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| Staff Writer |
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The Dubai World Cup Carnival will begin at Meydan Racecourse with the Gr.3 UAE Oaks and two stakes races as preps for the Gr. 1 Dubai Turf and a final preliminary for the Gr.2 UAE Derby.
The UAE Oaks has produced runners for the Gr.1 Kentucky Oaks for the past two years, and some of the Dubai runners have their eyes on Louisville, Ky. This year's UAE Oaks has a field of six, with undefeated Manama Gold as the star attraction. The filly is a Louisiana-bred daughter of Star Guitar, trained by Fawzi Nass, and is still improving and developing, according to her jockey Adrie de Vries.
The Al Bastakiya will be held as the UAE Derby prep on Friday, but some of the top 3YOs will not be participating. Tapit's taleofverve, a Tapit colt bred and owned by Charles Fipke and trained by Doug Watson, will get another chance after finishing fifth in his career debut on 2nd February.
While the Godolphin horses are expected to continue their dominance on the grass at this season's Carnival, it is more likely as preparation for European campaigns than for the Dubai Turf. The feature race is the Gr.2 Singspiel Stakes, with three of the top prospects entered by Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby.
Godolphin has won the companion Gr.2 Balanchine Stakes for fillies and mares for six straight years, and here, again, Appleby will tighten the girth on three. Mimi Kakushi, the winner of the 2023 UAE Oaks who went on to finish eighth in the Kentucky Oaks, is among the four challenging Sheikh Mohammed's forces.