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| Sumita Pawar |
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Godolphin owned Local Dynasty made a remarkable impact during his Meydan debut. He delivered an impressive victory in a 10-furlong handicap, setting the tone for the first Dubai Racing Carnival fixture of 2024.
The Dubawi 4YO horse was a Listed winner in the UK as a juvenile. During the race, it maintained a handy pace and tracked Passion And Glory in second place after initially being in front. With just under two furlongs to go, Local Dynasty made a move to hit the lead and accelerated inside the final furlong. William Buick, the jockey, was able to ease the homebred horse close to the finish line for a comfortable win by three and a quarter-lengths.
Trainer Charlie Appleby said, “Dropping back to a mile and a quarter suited Local Dynasty and we were pleased with his win. We will probably look at taking him to Bahrain for the Listed race that Warren Point won last year.”
William Buick added, “That was a good way to start the year over here. Local Dynasty was very straightforward – the pace was not overly strong and it was about getting him to not do too much in the early stages.
“He finished off really well and, when you go through his form, he has never really run a bad race, so it is nice to get his head back in front. I would say 10 furlongs is his trip – when he ran over 12 in the November Handicap at Newcastle, it stretched him.”
Legend Of Time, trained by Charlie Appleby, impressed with a remarkable victory in the Jumeirah Guineas Trial at Meydan.
Despite starting from an outside draw, the colt broke on terms from stall 14 and positioned himself in a close fourth on the outside of Athan, Movie Maker and Shamrock Glitter.
Though he drifted off a true line in the straight, Legend Of Time stayed on well to challenge for the lead a furlong and a half out as the front four pulled clear. In the end, the Godolphin runner asserted himself in the closing strides, triumphing by a length to win the seven-furlong contest. This performance laid down a strong marker for this season’s 3YO's turf program at Meydan.
Charlie Appleby said, “William [Buick] had to use a bit of energy to get Legend Of Time over from his draw but the horse did everything the right way round, so it was a pleasing performance.
“Legend Of Time won over a mile on debut and we have always felt that he will be far more suited to stepping back up in distance, especially with his pedigree. We will head on to the Jumeirah Guineas now.”
William Buick said, “I am very happy with Legend Of Time. We expected him to win, but he was not dealt any favours being drawn in stall 14. The pace was not overly strong and he jumped well.
“He is a horse who is going to want further in time and I liked the way he did it. He is progressive and that was only his third start tonight. He will only improve, especially when stepping back up to a mile. Hopefully, he can go through the ranks.”
Doug Watson Clinches First Gr.2 Zabeel Mile Victory With San Donato
Trainer Doug Watson achieved his first ever Gr.2 Zabeel Mile victory at Meydan Racecourse on Friday with San Donato. The horse was guided by Pat Dobbs, who rode him to victory in the 2022 Listed Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup at Abu Dhabi. San Donato was able to take advantage of Real World's loss of form, as Marbaan pushed hard.
However, San Donato, an 8YO Lope De Vega gelding, had the momentum to secure a length and a half victory over Marbaan. In the undercard, Tuz won the Gr.3 Dubawi Stakes, while Buick scored a treble, winning the 2000m Zabeel Turf handicap, the 1200m Azizi Venice handicap, and the Jumeirah Guineas Trial.