Gold Town (GB) (Street Cry {Ire}) proved to be streets ahead of his 14 rivals in the G3 UAE 2000 Guineas, maintaining his unbeaten record at Meydan to land Thursday's feature by a facile 10 1/2 lengths. Emulating his late sire Street Cry, who won the race for Godolphin in 2001, the Charlie Appleby-trained Gold Town took control of proceedings from the early stages when being rousted from the gates by William Buick to take up a leading position on the rail. Travelling comfortably throughout, he asserted his superiority into the straight, effortlessly pulling clear of the pursuing pack led by Phoenix Thoroughbreds' Gotti (More Than Ready).
Gold Town's stable-mate Last Voyage (Eskendereya) took third just half a length behind Gotti to seal a good night for Appleby, while his Godolphin colleague Saeed Bin Suroor notched the first two races on the card with Best Solution (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and Don't Give Up (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) to continue his grip on the carnival with 12 wins to his name.
Gold Town is likely to be seen next on Dubai World Cup night, with Appleby indicating that he will head for the G2 UAE Derby without another run in between now and Mar. 31.
He said, “The trip doesn't worry us stepping up again [to 10 furlongs]. We were confident coming here over a mile and he'll probably go straight to the Derby. He's had plenty of experience and he has two dirt races under his belt now.”
Gold Town's jockey added his vote of confidence, and said, “He's a very impressive, he gave me a great feel and he deserved a pat. He was head and shoulders above the rest going into the race–he proved that in the trial–but with that amount of runners going into a dog-leg turn on this surface it's always a concern if you were to miss the break. But he was very professional and I couldn't ask any more from him.”
Buick added. “Out here in Dubai he has trained well and now he's won the Guineas. The team have done a good job with him, he's bred to be good on the surface and he's proved to be so far.”
A winner at first asking at Newbury last April, Gold Town returned a winner five starts later going 1400 metres at Newmarket on Dec. 8. He made it two in a row locally on Jan. 25 in a conditions race, drawing off by 4 1/4 lengths.
Pedigree Notes…
A member of the final crop of Street Cry, Gold Town is a homebred for Godolphin from the Invincible Spirit (Ire) mare Pimpernel (Ire), winner of the Listed Radley S. at Newbury and later runner-up in the Listed UAE 1000 Guineas for Mahmood Al Zarooni. Pimpernel was herself bought as a yearling by Con Marnane for 38,000gns from Peter Harris's Pendley Farm Dispersal at Tattersalls in 2010 and graduated from the Craven Breeze-up Sale, where she was bought by Dick O'Gorman on Godolphin's behalf for 135,000gns. Pimpernel's grandam Masskana (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}) has spawned a dynasty which includes the dual Grade I winner Dank (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and G1 Hong Kong Cup winner Eagle Mountain (GB) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}). Pimpernel has a juvenile colt by Dubawi (Ire) and a yearling filly by Shamardal. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
Thursday, Meydan, Middle East
UAE 2000 GUINEAS (SPONSORED BY AL TAYER MOTORS)-G3, $250,000, MEY, 2-15, NH3yo & SH3yo, 1600m, 1:37.77, ft.
1–GOLD TOWN (GB), 121, g, 3, by Street Cry (Ire)
1st Dam: Pimpernel (Ire) (SW & GSP-Eng, SP-UAE,
$146,809), by Invincible Spirit (Ire)
2nd Dam: Anna Pallida (GB), by Sadler's Wells
3rd Dam: Masskana (Ire), by Darshaan (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-Godolphin (GB);
T-Charlie Appleby; J-William Buick. $150,000. Lifetime Record:
8-4-0-1, $232,221. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Gotti, 121, c, 3, More Than Ready–Soot Z, by Empire Maker.
($5,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP; £200,000 2yo '17 GOFAPR). O-Phoenix
Thoroughbred Ltd; B-Jack Mandato & Hidden Brook Farm (KY);
T-Ali Rashid Al Rayhi. $50,000.
3–Last Voyage, 121, c, 3, Eskendereya–Shipboard Romance, by
Pulpit. ($52,000 Wlg '15 KEENOV; $90,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP;
$335,000 2yo '17 FTFMAR). O-Godolphin; B-Team Valor LLC &
Gaynor Rupert (KY); T-Charlie Appleby. $25,000.
Margins: 10HF, HF, HF.
Also Ran: El Chapo (GB), Roy Orbison (Arg), Daffg, Rua Augusta, One Season (Ire), New Arch, Doublet (Ire), Loyal Soldier, Roland Rocks (Ire), Blue Laureate (GB), Meqdaam, Racing Country (Ire). Scratched: Waqqad.
Click for the Racing Post chart. Emirates Racing Authority Video.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
