Meydan's Super Saturday card likely provided more questions than answers looking ahead to Dubai World Cup day Mar. 26, but one thing that is certain is the status of Godolphin's Tryster (Ire) (Shamardal) as a leading contender for the $6 million G1 Dubai Turf after the 5-year-old gelding recorded another eye-catching come-from-behind victory in the G1 Jebel Hatta S. Coming off a similar-looking score in the G3 Dubai Millennium S. Feb. 18, Tryster dropped back to his customary position at the tail of the field as the South African Group 1 winner Ertijaal (Aus) (Hard Spun), returning the lawn after a disappointing effort in a dirt handicap two weeks ago, took up the running. Seven lengths off the lead rounding the turn, Tryster was fanned wide turning into the straight but that caused no ill effect. The bay stormed down the middle of the track, sweeping past the entire field with ease and winning eased down by William Buick, three lengths ahead of Farrier (Tapit), with Ertijaal sticking on for third.
The feature race on the card, the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge R3, went the way of longshot Special Fighter (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), with Keen Ice (Curlin) finishing seventh in his local debut. Last year's G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. winner Postponed (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) solidified his G1 Dubai Sheema Classic credentials with a win in the G2 Dubai City of Gold S.
Saturday, Meydan, Dubai
JEBEL HATTA SPONSORED BY EMIRATES-G1, $300,000, MEY, 3-5, NH4yo/up & SH3yo/up, 1800mT, 1:48.71, gd.
1–&TRYSTER (IRE), 126, g, 5, by Shamardal
1st Dam: Min Alhawa, by Riverman
2nd Dam: Saffaanh, by Shareef Dancer
3rd Dam: Give Thanks (GB), by Relko (GB)
(150,000gns Ylg '12 TAOCT). O-Godolphin; B-Herbertstown
House Stud (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby; J-William Buick.
$180,000. Lifetime Record: GSW-Eng, 12-9-0-1, $673,580.
*1/2 to Mutasallil (Gone West), SP-UAE, $245,357; and Ajhar
(Diesis {GB}), GSP-Eng, $122,071. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click
for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Farrier, 126, g, 8, Tapit">Tapit–Wild Vision, by Wild Again. ($525,000
Ylg '09 KEESEP). O-Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed Al
Maktoum; B-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC; T-Satish Seemar.
$60,000.[bullet ad=”gainesway-consigned-by”]
3–Ertijaal (Aus), 126, c, 4, Hard Spun–Alharir (Aus), by Jeune
(GB). O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum; B-Shadwell
Stud Australasia Ltd (AUS); T-Mike de Kock. $30,000.[bullet ad=”irt-shell”]
Margins: 1HF, 1HF, NK.
Also Ran: Harry's Son (Aus), Zahee (NZ), Earnshaw, Johann Strauss (GB), Prayer For Relief, Sefri. Scratched: Elleval (Ire).
Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.
Despite breaking his maiden on the turf as a 3-year-old in 2014, Tryster developed a reputation as an all-weather specialist in Britain last year after winning five straight–and six overall for the year–on synthetics. That streak included the G3 Winter Derby at Lingfield in March, and the bay's lone loss of the year came over the turf when last of five in Sandown's G3 Brigadier Gerard S. in May. He was given a holiday after winning a Chelmsford conditions race back on the all-weather Sept. 26, and connections were understandably cautiously optimistic putting him back on the lawn for the G3 Dubai Millennium S. on seasonal debut Feb. 18. Tryster promptly quashed any doubters with an emphatic last-to-first 2 3/4-length score, and he franked that performance Saturday. He will endure his greatest test to date when facing the likes of defending winner Solow (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}) in the G1 Dubai Turf Mar. 26.
“Obviously the Dubai Turf will be even stronger but, hopefully, they will go a better gallop as, over this trip, it should suit him better,” said trainer Charlie Appleby after recording his first Group 1 win in Dubai.
“This is a big team effort,” Appleby added. “The staff in England did a great job with him last year and those here have continued the good work. It is well documented the Dubai World Cup was the original plan but it was clear, in his work, he could not unleash his acceleration on that surface. He has now shown twice he certainly can on turf.”
When asked post-race whether Tryster is one of the best he's ridden, Buick said, “Yes. His performances last time and today were breathtaking.”
The rider added, “I just said to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed that I've ridden a lot of horses in my life that have a great turn of foot, but I've never ridden a horse who has a turn of foot like him and can switch on like he does.”
Tryster's winning dam, Min Alhawa, is a half-sister to G1 1000 Guineas winner Harayir (Gulch), and his third dam is the G1 Irish Oaks winner Give Thanks (GB) (Relko {GB}). Min Alhawa died in 2013.
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