Godolphin's Ancient Wisdom (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) looks likely to use the Qipco 2,000 Guineas as a stepping stone to the Betfred Derby, according to trainer Charlie Appleby.
He said, “Ancient Wisdom won the Futurity on very soft ground and has been held in high regard from very early in his career.
“After getting beaten at Ascot he progressed physically, as you would expect from a Dubawi.”
Ancient Wisdom won four of his five starts last year, landing the G3 Autumn S at Newmarket prior to his Group 1 triumph. A return to the Rowley Mile for the first Classic of the season appears the favoured option ahead of the G2 Dante S., a traditional Derby trial, which takes place at York on May 16, just over two weeks before Epsom.
Appleby continued, “It's possible there will be slow ground for the Guineas, and we will take a look at that with the view that a mile and a half will prove his forte.
“If I waited for York and the ground was soft, there's not much time left until Derby to put things right should they go wrong, and it would be a more ambitious route to take.”
Appleby also issued an update on the unbeaten filly Dance Sequence (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), winner of the G3 Oh So Sharp S. on her second start last season.
He said, “Dance Sequence has done well. William [Buick] sat on her the other day and was delighted. We will take her to the Nell Gwyn and then the English Guineas.”
Charlie Appleby, runaway leading trainer this season at Meydan by both earnings ($8,915,500) and percentage of wins (40%) amongst those conditioners with more than a handful of runners at the meet, got his third winner on the Super Saturday card with LEGEND OF TIME (GB) (c, 3, Sea The Stars {Ire}-Kissable {Ire}, by Danehill Dancer {Ire}) in the Listed Jumeirah Classic sponsored by Arabian Adventures. His earlier wins on the evening came with Bold Act (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) in the G2 Dubai City of Gold and with Cinderella's Dream (GB) (Shamardal) in the Listed Jumeirah Guineas. All three of the winners are Godolphin homebreds.
Perfect in his three starts at Meydan, Legend Of Time emerged from the early scrum in an eager third and had to be hard held by jockey William Buick. Quickly settling into a comfortable spot against the rail with cover just behind the leading duo of Athan (Arg) (Orpen) and Musical Act (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), Buick bided his time with a clearly loaded mount until the straight loomed. With little visible effort, Legend Of Time tipped out and around Athan as Musical Act floated wide. Legend Of Time already found the front before Buick encouraged him with hands and heels and was a facile winner despite Musical Act finding more and briefly looking for a battle until Legend Of Time kicked clear by 4 3/4 lengths. Like the winner, Musical Act is a Godolphin homebred trained by Appleby. Athan held for third as none of the others factored at the finish. The final time for the 1800 metres was 1:49.83.
Legend Of Time has been steadily building his CV, having won his debut at Haydock last fall. Off the board when trying the G3 Tattersalls S. at Newmarket three weeks later, he was put away before reemerging in Dubai to win conditions events Jan. 5 and Feb. 2, going 1400 meters and 1600 meters, respectively.
“He's won the series now and probably 1800 metres is more to his liking,” said Buick. “He's an exciting horse for the rest of the season. The American Turf Derby series over there might suit him.”
Appleby's exacta in the Jumeirah Classic mirrored his success in the race in 2023, when he sent Naval Power (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}), One Nation (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), and Highbank (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) to fill out the trifecta. He only had the two entrants this year.
Legend Of Time is the 117th black-type winner worldwide for Gilltown Stud's all-conquering Sea The Stars (Ire). With the Jumeirah Classic winner, the remarkable sire of 70 group winners now has two stakes winners out of daughters of Danehill Dancer and an additional two out of daughters of that one's sire, Danehill. The late Danehill Dancer has 168 stakes winners as a broodmare sire.
Kissable (Ire), dam of Legend Of Time and herself a listed American stakes winner who also placed in the G1 Moyglare Stud S., is the dam of G1 Qatar Prix de Royallieu winner Loving Dream (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire}) and additional American stakes winner and Grade I stakes-placed Amandine (GB) (Shamardal). Her 2022 Pinatubo (Ire) colt died as a yearling and she produced a Night Of Thunder (Ire) filly last year. Her granddam, high class English runner Eva Luna (Alleged), produced multiple Group 1 winner Brian Boru (GB) (Sadler's Wells), global multiple group winner and multiple top-level placer Sea Moon (GB) (Beat Hollow {GB}), and the unraced Soviet Moon (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), dam of G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe/G1 Espom Derby winner Workforce (GB) (King's Best). Click for the ERA chart and video.
JUMEIRAH CLASSIC SPONSORED BY ARABIAN ADVENTURES-Listed, AED800,000, Meydan, 3-2, 3yo, 9fT, 1:49.83, gd.
1–LEGEND OF TIME (GB), 121, c, 3, by Sea The Stars (Ire) 1st Dam: Kissable (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire) 2nd Dam: Kitty O'Shea (GB), by Sadler's Wells 3rd Dam: Eva Luna, by Alleged 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. (150,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT). O-Godolphin (GB); B-Lordship Stud & Sunderland Holding Inc (GB); T-Charlie Appleby; J-William Buick. AED480,000. Lifetime Record: 5-4-0-0, AED795,989.
2–Musical Act (Ire), 121, g, 3, Dark Angel (Ire)–Poetic Charm (GB), by Dubawi (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby. AED160,000.
3–Athan (Arg), 131, c, 3, Orpen–Athania (Arg), by Pure Prize(GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Gulf Racing Club LLC; B-Carampangue (ARG); T-Fawzi Nass. AED80,000.
Margins: 4 3/4, 2 1/4, 1.
Also Ran: Quartier (Uru), Whathappensinvegas (Ire), Tohoku, Acclaim To Royalty (Ire). Scratched: Drink Dry (Ire).
CINDERELLA'S DREAM (GB) (f, 3, Shamardal–Espadrille {GB}, by Dubawi {Ire}) ran out a 5 1/2-length winner of the 1600-metre AED800,000 Listed Jumeirah 1000 Guineas, despite having her saddle slip approaching the far turn. Jockey William Buick kicked free of his irons and rode the rest of the race in what he described as a “bit of a rodeo show”, with the duo keeping straight and true to the line, despite being at least four wide off the fence. Godolphin claimed this contest last year when it was only a conditions race with subsequent G1 1000 Guineas heroine Mawj (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}). Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Geologist (GB) (Territories {Ire}) was second, 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Yamamah (Ire) (Masar {Ire}). The final time for the race over good turf was 1:37.62.
From the bell, the eventual winner, and 169th stakes winner for her late sire, appeared a touch keen, but raced just off the leaders as Nadalia (Fr) (Spanish Moon) led. However, when the field entered the turn, the filly's saddle slipped, not once but twice, and the quick-thinking Buick steered her to the outside of her rivals just past half-way. Drawing even by the 700-metre mark, the dark bay responded to Buick's direction despite the unconventional tactics and they motored home to win as they pleased.
Already a winner at both Lingfield on debut in May and Thirsk in September, Cinderella's Dream defeated Charlie Appleby stablemate Beautiful Love (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) in the Jumeirah Fillies' Classic on Feb. 2.
Out of the dual winner Espadrille, Cinderella's Dream has a 2-year-old Farhh (GB) half-sister. Her second dam is the G3 St. Simon S. winner High Heeled (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}), who was third in both the 2009 G1 Oaks and 2010 G1 Coronation Cup. This is also the extended family of crack distaffer Just The Judge (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}), who won a brace of top-level races including the 2013 G1 Irish 1000 Guineas.
JUMEIRAH 1000 GUINEAS SPONSORED BY EMIRATES SKYCARGO-Listed, AED800,000, Meydan, 3-2, 3yo, f, 8fT, 1:37.62, gd.
1–CINDERELLA'S DREAM (GB), 126, f, 3, by Shamardal 1st Dam: Espadrille (GB), by Dubawi (Ire) 2nd Dam: High Heeled (Ire), by High Chaparral (Ire) 3rd Dam: Uncharted Haven (GB), by Turtle Island (Ire) 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O/B-Godolphin (GB); T-Charlie Appleby;
J-William Buick. AED480,000. Lifetime Record: 4-4-0-0,
AED852,444.
2–Geologist (GB), 126, f, 3, Territories (Ire)–Parknasilla (Ire), by
Dutch Art (GB). (35,000gns Ylg '22 TATSOM). O-Eclipse
Thoroughbred Partners; B-Janis Macpherson (GB); T-Amy
Murphy. AED160,000.
3–Yamamah (Ire), 126, f, 3, Masar (Ire)–Bumptious (GB), by
Acclamation (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O/T-Ismail Mohammed;
B-Rabbah Bloodstock Limited (IRE). AED80,000.
Margins: 5HF, 1HF, 1.
Also Ran: Lightning Paradise, Nadelia (Fr), Kibo Misaki, Onigiri (GB). Click for the ERA chart and video.
Did that just happen?
William Buick lost his irons a long way from home aboard '
It is the G3 Winter Derby, so it must be time for the return from hibernation of the Clarehaven stalwart and late-winter specialist Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). Gearing up for his attempt at a fourth consecutive G1 Dubai Turf, the 8-year-old will be reunited with Robert Havlin who has partnered him in the last two editions of this prize formerly staged over 10 furlongs at Lingfield. Now at Southwell with an extra furlong added on, it will represent a different test for the high-class veteran whose probable limit is a mile and a quarter.
“We think he is where he was this time last year before the Winter Derby–working slightly better than the year before, when he was second to Alenquer,” Havlin said. “Lord North is an eight-year-old now and takes a bit of getting fit, but he seems to be bright in himself. From a fitness perspective, he will improve as he always needs this first run to get all the lights switched on, but he is the class act and we are expecting a big run.”
“He is quite an uncomplicated horse, as he relaxes into a race and it is up to you when to press the button. His optimum trip is probably nine furlongs given his record in the Dubai Turf, but he has run well over a mile and a half at the Breeders' Cup.”
While Godolphin's Listed Lingfield Derby Trial winner Military Order (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) failed to go on after that promising performance last May, the now-gelded full-brother to Adayar (Ire) showed form strong enough to be a major player here when second in the course-and-distance Winter Derby Trial Conditions S. in January. Possibly more attuned to the greater stamina test than Lord North, he represents a worthy rival alongside Prince Faisal's long-absent Eydon (Ire) (Olden Times {GB}) who is seen for the first time since finishing fourth in the 2022 G1 2000 Guineas.
“Military Order has definitely come forward since his last start,” trainer Charlie Appleby said. “He ticks a couple of boxes in that he has run well already this year over the track and trip. He should be a big player based on the pick of his three-year-old form and what he achieved in the trial.”
Ted Voute, racing manager to Prince Faisal, said of Eydon, “Andrew [Balding] has been pleased with him and was pleased with his gallop at Kempton. It's a pretty even field and they are all rated around the same figures apart from Lord North and we will see.”
