Dubai World Cup

The unusual trend of ex-British-trained turf horses upping their game when encountering dirt continued on Saturday when Matterhorn (Ire) (Raven's Pass) proved a dominant winner of the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge R3. The former Mark Johnston- trained 5-year-old had previously shown adaptability on different synthetic surfaces in Britain and he put that adaptability to good use to put up a career best, beating the favourite Military Law (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) by an impressive 5 1/2 lengths. Mickael Barzalona had an armchair ride on the Salem Bin Ghadayer-trained entire and, after...

The first Group 1 of the evening at Meydan brought a trifecta for Charlie Appleby in the Jebel Hatta with the class act of the field, Barney Roy (GB) (Excelebration {Ire}), claiming his second win at the highest level and his third victory since returning to training after his failed stud career. Settled towards the rear of the field by William Buick after jumping from the widest gate, the 6-year-old raced a tad keenly at times but made steady progress around the home turn, quickening nicely once switched outside to...

The G3 Burj Nahaar produced a most impressive winner when Salute The Soldier (Ger) (Sepoy {Aus}) routed the opposition to give trainer Fawzi Nass and jockey Adrie De Vries another major Middle Eastern win. The winner was having his first start on dirt but that proved no barrier to the 5-year-old, who looked a horse destined for greater things when claiming the one-mile contest. Heavy Metal (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) blasted from the gates but was being harried from the start to maintain a prominent position by both Ambassadorial...

Doug O'Neill's good run in Dubai continued in sensational style on Super Saturday with an emphatic display by Wildman Jack (Goldencents), who won the G3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint in a new stakes record time of 1:07.61. A strong tailwind doubtless helped the lowering of the previous track record of 1:08.24, set two years ago by Godolphin's Jungle Cat (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}), but this was nevertheless a dominant performance from the lightly-raced 4-year-old, who made almost all the running from a favourable low draw to streak to a 4...

Godolphin's triple Group 1 winner Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), third behind Maximum Security (New Year's Day) and Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) in last weekend's Saudi Cup, has been given the go-ahead by trainer Saeed bin Suroor to advance to the G1 Dubai World Cup on Mar. 28. A Group 1 winner in Germany and Australia, the 6-year-old Benbatl made a successful transition to the dirt on Feb. 6 when winning the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge R2 at Meydan, and he ran with great credit in Riyadh on Saturday when beaten...

Champion and MGISW Maximum Security (New Year's Day) appears unlikely to bid for a big-race double in Dubai following his win in the inaugural $20-million Saudi Cup over Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute). Before landing the inaugural running of the world's most valuable race Saturday, the Jason Servis-trained 4-year-old was best known for passing the post in front in last year's GI Kentucky Derby--only to be demoted. The Gary and Mary West and Coolmore partnership colorbearer was swiftly installed as favorite for the G1 Dubai World Cup Mar. 28--but speaking on...

The Hong Kong Jockey Club and the Dubai Racing Club have partnered to offer World Pool betting for Meydan's Mar. 7 Super Saturday card and Mar. 28 Dubai World Cup meeting. Overseas pari-mutuel wagers placed through partners from Australia, Canada, Europe, Singapore and the U.S. will be commingled into Hong Kong's pools directly or via Premier Gateway International (PGI) during the two Dubai meetings. This will provide maximum liquidity and stronger opportunities for customers. Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, the Hong Kong Jockey Club's chief executive officer, said, "The commingling development in Hong...

Frankie Dettori has been booked to ride Phoenix Thoroughbred and Khalid bin Mishref's Gronkowski (Lonhro {Aus}) in next Saturday's $20-million Saudi Cup and the Mar. 28 G1 Dubai World Cup, in which Gronkowski was runner-up last year by a nose. "It's an amazing ride to get," said Dettori. "I'm excited to ride him [in Saudi] for two reasons. First, he doesn't have to travel that far from Dubai and I think the track will suit him. It's probably the best dirt track I've ridden anywhere in my life. It's got...

2019's breakout 9 1/2-length G1 Al Maktoum Challenge R3 victor Capezzano (Bernardini) makes his first appearance of 2020 for Sultan Ali and trainer Salem bin Ghadayer in the 1600-metre G3 Firebreak S. at Meydan. One of three in the event for bin Ghadayer on Thursday, the 6-year-old gelding ran a puzzling 12th when favoured in the G1 Dubai World Cup at the end of March and aims to bounce back in this warm up for the inaugural Feb. 29 $20-million Saudi Cup, before a possible start in the $12-million G1...

A total of 902 horses, with 1,774 nominations between them, threw their collective hats in the ring for the 25th $35-million Dubai World Cup night card at Meydan on Mar. 28. Among the leading hopefuls are Japanese Horse of the Year and 2019 G1 Dubai Turf heroine Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}); America's 2019 Horse of the Year candidate and MGISW Maximum Security (New Year's Day); last year's G1 Investec Derby hero Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}); Hong Kong superstar and outstanding miler Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road to...

Tracy Farmer's Sir Winston (Awesome Again), upset winner of last year's GI Belmont S., is expected to start in Aqueduct's Jazil S. at Aqueduct Jan. 25. The Mark Casse trainee was last seen finishing 12th in the Woodchopper S. over yielding Fair Grounds grass Dec. 28. "The problem was I was trying to get him ready for the [GI] Pegasus [World Cup Invitational]," Casse said of Sir Winston's disappointing effort in New Orleans. "It's not easy to find a spot for a Belmont Stakes winner. No conditions. He's trained well...

Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables, Inc. and William H. Lawrence finished the year as the leading owner by earnings, while jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. and trainer Chad Brown not only repeated as the top earners for jockeys and trainers, respectively, but each established single season earnings records, according to final statistics released Thursday by Equibase Company LLC. The GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf winner Bricks and Mortar (Giant's Causeway) led all Thoroughbreds in North American earnings with $6,723,650. Owned, ridden and conditioned by the leading owner, jockey and trainer, Bricks and...