Pyromancer And Six Speed Meet In Derby

Japan's Unbeaten Star Leads Strong Derby Field

Japan's unbeaten Pyromancer, trained by Keiji Yoshimura and partnered by James Doyle, carries a perfect three-from-three record on Japanese dirt into the Gr.2 UAE Derby over 1,900 metres at Meydan Racecourse, heading an international field of 12 in one of the marquee contests on Dubai World Cup night. The Pyro colt, rated 111 and the highest-rated runner in the US$1,000,000 event, has been drawn in stall nine and renews rivalry with fellow Japanese raider Wonder Dean, trained by Daisuke Takayanagi, who lines up from stall five and finished half a length adrift at Kyoto in November.

Standing between the Japanese pair and glory is Six Speed, trained by Bhupat Seemar, who draws the advantageous stall two and arrives as the dominant 3YO dirt performer on the Meydan track throughout the winter campaign. The track record for the 1,900-metre dirt course stands to Mendelssohn, who posted a time of one minute 55.18 seconds in 2018, setting a formidable benchmark for this year's contenders.

Six Speed Bids For Group Two Honours

Seemar's stable star has delivered a sequence of increasingly authoritative performances this season, winning a conditions event over 1,200 metres on his seasonal debut before following up over 1,400 metres at the same course. The Not This Time colt then produced his finest effort in a Gr.3 success over 1,600 metres in January, Mickael Barzalona steering him to a 4¾-length victory at the expense of Devon Island and Union Security, a performance that earned him a rating of 105 and confirmed his credentials for Group Two company.

Drawing the low stall two gives Six Speed a clean run from the gates and allows Barzalona to dictate his own pace through the early stages, a significant tactical advantage on a dirt track where the inside rail can be critical. Seemar saddles three further runners alongside his flagbearer. Salloom, an Authentic colt who won his maiden over 1,600 metres by 6¾ lengths, lines up from stall six and arrives unbeaten but faces a significant step up in class.

Rammaas, a Speightstown colt with two wins from six starts, most recently scoring in a conditions event at Jebel Ali over 1,600 metres, departs from stall three, while Lino Padrino, by Uncle Lino, who won his maiden at Meydan Racecourse in December before finishing fourth in the Gr.3 in January and third in a Listed race over the UAE Derby trip, faces an interesting test breaking from stall one on the rail.

Wonder Dean Seeks Reversal Of Form

Takayanagi's Wonder Dean arrives as a potent second Japanese challenger on a rating of 107 from a central draw in stall five, having shown willingness to travel by contesting a Gr.3 at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Saudi Arabia in February, where he finished fourth beaten 4½ lengths. The Dee Majesty colt won a stakes event at Nakayama over 1,800 metres on dirt in September and was beaten only half a length behind Pyromancer at Kyoto in November, suggesting the pair are closely matched and that a reversal of form is entirely plausible on the step up to 1,900 metres.

Drawing stall five places him comfortably between the inside dangers and the wide runners, giving Cristian Demuro every chance to track the pace and challenge when conditions suit. With proven dirt form at a high level and the extra distance potentially suiting his profile, the Takayanagi stable will be quietly confident of a bold showing.

Appleby And Osborne Among The Challengers

Charlie Appleby saddles Devon Island, a Practical Joke colt rated 97 who has won twice from four starts at Meydan Racecourse and draws stall seven. He met his match when finishing 4¾ lengths behind Six Speed in the Gr.3 in January, but that was a career-best effort at a higher level, and William Buick takes the ride back on a colt expected to relish the step up in trip to 1,900 metres.

Jamie Osborne saddles Brotherly Love, a Zoustar colt who draws stall 11 and progressed steadily through the winter before landing a Listed race over the UAE Derby course and distance in February by 2 lengths under Saffie Osborne, following two earlier runner-up finishes behind Devon Island in conditions company. A wide draw on a dirt track is rarely welcome, though Brotherly Love's proven ability over the course and distance partially offsets that disadvantage. Union Security, trained by Ahmad bin Harmash, has twice finished third behind Six Speed in conditions and Group Three company at Meydan Racecourse and lines up from stall four, a reasonable position from which Connor Beasley can attempt to find a spot on the pace.

Labwah Bids To Defy The Boys

Salem bin Ghadayer saddles Labwah, the sole filly in the field, whose three consecutive victories on the Meydan dirt mark her out as a genuine contender rather than a token representative of her sex. The Charlatan filly draws stall eight and receives a 2lb sex allowance that brings her weight down to 55kg compared to the colts' 57kg.

Her most recent success came in a Gr.3 over the UAE Derby course and distance in February, when she demolished her rivals by 7¾ lengths to earn a rating of 96, and that combination of course-and-distance form and a favourable draw from stall eight makes her a compelling participant. Duke of Immatin, trained by Musabbeh Al Mheiri, won at Jebel Ali in November before finishing 2 lengths second to Brotherly Love in the Listed race in February and breaks from stall 10, a draw that will require Silvestre De Sousa to use some early speed to avoid being caught wide through the first bend.

Go Man, trained by Richard Chotard, arrives from France with eight starts entirely on European turf and faces the sternest challenge in the race, tackling dirt for the first time while also carrying the burden of the widest draw in stall 12 on the outside of the field.

The draw has handed Six Speed a significant tactical advantage from stall two, while Pyromancer's wide berth in stall nine and Go Man's widest draw of all in stall 12 will require their riders to work harder for position in the early stages. With Pyromancer's unblemished record, Six Speed's dominant course form, and the progressive Labwah offering an intriguing wildcard, the Gr.2 UAE Derby shapes as a compelling showcase for the sport's rising generation on Dubai World Cup night.

UAE Derby 2026 — Contenders

1. Pyromancer (T: Keiji Yoshimura / J: James Doyle)
2. Wonder Dean (T: Daisuke Takayanagi / J: Cristian Demuro)
3. Six Speed (T: Bhupat Seemar / J: Mickael Barzalona)
4. Go Man (T: Richard Chotard / J: Anthony Crastus)
5. Salloom (T: Bhupat Seemar / J: Tadhg O'Shea)
6. Brotherly Love (T: Jamie Osborne / J: Saffie Osborne)
7. Devon Island (T: Charlie Appleby / J: William Buick)
8. Rammaas (T: Bhupat Seemar / J: Adrie de Vries)
9. Union Security (T: Ahmad bin Harmash / J: Connor Beasley)
10. Duke of Immatin (T: Musabbeh Al Mheiri / J: Silvestre De Sousa)
11. Lino Padrino (T: Bhupat Seemar / J: Richard Mullen)
12. Labwah (T: Salem bin Ghadayer / J: Bernardo Pinheiro)