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| Staff Writer |
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Over the weekend, horse racing events from around the world showcased many promising contenders for upcoming prestigious races such as the US$20 million Saudi Cup, US$12 million Dubai World Cup, and other lucrative competitions featured on those programs.
The most significant day of preparation for World Cup night at the revamped Dubai Carnival schedule is now the "Fashion Friday" card, which has replaced Super Saturday. The inaugural edition displayed this change to the fullest, with Godolphin runners dominating the turf events, and the dirt races saw success spread out among different racers.
Make a note of the name Kabirkhan - the Kentucky-bred colt by California Chrome, owned by Kazakhstan and raced in Russia, proved to be a formidable competitor. He won the Gr.1 Al Maktoum Challenge effortlessly, beating a decent field that included Clapton, trained by Chad Summers, who finished third. Kabirkhan took an early lead during the stretch run and secured a 4 3/4 length victory, his second consecutive win in the UAE. This victory earned him a spot in the World Cup, which is precisely what his owners were hoping for.
"We'll see what they want to do," winning trainer Doug Watson said. "There's a third leg, obviously, on Super Saturday. But if they want to go straight to World Cup, I'm happy with that."
Mendelssohn Bay secured a spot in the upcoming Gr.2 UAE Derby on World Cup night after achieving a comfortable win in the Gr.3 UAE 2,000 Guineas held on the Meydan Racecourse dirt. The victory also earned the horse 100 "Road to the Kentucky Derby" points.
"I think he's going to get better with distance," said Mendelssohn Bay's trainer, Bhupat Seemar, a former assistant to Bob Baffert in California and a fan of the U.S. Triple Crown races.
Mouheeb achieved a decisive 6 3/4-length victory in the Gr.3 Al Shindagha Sprint, a race serving as preparation for the prestigious Gr.1 Dubai Golden Shaheen. In another notable performance, Hypothetical battled through the stretch to secure a Gr.3 Firebreak Stakes victory by 3/4 length, earning consideration for the Gr.2 Godolphin Mile scheduled for 30th March.
On "Fashion Friday," Godolphin horses under Charlie Appleby's training dominated all four turf events. Jockey William Buick rode three winners, while Mickael Barzalona secured the fourth. In the Gr.1 Jebel Hatta at 1,800 meters, Appleby's horses claimed the exacta, with Measured
Time, a 4YO Frankel colt, notching his fifth win in six starts by defeating stablemate Ottoman Fleet by 1 3/4 lengths.
However, Godolphin missed a 1-2-3 finish in the race as Mawj, trained by Saeed Bin Suroor, encountered obstacles in the stretch, ultimately easing through the final sixteenth. In the Gr.2 Al Fahidi Fort, Appleby secured his eighth victory as Buick guided Mysterious Night to a 1-length win.Mysterious Night, a Gr.1 Summer Stakes winner as a 2YO, held an invitation to the US$1.5 million Gr.2 1351 Turf Sprint on the Saudi Cup program in February.
Star of Mystery, a 3YO daughter of Kodiac, made a striking seasonal debut in the Gr.2 Blue Point Sprint, dominating the race at 1,000 meters down the Meydan Racecourse straight. Appleby confirmed that Star of Mystery would participate in Super Saturday before deciding on World Cup night.
In the night's finale, the Al Khail Trophy, Buick faced a challenge guiding Siskany home first. The 6YO Dubawi gelding, a trial for the 2-miles Gr.2 Dubai Gold Cup on World Cup night, finished strongly, securing victory by a short head after trailing the field into the stretch.