Meydan

Godolphin's royal blue silks were seemingly everywhere at Meydan on Thursday, as the operation swept four of the five Thoroughbred races on the card and both group stakes with Volcanic Sky (GB) (Street Cry {Ire}) in the G3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy and Star Safari (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the G3 Dubai Millennium S. The former was coming in off a win in a Feb. 11 2410-metre handicap score locally and gave his trainer Saeed bin Suroor and jockey Frankie Dettori a win on the card. The bay...

Turf races rule the day in Thursday's Dubai World Cup Carnival card at Meydan. Each of the quintet of races for Thoroughbreds take place on the grass, with the $195,000 G3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy Sponsored by Gulf News the crown jewel. Held over 2810 metres, the contest drew 2019 race winner and G3 Deutsches St Leger hero Ispolini (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) who anchors the Godolphin brigade. Charlie Appleby's bay has been seen on the racecourse only sparingly, and he was in action only twice last year with a staying...

Summer Romance (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) was named a 'TDN Rising Star' on debut when winning a Yarmouth maiden by two lengths in June of 2019, and she followed that effort up immediately two weeks later with a six-length win at listed level in Newmarket's Empress Fillies' S. Put away for the winter after finishing third in the G3 Dick Poole S., Summer Romance found last year's Covid-delayed G1 1000 Guineas to be a bridge too far at first asking, finishing eighth of 15 behind Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), but she...

Mnasek (Empire Maker), a $15,000 purchase by Al Rashid Stables at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale last June, continued to write her fairytale story at Meydan on Thursday, posting her second win from three starts and first stakes win with a facile score in the G3 UAE Oaks. A longshot 6 3/4-length winner on debut going seven furlongs at Meydan on Dec. 17, Mnasek had to settle for second, seven lengths behind Saturday's Saudi Derby contender Soft Whisper (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), after missing the break in the Listed UAE 1000 Guineas...

The Dubai World Cup Carnival continues at Meydan on Thursday, and the seven-race card is loaded with six stakes races-five at group level-a little over two weeks in advance of the Mar. 6 Super Saturday card. The G2 Zabeel Mile has been won the past two years by Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby. Per usual, the royal blue is well represented, and the 110-rated D'Bai (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) leads the foursome. The 2019 G2 Al Fahidi Fort victor was only three-quarters of a length back in second when defending his title...

Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) conquered all her rivals in the G2 Kyoto Kinen on Valentine's Day at Hanshin. Wearing a full hood, the 4-5 crowd's pick found a good spot in a tracking fourth one off the fence as Happy Grin (Jpn) (Lohengrin {Jpn}) threw down splits of :23.10 for the quarter and :47.20 for the half-mile. The field was well strung out due to the demanding pace, but pilot Yuga Kawada was calm aboard the 2019 G1 Japanese Oaks winner. After seven panels in 1:23.20, Happy...

1st-Meydan, AED82,500, Maiden, 2-13, NH/SH 3yo, c/g, 1600m, 1:37.16, ft. PANADOL (c, 3, Flatter-Arradoul, by Dixieland Band), making his racecourse bow in this spot, was not the quickest away, but soon established a half-length lead as the field exited the chute. Bowling along and doing it very easily, the blaze-faced colt's advantage shrank on the bend. He was challenged by Anbar (Bodemeister) at the head of the lane, but shrugged off that foe to win going away by 7 3/4 lengths. Endifaa (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) emerged late to be best...

Zakouski (GB) (Shamardal) was one of a trio of winners for Godolphin on Thursday evening, as he scored in the G2 Al Rashidiya over a grassy1800 metres. Covered up in the garden spot a few lengths off the pace set by Court House (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}), Zakouski enjoyed a dream trip while saving ground. Shaken up leaving the bend, the Godolphin colourbearer swung off the fence and tackled Court House just under a furlong from home. He clawed his way past that stubborn foe and went on to win...

Salute the Soldier (Ger) (Sepoy {Aus}) captured the second group race of his career in the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 at Meydan on Thursday. His win interrupted a Godolphin streak, as the royal blue was first past the post in three of the five races carded for Thoroughbreds on the day. The Alan Spence-bred settled in a tracking third as Capezzano (Bernardini) showed the way on the front end. However, Salute the Soldier sidled up to the pacesetter's outside and stuck his neck in front late on the...

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum's Dubai Warrior (GB) (Dansili {GB}) has shown an affinity for the all-weather surface--having recorded six career victories over the surface--and will attempt to translate that form to the dirt in Thursday's G2 Al Maktoum Challenge R2 at Meydan. Kicking off 2020 with a win in Lingfield's G3 Winter Derby S. on the all-weather in February, the John Gosden trainee finished fifth in Sandown's Listed Coral Gala S. over the summer before returning with a comfortable score in the Nov. 14 Listed Churchill S. at...

Mouheeb (Flatter) was a $400,000 selection at last June's OBS Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds In Training, and started out with plenty of expectation riding on his shoulders being a full-brother to the GII Swale S. scorer and GI Champagne S. and GI Malibu S.-placed Favorable Outcome (Flatter), and a half-brother to the listed-winning and multiple graded placed Bellamentary (Bellamy Road). Mouheeb got off the mark on debut on Dec. 18 in a Jebel Ali maiden before finishing a head second to Godolphin's dual winner Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in...

The 1800-metre G3 UAE 2000 Guineas is one of two group races on the third card of the Dubai World Cup Carnival, and drew a sextet of entries led by Godolphin's Naval Crown (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). The 104-rated bay, tops for the field, has never been off the board in five starts. Listed-placed at second asking at Ascot in July, the Charlie Appleby trainee graduated by 4 1/2 lengths in a 1400-metre York maiden on Aug. 21. His final two runs of the season were both thirds-in the Sept. 6...