Good evening & welcome along to my review of the best night so far in terms of quality from Dubai's International Racing Carnival, it featured 2 outstanding Group 2 events with the return of 2012's Champion 2 year old filly Certify the headline act & my word she did not disappoint...more on her later.
The opening 5f furlong handicap featured several horses that had contested a similar event on the opening night including the winner Ahtoug none however could get involved in tonight's event. The winner was a first for Saudi Arabia at Meydan in the shape of the 7 year old mare Alsaaeqah who in all her lifetime starts had never once raced or even won on Turf so it was surprise as was the run of the second place finisher the Norwegian trained Beat Baby who made all & only just got caught.
Beat Baby set a fantastic pace from start to finish under par the whole way & was a much improved effort from this 7 year old considering his two average runs at last year's Carnival whether he will be able to replicate it must be doubtful though as everything went to plan for him & clearly being drawn low was a distinct advantage which must have helped the eventual winner Alsaaeqah (drawn 1) who could not go the pace to start with having won most recently at 7f she stayed on strongly to get up on the line.
However I very much doubt she would have won had old Medicean Man not been drawn 13 & had he not been stopped in his run when switching across the track he positively powered home eventually being beaten less than 1/2 a length. It was an outstanding performance coming from the wrong side of the course & showing he is very capable from his high mark. If all goes to plan he will be hard to beat next time out.
Out of the first 7 home 6 were drawn 8 or lower so anything high had no chance, Racy appeared to run his best race so far but I would discount that due to how the race panned out. Abstraction looked set to win before veering close home, he has not done this before but maybe he was feeling the ground which was most likely firmer than he has encountered in Ireland. Dungannon was disappointing on the face of it considering he was drawn on what turned out to be the right side while My Propeller was again done no favours by the draw or how the race was run. Merhee was extremely disappointing for even allowing for being on the wrong side of the track he still showed very little after a promising first run last week.
The Dubal Billet Trophy was run under par all the way through & the horses suffered for it on the run to the line finishing at walking pace. Old Ottoman Empire gained his second win at Meydan adding to last year's success, he has been a fantastic old horse over the years in Dubai & he received a perfectly judged ride from the Richard Mullen sitting in behind the pace & covering the least amount of ground, he stuck on well to the line. String Theory appeared to run his race covering more ground than the winner but that was due to Mullen's excellent ride & he just failed to quicken past the old horse, he looks high in the handicap for me. Clon Brulee who had been my fancy beforehand ran an odd race he also ran under par times all the way but was never ever travelling comfortably losing his position mid race before staying on albeit slowly into a never nearer 4th, I think he has to go back to Turf as Tapeta just does not suit to my eye.
Intrigo got an average ride from Barzalona racing up quickly in the meat of the race & swinging extremely ride so he ended up covering so much more ground, he finished off at one pace though & even though he used more energy I still think the handicapper has him at present.
A small but select field went to post for the Group 2 Cape Verdi Stakes & it produced a truly stunning performance from the returning Certify (see photo) it was even more impressive given the way the race was run, the first 400 metres were almost a second slower than the par in which Certify pulled for her head thankfully her Godolphin mate Shuruq & Silvestre De Sousa took hold of the race speeding it up dramatically into the straight however she was spent as was Flotilla who has again disappointed while Mensoora who tried to go with Shuruq also lacked for fitness & dropped away tamely, she is not one to right off given the way she travelled in the early part of the race.
L'amour De Ma Vie also appreciated the pace injection & found herself in the lead as others faded but she was a sitting duck to Certify who loomed large on her outside, barely off the bridle Barzalona let out some rein & she asserted with ease to win as she liked, I liked the way young Barzalona rode her with confidence & clearly not wanting to give her a hard race he allowed her to win without over exerting herself rated only 80% fit she will be so hard to beat when she goes to the Balanchine in a few weeks providing she shows no ill effects.
The inevitable question was off course raised what could she have achieved if she hadn't been doped by her unscrupulous former trainer Zarooni?
Of course we can all speculate but what's the point its past & we'll never know which is a shame but hopefully she will go on to become an outstanding 4 year old. Some also will be unhappy as she had been doped & I saw some comments on Twitter suggesting that she may still be showing the effects of the doping....these people should crawl back under the stone they came out form & read up on the facts, she was banned for 6 months which was long enough to allow any drugs to clear her system as advised by the Vets & of course Godolphin gave her extra time anyway.
Hopefully Certify's return will continue throughout the Carnival & when she comes back to England, buoyed by this I hope it will see the boys in blue back at the top of the racing tree which is great for all involved in our glorious sport, over the years they have provided so many of the Flat's top horses & without Sheikh Mohammed English racing would be all the poorer.
The 7f Tapeta handicap is not much to write home about as the talented but quirky Zahee thoroughly enjoyed the drop in class winning comfortably whether he will consent to win back up in grade though is debatable. Eastern Rules set a slow gallop increasing it in quickening the tempo in the straight as he tried to hang on, usually held up this was a change of tactics so it was a promising performance. Tamarkuz the favourite did not impress with his attitude at the start & was off the bridle throughout the race he was never nearer than at the finish. None of the others in behind appeal as likely winners.
The Group 2 Al Rashidiya looked an outstanding race on paper & it provided a great finish between 2 stablemates from the Mike De Kock yard but not in the order most would have expected as Mujaarib (see video) produced a classy turn of foot to quicken clear & was resolute to the line as he was pressed by stablemate Mushreq.
An extremely rare false start preceded the race but it seemed to have little effect on the runners, Maputo has developed into a cracking strong good looking horse but he was keen in the lead & set a strong gallop in which he was soon joined by Steeler who to my eyes was doing far too much again as Kieran tried desperately to restrain him, I believe he needs much further than this but I do wonder whether he won't fulfill his potential as he looks to have developed a keenness.
Eventual winner Mujaarib (see photo) was shoved along for the first 800 metres looking like if he could finish in the first 6 it would be a good run, he raced widest of all as they turned into the straight & it was at this point that was his most impressive part of the race as from going nowhere (200 hundredths of a second off the par time) to showing an electric turn of foot to make up around 5 lengths & sprinting clear of this quality field from there on he kept the pace all the way to the line to just hold his stablemate finishing 2 seconds under the par time for the distance.
Considering he had been off for so long it was a cracking performance, always held in high regard but difficult to train this lightly raced 6 year old could be a real contender on World Cup Night with the Duty Free his likely port of call.
Mushreq can be considered unlucky as having been drawn 1 he had to sit & suffer in behind the pace he ran under par the whole way but as his stablemate quickened he was slightly held up in behind the weakening Maputo / Steeler which did not help, he fought hard to the line & is a genuine horse who gives substance to the form.
Tasaday appeared to suffer from trying to lie up with the early pace & she was a spent force in the straight, she is better over slightly further & this was a decent first effort. Trade Storm was disappointing but if I am honest I don't believe he is really up to top level Group 2 / Group 1 class, he will remain hard to place. Brendan Brackan was most disappointing but probably found the Grade beyond him as did Zambucca, Van Rooney & Tales Of Grimm. Dasterhon stayed on when all was too late.
The closing 10f Turf handicap produced an excellent winner in the shape of Saxo Jack (see photo) who once again travelled powerfully & was ridden with extreme confidence by young Barzalona. He didn't panic when the front 4 appeared to be getting away as it seemed his Godolphin colleague De Sousa did, he rushed up Haafaguinea to be on the lead as they turned for home, whilst Barzalona who was always travelling best cruised up before being unleashed in the straight quickening up impressively, to Haafaguinea's credit he stuck at it & went down fighting but Saxo Jack was always holding him. He shouldn't go up much for this & is improving especially if kept to Turf.
Haafaguinea will also remain competitive but I wonder whether he will always be caught by an improver. Burano's run was a surprise & I can't see him repeating it whereas Busker & Aussie Reigns both give the form a strong look. Master Plan a former Grade 1 winner in South Africa was in clear need of the run & stayed on at once pace to finish a never nearer 6th. None of the others ran races worthy of note.
Horses to Follow:
Medicean Man -
excellent run first time up & most unlucky, can win in the coming weeks.
Mujaarib -
Is a horse of some class judging by his turn of foot & the fact he could win first time up after being in quarantine.
@fttfracing
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