Salute The Soldier became the first horse to win two editions of Maktoum Challenge Round 3 (G1), rolling back the years in Super Saturday's $450,000 feature at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. The race is a prep for the $12-million Dubai World Cup (G1) in three weeks time.
Established as a dress rehearsal or a trials day for the Dubai World Cup card March 25, Super Saturday is the second biggest fixture of the UAE season.
Ridden by Adrie de Vries for Fawzi Nass, Salute The Soldier, an 8-year-old German-bred by Sepoy, was drawn wide in 10 and couldn't take up his customary front-running role, as First Constitution took the field along over the 2,000-meter (about 1 1/4-mile) dirt course. Off the home turn it was favorite Bendoog who set sail for home, but Salute The Soldier soon loomed large on his outside and wasn't stopping, powering to a two-length success, the 10th of his long career.
“We went fast and I was happy with my draw on the outside,” said de Vries. “I followed James [Doyle, on Bendoog] as he had, in my opinion, the horse to beat. I gave him a nice breather on the turn and he took him a while to pick up, but he seems to have a lot more stamina now and he made it look easy at the end.
“He wasn't the same last season, for whatever reason, but the team have done an amazing job to get him back to his old form.”
Rated 111 ahead of this race, Salute The Soldier's connections will be hoping for another invitation to the $12-million Dubai World Cup (G1), in which he finished fifth in 2021.
Go Soldier Go Rallies From Last To Win Al Bastakiya
It was a night to remember for owners Victorious, Nass and de Vries who 35 minutes earlier took the listed Al Bastakiya when Go Soldier Go came from last to first for a breathtakingly narrow success.
Turning for home in the 1,900-meter (about 1 3/16-mile) dirt event, prep for the UAE Derby (G2), it was Southern Artist and Ami Please who were locked in battle. When they began to tire, Mr Raj and Go Soldier Go swooped close home and the latter stole the win by a head.
It was a second win in the race for trainer Nass, who also took it in 2014 with Asmar, while his jockey was winning it for the first time.
“He takes time to get going, although he travelled OK,” said de Vries. “I was stuck behind beaten horses on the backside so then I had to rush him a bit, but he has plenty of stamina.
“Once he got out of the kickback he quickened up really well. I'll just have to ride him the same way [in the UAE Derby] and see if they go fast enough.”
Go Soldier Go, a Kentucky-bred son of Tapiture, is a graduate of the inaugural Dubai Breeze-up sale, having previously been through the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Alfareeq Repeats In Jebel Hatta
Also on the Super Saturday card, there was some more history in the Jebel Hatta (G1) (sponsored by Emirates.com) when Alfareeq became the first dual winner in the history of the race.
Trained by Musabbeh Al Mheiri and ridden by Dane O'Neill, for owners Shadwell, the gray son of Dark Angel beat well-fancied Godolphin runners Real World and Master Of The Seas in a hot edition of the Dubai Turf (G1) prep, wearing home British raider El Drama late on for a narrow neck success.
“[El Drama] took a bit of passing but my lad is nothing if not tough,” said O'Neill, enjoying one of his best seasons to date in the UAE. “He's been second on every start this season and he deserved that, but he dug deep for it.
“He was a little bit tricky when we first got him over here, as the training regime is quite different to France, so Musabbeh and the team have done an amazing job with him.”
Global Storm Leads All The Way To Win City of Gold
William Buick produced a front-running masterclass on Global Storm, all the way winner of the Dubai City of Gold (G2) (sponsored by Emirates SkyCargo), prep race for the Longines Dubai Sheema Classic (G1).
Riding the 6-year-old Irish-bred son of Night of Thunder instead of the withdrawn Rebel's Romance, Buick settled into an easy lead and his mount responded well in the final furlong to hold off stablemate Kemari by two and a half lengths. It was a good performance by the Night Of Thunder gelding on his first start since September and he gave Charlie Appleby a fifth win in the 2,410-meter turf contest.
“We had to work to get to the front, but he did everything right,” said Buick. “He relaxed well and when he picked up on the apex of the bend I thought it would take something decent to get past him. He was third in this race last year and he was third in the G2 Princess Of Wales's at Newmarket, so he's a pretty decent horse.”
“Charlie [Appleby] told me to ride him and he told me how to ride him, so I thank him for this one!”
Buick and Appleby combined for a double, winning the Ras Al Khor Stakes (sponsored by Emirates Airline) with Al Suhail.
Winner of the Al Fahidi Fort (G2) over this course and distance, Al Suhail didn't have a penalty here and made the most of an extremely nice opportunity. All the same, the performance was electric, lowering the track record in a four-length demolition job over San Donato, who closed well along the rail from the back of the field.
“I think that's how we all read the race,” said Buick. “It was a very different set up to the Al Fahidi but he showed his versatility there and when he gets a good even pace to run at he has a huge engine.”
Quirky in the past, Buick suggested that the six-year-old may now be maturing.
“Off his last run here and today, he seems to be taking things in his stride a bit more,” he added. “I know he's not a young horse anymore but he does seem to be learning.”
Al Dasim Captures Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint, Sound Money Takes Mahab Al Shimaal
Al Dasim looks a sprinter with a big future after taking his Meydan record to three from three in the Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint (G3), prep for the Al Quoz Sprint (G1).
Trained in the UK by George Boughey, the sole 3-year-old in the field traveled just off the pace early on in the 1,200-meter (about six-furlong) turf event and then had to stick to his task to see off the determined Miqyaas, who leaned on him in the closing stages. Nevertheless the winning margin was a convincing two and a quarter lengths, with Thunder Of Niagara third.
“It was a big question mark today against the older horses and we were unlucky to get a bad draw, but he stuck his head down and did his best,” said winning jockey Mickael Barzalona. “He had to perform today and he did that. Now he will have to perform in the Al Quoz Sprint against the best horses in the world.”
Barzalona completed a double, also taking the closing G3 Mahab Al Shimaal. It can take U.S. recruits a while to settle into life in Dubai but that wasn't the case for Sound Money, who cruised home in the prep for the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1).
Owners RRR Racing and trainer Bhupat Seemar already have Switzerland in the big race and now this son of Flatter will join him after a smooth win which saw him travel notably well heading into the straight. When Barzalona pressed the button, it was race over, and a two and a three-quarter length win over the same owner's Isolate.
“He's a very talented horse as he showed in the past in the U.S.,” Barzalona said of the 5-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Flatter . “He broke good and I had plenty in my hands during the run.
“He did everything very professionally. He's a massive horse so I think he will come on a lot for this race.”
Discovery Island Annexes Burj Nahaar
It was a good day for Seemar, who earlier saw his Discovery Island put down a marker for the Godolphin Mile (G2) with a grinding success in the Burj Nahaar (G3) , over 1600-meters (about one mile) on dirt.
Trained by Bhupat Seemar and ridden by James Doyle, the son of Dubawi, wearing blinkers for the first time, had five horses in front of him turning for home but got on terms just before the 100metre marker and was going away at the finish, beating Raaeb by 1 1/2 lenghts with his stablemate Royal Mews back in third.
“He's a horse with speed, but he makes you work for it as he's never the sharpest away,” said Doyle, winning this race for the first time. “He sees out this trip really well so it wouldn't surprise me if one day they went up in trip with him.”
Dubai World Cup Day will be the next time Meydan Racecourse stages live action. Nine races, including six Group 1s, are worth $30.5 million in prize money.
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