany with the ride of the classy William Buick took the spoils in the USD $200,00 Group Three.
Travelling well throughout Buick on the 5YO gelded son of Dubawi hit the lead 225m from home and put the race to bed running in to score in front of the Marco Botti trained Ardakan.
Prior to the race trainer Charlie Appleby was confident.
“Siskany looks great and will be a player if he brings his best form to the table. He has won over the course and trip, so he looks the one they have to beat,” he said.
“That was a good performance because he was a bit keen and fresh early on but, for a stayer, he has a really good turn of foot as he has just shown again. Hopefully he is a Dubai Gold Cup horse,” Buick said after the race.
Charlie Appleby and William Buick returned to the winner’s circle after the main support race, the 2000m Dubai Millennium Stakes, took place rounding out the treble for the partnership.
The race is another dominated by Godolphin and the favourite Nations Pride made everyone proud on his seasonal debut after taking out his only other appearance last season by 3.25 lengths.
This time around Buick led his mount through with the son of Teofilo hitting the lead 350m out and rolling on with the win flying the world-famous royal blue silks.
He showed why he was returning to the UAE off the back of a win in last year’s Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes, doing it another content and doing so in a classy clinic.
The win made it two wins from two in Meydan having also taken out the Jumeirah Derby during last year’s carnival over the distance and track.
“I am delighted with that. He was a classy 3yo and did nothing wrong last season but I think he is going to prove better than this; he is a really nice horse,” Buick said.
Godolphin took another win in the Jebel Ali Free Zone handicap over 1200m with Saeed bin Suroor saddling City Walk to victory by a nose over stable mate Open Mind delivering the racing powerhouse the first finishing two.
In the race named after the great Lord Glitters, race four, it was that partnership of Appleby and Buick who would win again over the turf 1600m with New Kingdom.
Seven travelled the trip in the main dirt contest for 3YO fillies, the 1900m Group 3 UAE Oaks, and like poetry the script played out as predicted.
The winner of the Listed UAE 1000 Guineas a month ago Mimi Kakushi made it three on the trot taking out the Group Three.
With the talented Mikael Barzalona onboard once again, he planned the perfect ride to use the final turn to amble up to the Doug O’Neill trained Ami Please looking the region debutant in the eyes as she sailed by.
That final 300m was a real ding dong battle between the leading pair but the Salem bin Ghadayer trained and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum owned Mimi Kakushi proved to be the goods.
Barzalona was pleased with the effort from the filly as he said post-race.
“I always said this longer trip would be in her favour and so it proved. The runner-up has battled hard but my filly was just too good on the night.”
The concluding race was taken out by Pat Dobbs and Golden Goal in the 1400m dirt handicap, having had set the track record under the conditions that still stands in January 2021, for trainer Doug Watson and owner dale Brennan.