By Heather Anderson
The margin was only a head, but a crafty ride from Mickael Barzalona saw the Night Of Thunder (Ire) filly Choisya (GB) (–Fragrancy {Ire}, by Singspiel {Ire}) spring the upset over Godolphin's Grade I winner Cinderella's Dream (GB) (Shamardal) in the G2 Balanchine at Meydan on Friday.
Content to rate in a stalking position for much of this just to the outside of her chief rival, the chestnut was sitting on go as Ziggy's Dream (Ire) (Inns Of Court {Ire}) carried the field to the 400-metre mark. Barzalona had Choisya fully revved for the stretch drive and she got the jump on Cinderella's Dream who had to split horses as that pair took over. It was a fierce battle to the line, but that earlier move proved decisive, with the Godolphin runner cutting back the winner's deficit with every stride to just miss. Easywithme (Ire) (El Kabeir) ran third, eight behind the GI Belmont Oaks winner.
“Today there was much more pace early on,” said winning jockey Mickael Barzalona, who made all the running in the Cape Verdi. “I was happy to sit in just behind the leaders. When we hit the straight, I asked her to pick up and she did so very well.
“It's always a huge advantage for jockeys when horses can be in different positions and today she won because she's very versatile.”
A winner of the Listed Snowdrop Fillies Stakes at Haydock in August, the mare tired to eighth in the G3 Atalanta Stakes later that month at Sandown. In September, she ran fifth in the G3 Sceptre Fillies' Stakes at Doncaster over 1400 metres prior to swanning home a five-length winner in her Meydan debut in the 1600-metre G2 Cape Verdi on Jan. 17.
Pedigree Notes
One of 61 stakes winners and 30 group winners for her Darley sire, Choisya is a half-sister to three black-type horses, with multiple stakes winner Pelerin (Ire) (Shamardal) the best of them with a pair of group placings in England and Italy. Severals Stakes second Fragrancy (Ire) (Singspiel {Ire}) has fillies by Earthlight (Ire) born in 2022 and 2024 as her latest offspring. This is the extended family of Wuheida (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), the winner of two top-level races, among them the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
Friday, Meydan, Dubai
BALANCHINE PRESENTED BY DP WORLD-G2, AED850,000, Meydan, 2-21, 3yo/up, f/m, 9fT, 1:48.78, gd.
1–CHOISYA (GB), 127, m, 5, by Night Of Thunder (Ire)
1st Dam: Fragrancy (Ire) (SP-Eng, $144,080),
by Singspiel (Ire)
2nd Dam: Zibet (GB), by Kris (GB)
3rd Dam: Zonda (GB), by Fabulous Dancer
O-Mohammed Al Nabouda; B-Rabbah Bloodstock Ltd (GB); T-Simon & Ed Crisford; J-Mickael Barzalona. AED510,000. Lifetime Record: SW-Eng, 19-7-5-0, $1,509,362. *1/2 to Pelerin (Ire) (Shamardal), MSW & GSP-Eng, GSP-Ity, $152,593; Base Note (GB) (Shamardal), MSP-Eng, $151,910; and Masarah (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}), SP-Eng. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Cinderella's Dream (GB), 128, f, 4, Shamardal–Espadrille
(GB), by Dubawi (Ire). 'TDN Rising Star'. O/B-Godolphin (GB); T-Charlie Appleby. AED170,000.
3–Easywithme (Ire), 126, f, 4, El Kabeir–Bella Ophelia (Ire), by
Baltic King (GB). (€6,000 Ylg '22 GOFSEP). O-NP Racing AS; B-Yeomanstown Stud (IRE); T-Niels Petersen. AED85,000.
Margins: HD, 8, 3 3/4.
Also Ran: Ziggy's Dream (Ire), Ultima (Ger).
Click for the ERA chart & video.
Wow!
and @mickaelbarzalon stun ' in the G2 @DPWorldUAE Balanchine Stakes #DubaiCarnival | @gainsboroughHQ pic.twitter.com/wDnY1jCmiA
— Dubai Racing Club (@RacingDubai) February 21, 2025
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