Star Safari (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) gave trainer Charlie Appleby his third and final win on the card in the G3 Dubai Millennium S. after the earlier success of Bright Melody (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the second race and Naval Crown (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the Listed Meydan Classic.
Removed from the early cavalry charge, Star Safari raced last bar two as Halimi (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) motored along at the head of affairs. He began to slowly take closer order 500 metres from home and launched a four-wide bid at the quarter-pole. Star Safari collared new leader Mailshot (Hard Spun) in upper stretch and then fended off the tardy rush of Bedouin's Story (GB) (Farhh {GB}) to his outside for a first black-type score. The winning margin was 1 1/4 lengths, with Halimi staying on for third another length behind.
“He is a pretty lightly raced horse and I really liked what he did tonight,” said William Buick. “It was a very straightforward win for him and he kept fighting all the way to the line. It might not be the best Group 3 around, but they are pretty well-seasoned horses and it was a good performance. He has had three runs this winter here, so I guess they might have one eye on the carnival next winter.”
A winner at Nottingham at two, he only made a single start at three finishing uplaced in a Deauville listed affair that November. Gelded and wwitched to Meydan, a handicap went his way last February, but he was benched once more until taking third in the Listed Zabeel Turf on Jan. 28. He returned to form with an 3/4-length win in another handicap going 2410 metres on Feb. 11.
Pedigree Notes
Star Safari is his sire's 74th black-type winner and broodmare sire Muhtathir (GB) (Elmaamul)'s 11th. His dam, who won twice in France at two and three, produced Star Safari as her first foal, and followed him with the New Approach (Ire) 4-year-old filly Invincible (Ger). Intimhir is a half-sister to German and Italian highweight Sortilege (Ire) (Tiger Hill {Ire})and French Group 3 winner Soudania (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), making her granddam the hugely influential Broodmare of the Year Sacarina (GB) (Old Vic {GB}). Other foals of Sacarina include the Monsun (Ger) trio of outstanding German and Italian champion and G1 Derman Derby hero Schiaparelli (Ger), his full-brother and fellow German Derby winner Samum (Ger) and their G1 German Oaks-winning sister Salve Regina (Ger). Another full-sister to that trio, the unraced Sanwa (Ger), has already thrown another German Derby winner and promising young sire in Sea The Moon (Ger) (Sea The Stars {Ire}).
Thursday, Meydan, Middle East
DUBAI MILLENNIUM S. (SPONSORED BY GULFNEWS.COM)-G3, $130,000, Meydan, 2-25, NH4yo/up & SH3yo/up, 2000mT, 2:04.01, gd.
1–STAR SAFARI (GB), 126, g, 5, by Sea The Stars (Ire)
1st Dam: Intimhir (Ire), by Muhtathir (GB)
2nd Dam: Sahel (Ger), by Monsun (Ger)
3rd Dam: Sacarina (GB), by Old Vic (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. (€200,000 Ylg '17
BBASEP). O-Godolphin; B-Gestut Brummerhof (GB); T-Charlie
Appleby; J-William Buick. $78,000. Lifetime Record: 7-4-0-1,
$238,302. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the
  eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Bedouin's Story (GB), 126, g, 6, Farhh (GB)–Time Crystal
(Ire), by Sadler's Wells. (90,000gns Wlg '15 TATNOV).
O-Godolphin; B-Dukes Stud & Overbury Stallions Ltd (GB);
T-Saeed bin Suroor. $26,000.
3–Halimi (Ire), 126, g, 5, Teofilo (Ire)–Vincennes (GB), by King's
Best. O-Rabbah Racing; B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Simon Crisford.
$13,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 1, 3/4.
Also Ran: Dream Castle (GB), Mailshot, Red Cactus, Lucius Tiberius (Ire). Scratched: Royal Marine (Ire).
Click for the Racing Post chart or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video.
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