dubai races
rayphil
Senior Member
did anyone catch the midshipman win today...just wanted to see how he looked..
rayphil
Senior Member
Comments
Godolphin’s U.S. champion Midshipman accelerated into contention on the outside in the stretch at Meydan Racecourse on Thursday and spurted clear to victory.
The day’s card also featured stakes wins by Deem in the Meydan Balanchine Stakes (UAE-G3) and Raihana in the Meydan United Arab Emirates Oaks, but Midshipman gave a standout performance in his return to sprinting with a convincing win in an allowance race.
Receiving star billing for opening night at Meydan on January 28, Midshipman tired and faded after taking the lead into the stretch and finished fourth in the Invasor Shadwell Farm Al Maktoum Challenge-Round 1 (UAE-G3), his first start since a third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) in November at the Oak Tree meet at Santa Anita Park. The four-year-old Unbridled’s Song colt would not be denied on Thursday as he rallied from off the pace, seized command 300 meters out, and rolled to a 3¼-length triumph under Frankie Dettori.
The U.S. champion two-year-old male of 2008 after winning the Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), Midshipman missed last year’s classics with a soft tissue injury to his left foreleg. With Thursday’s strong performance, the chestnut colt bolstered his credentials for a place in a race on the Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) card next month.
“We think he is a [Dubai] World Cup night horse, so we needed to get him back to winning ways. He ran well enough in the Al Maktoum Challenge and hopefully he can progress from this," trainer Saeed bin Suroor said.
Trainer Mike de Kock’s Raihana gradually reeled in runner-up Bikini Babe and scored by 1¼ lengths in the UAE Oaks. (video)
The Australian-bred Elusive Quality filly rebounded from fourth-place finish behind winner Siyaadah after setting the pace last month in the Gulf News United Arab Emirates One Thousand Guineas, but a perfect stalking trip under Christophe Soumillon was the key to victory on Thursday.
Raihana advanced to track Bikini Babe, who grabbed the lead 400 meters out. The bay filly overhauled that opponent in the final 50 yards for the win in 1:58.71 for the 1,900 meters (9.44 furlongs) and earned consideration to join stablemate Musir in next month’s United Arab Emirates Derby (UAE-G3) on the World Cup card.
"She is a lovely filly and we thought she would nearly win the UAE One Thousand Guineas, but nothing really went right in that race," de Kock said of Raihana, who is campaigned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Maktoum. “She has done it well tonight and will probably be back for the UAE Derby."
Prince Sultan Mohammed Saud al Kabeer’s homebred Deem earned the second group stakes win of her career by defeating Godolphin’s Aspectoflove by a nose in the shadow of the post in the Balanchine.
The five-year-old Dalakhani mare, who is based in Saudi Arabia with American trainer Jerry Barton, finished fifth in last year’s edition of the 1,800-meter (8.95-furlong) race. Deem ran on well for Olivier Peslier in the final 400 meters to overtake Aspectoflove in the final strides this year for the victory in 1:53.93 on turf rated as good to firm.
Deem won the 2009 Cape Verdi Derrinstown Stud (UAE-G3) at Nad al Sheba before finishing seventh behind Eastern Anthem in the Nakheel Dubai Sheema Classic (UAE-G1).
“Hopefully we can get her to World Cup night as we did last year when she ran a great race in defeat," Barton said.
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed al Maktoum’s Sabotage outbattled Age of Reason to win the marathon Dubai Racing Club Gold Cup by a quarter-length.
The four-year-old UAE-bred Halling colt covered the 3,200-meter (15.91-furlong) allowance race on turf in 3:29.42.