O’Callaghan Eyes Dubai Riches Before Moving To Purpose-Built Yard

Michael O'Callaghan is eyeing big-race riches in Dubai with half-brothers I Am Superman (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) and Fastnet Crown (Ire) (Hallowed Crown {Aus}) before making the move to a new purpose-built yard near the Curragh ahead of the turf season proper. 

However, the leading Irish trainer has said that he remains in the dark over his position with Amo Racing despite sending out Crypto Force (GB) (Time Test {GB}) to secure G2 Beresford S. glory for Kia Joorabchian's major ownership vehicle at the Curragh last season. 

Crypto Force joined the stable of John and Thady Gosden shortly after that triumph and O'Callaghan revealed that none of Amo Racing's horses, including Olivia Maralda (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), Crispy Cat (GB) (Ardad {Ire}) and Indestructible (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), have returned to his yard for the new season.

He explained, “They haven't arrived back yet. I'm not sure what the plans are with Amo. There was chat about Indestructible coming back but, with the way they move the balls around over the winter, I'll know more in the next few weeks.”

I Am Superman, who O'Callaghan sourced as a yearling and retains a share of, showed a high level of form for the trainer initially on home soil before being moved to Australia in search of better prize-money. 

Now in his second stint with O'Callaghan after returning home from Peter and Paul Snowden's, I Am Superman will be targeted at top-level races in Dubai and is reported to have settled in nicely at Meydan along with his stablemate and half-brother Fastnet Crown. 

O'Callaghan said, “I bought I Am Superman as a yearling. He won three races for us and ran well in the 2019 Irish 2,000 Guineas. I actually had him sold to Hong Kong later that year but he failed the vet for something obscure on an x-ray so we decided to keep him. 

“We brought him to Australia for the prize-money and decided to leave him out there with Peter and Paul Snowden. He'd been there for roughly two years where he racked up about a quarter of a million dollars in prize-money. 

“To be fair to the Snowdens, they felt they never really got the rub of the green with him either because, every time they felt they had him ready, the ground went against him. He was only beaten a short head in a Group 1 on his latest start out there and is from a family who progress a lot with age. I wanted to get a bit of mileage out of him myself before his form tapered off, which is why we got him back and are now aiming him at the big prize-money in Dubai.”

He added, “He's in great form. He got a break in Australia after his last run there. When he came back here, it was just a case of building him back up for Dubai. He's been to Dundalk for a racecourse gallop and he's ready to go. His first run will be in the Zabeel Mile and his main target will be the G1 Jebel Hatta on March 4. He may have a run in between but we'll get the Zabeel Mile out of the way first. If he got an invite for Dubai World Cup Night, we'd have to consider that as well.”

“Fastnet Crown is on the up and I've been wanting to step him up in trip for a while. He won his prep race at Dundalk last week and will start out over a-mile-and-a-furlong on Friday 13 and we'll take it from there. Both horses travelled over there well and they are in great form.”

Fastnet Crown will run in the colours of his owner-breeder Michael Smith, whose Fastnet Lady (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) is fast becoming a prolific broodmare. 

O'Callaghan said, “The two of them are out of Fastnet Lady, who Michael also bred. I bought I Am Superman off him and we got to know each other from there. He sent me Fastnet Crown, the half-brother, and we've a full-brother to I Am Superman here as well. The mare has been very lucky for him with her first two foals, I Am Superman rated 114 and Fastnet Crown rated 106, so she's a good mare and I understand that she's now in foal to Australia (GB). Michael has been to Royal Ascot, had a winner on Derby day at the Curragh and he's coming to Dubai as well. He's loving it and I'm delighted because he's a lovely man.”

Domestically, O'Callaghan has high hopes for Gozen (Ire) (Kuroshio {Aus}). A winner on debut at Punchestown last September, Gozen was possibly a shade unlucky not to win the G3 Staffordstown S. at the Curragh when forced to race wide. O'Callaghan has Classic aspirations for the filly who failed to sell at the breeze-ups. 

He said, “Gozen's first intended target will be the Irish 1,000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown over a mile, which we won with Now Or Never (Ire) (Bushranger {Ire}). She's done very well over the winter and, I know it's a cliche but, everything she did last year, she'll improve on it because she's a big, raw filly. She's filled out very well over the winter so I'm really looking forward to her.”

Recalling how Gozen fell through the cracks at the Tattersalls Ireland Goresbridge Breeze-up Sale last year, O'Callaghan added, “To be fair to Eddie Ahern, who consigned her, he always felt she'd need time but he really liked her. He just let her do a nice canter in the breeze and, for people watching on, it probably left more questions than answers. I remember seeing her and I wrote in my catalogue, 'lovely action but she only cantered; is there an issue?' 

“Funnily enough, Michael Shefflin, who is involved with Eddie, rang me a few weeks later to ask if I would have any interest in taking her for a month to try her out. He told me that, if I liked her, I could buy her privately. That's how it all happened.”

Asked if he was tempted to sell Gozen at any stage last season, O'Callaghan said, “There was plenty of interest after she finished second in the Group 3. Her form stacks up very well and you could even say that she was a little unlucky at the Curragh not to win. She will improve for strengthening up and I'd imagine the mile will be her minimum this season. She has a lot of natural speed.”

Seven of O'Callaghan's 15 winners in Ireland last year were recorded with two-year-olds. The figure was 13 from 17 in 2021. Few operators concentrate as heavily on juveniles as O'Callaghan and he has high hopes for the next crop coming through at his new base in Brannoxstown near the Curragh.

He said, “We have a lovely Inns Of Court (Ire) filly-a lovely shape of a filly. She's actually a homebred. I also have a nice Mehmas (Ire) colt and a nice Sioux Nation filly. They look to be nice two-year-old types and I like them. They've done plenty and were all broken in August. “They cantered away and have built their way up as much as they were able for. They'd have quickened up a couple of furlongs just before Christmas before getting a little break and starting back on Monday morning.”

He added, “We'll be fully moved into the new yard by the end of January. It's been a slow process between buying the site, getting planning permission and then the building. The gallops are fully finished over two months now so they will be nicely settled by the time they have horses on them, which is good. We've built the place from scratch and are looking forward to getting going there fully this season.”

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Dubai Carnival: Pair Of Unbeaten Fillies Top Friday’s UAE 1,000 Guineas

Godolphin's Real World is just one of several stars on the third evening of the Dubai World Cup Carnival on Friday, Jan. 28. The card features Group 2 and four Listed races.

Saeed Bin Suroor's 5-year-old heads a strong field for the Group 2 Zabeel Mile over a mile on turf. Beaten in four starts on dirt here last season, the son of Dark Angel was a revelation when returning to Europe, winning four races on the bounce, culminating in the Gr2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein at Paris Longchamp in October.

“He's a different horse to the one we saw finishing placed three times last Carnival,” said Bin Suroor, who won the Zabeel Mile in 2008 with Third Set and 2012 with Do It All. “He really strengthened up and matured over the summer, progressing from handicaps to Group company. He's been off the track since October, but we always planned to start him here, before looking at the Neom Turf Cup or the Saudi Cup. The G1 Jebel Hatta on Super Saturday could also be an option.”

Real World, the mount of Frankie Dettori, is joined in the race by two other Godolphin trainees; Path Of Thunder and One Ruler, both trained by Charlie Appleby, who has won this race five times.

They finished first and sixth in the Zabeel Trophy three weeks ago and Appleby is confident of another big run from Path Of Thunder, saying: “He kicked off his Carnival by winning a Conditions race over a mile, so now he's forced himself into Group company. He should be competitive in the Zabeel Mile.”

Of One Ruler, whose classy European form saw him finish sixth in the Derby at Epsom, Appleby said: “He had an interrupted run when finishing sixth [behind Path Of Thunder], but he's come out of the race well.”

First Classic of season

The card also features the Listed UAE 1000 Guineas, in which the unbeaten Shahama has scared off much of the opposition. Trained by Fawzi Nass for owner KHK Racing, the daughter of Munnings overcame a muddy track in the Guineas Trial on New Year's Day to win by 2 1/2 lengths and looks hard to catch here.

However, Swedish-based Irish trainer Kahlil De Burca sends out his highly-regarded Uchcaihshravas, winner of her only start to date at Bro Park in Stockholm, Sweden.

“Fawzi's filly will be hard to beat, but we think our filly is special,” said De Burca, who will be saddling just his second runner in Dubai. “There isn't much between them on the times of the races they've won.”

Race eight, the Listed Dubai Sprint over six furlongs on the straight track, looks like one of the toughest races of the night for Pick Six players.

It features a raider from Australia, with Adelaide-based Will Clarken sending runners to the UAE for the first time. He saddles Parsifal here, who will be ridden by Caitlin Jones, seven races after she partners He's A Balter for the same trainer in the opening six-furlong Emaar Dubai Sprint Consolation race.

Among Parsifal's rivals is Man Of Promise, winner of this race a year ago for Appleby, who also runs G3 scorer Lazuli.

“He missed his intended start a couple of weeks ago after spiking a temperature”, said Appleby of Man Of Promise. “I didn't want to run him at less than 100 percent as he's a horse we think can be competitive at the Carnival. He's back on song now.”

On Lazuli, last seen finishing seventh in the G3 Troy Stakes at Saratoga in New York, he added: “Lazuli has a proper sprint profile. We're starting him over six on Friday to see whether he can book himself a slot in Saudi or go for one of the later sprints in Dubai.”

Competitive renewal of Zabeel Turf

The 1 1/4-mile Listed Zabeel Turf, race five, looks very competitive and features G3 Dubai Millennium Stakes winner Star Safari for Appleby. The 6-year-old warmed up for this assignment with a good second over 1 1/2 miles to Dubai Future in the Listed DRC Classic two weeks ago and will be happier back in distance.

The card is completed by two more dirt races. The seven-furlong Downtown Dubai Cup looks like a good opportunity for Doug Watson's Mubakker to follow up his six-furlong win here last month, while recent course winner Law Of Peace looks to have strong claims in the Graduate Stakes.

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Keeping Rivals at ‘Bay’ in Cape Verdi

Looking for her first win since last July, Pevensey Bay (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) marked her return in style, closing with a flourish to earn a career high win in Friday's G2 Cape Verdi S. at Meydan.

A hair sluggish away from the gate, Pevensey Bay settled along the inside near the back early as Down On Da Bayou (Super Saver) raced to the front. The pacesetter began to pick up the tempo on the first turn while heading into the final 800 meters. Completely buried along the rail with the pacesetter still moving easily about two lengths in front turning for home, Pevensey Bay was swung out several paths wide for the stretch drive. Hitting her best stride midtsretch, the dark bay powered past her rivals and forged to the front late, edging Ascot Brass (Swe) (Juniper Tree {Ire}) en route to a 3/4-length decision. Wedding Dance (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) was a half-length back in third, ahead of Down On Da Bayou.

Returning from a lengthy layoff to win at Saint-Cloud in early July, the German-bred mare finished sixth at Deauville the following month before coming home fourth in Longchamp's Listed Prix de la Cochere Sept. 5. Packed away for another three months, she finished second most recently in the Dec. 20 Listed Prix Miss Satamixa at Deauville.

Pedigree Note:
Pevensey Bay is the sole winner out of Pachelbelle (Fr), the daughter of unraced Royalemixa (Fr), who is a full-sister to Grade III victor Right One (Fr) and a half-sister to Group 1 scorer Rouvres (Fr). With the victory in Friday's Cape Verdi, the 6-year-old becomes the 36th group/graded winner for Coolmore sire Footstepsinthesand.

Friday, Meydan, Dubai
CAPE VERDI PRESENTED BY CLUB VISTA MARE-G2, $180,000, Meydan, 1-14, 3yo/up, f/m, 8fT, 1:36.13, gd.
1–PEVENSEY BAY (GER), 126, m, 6, by Footstepsinthesand (GB)
1st Dam: Pachelbelle (Fr), by Anabaa
2nd Dam: Royalemixa (Fr), by Linamix (Fr)
3rd Dam: Riziere (Fr), by Groom Dancer
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (£240,000 Ylg '15
DBSPRM). O/B-Julia & Jonathan Aisbitt (FR); T-Hiroo Shimizu;
J-Olivier Peslier. $108,000. Lifetime Record: 17-4-4-0,
$196,780. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: A+.
2–Ascot Brass (Swe), 126, m, 5, Juniper Tree (Ire)–By the Book
(Ire), by Definite Article (GB). O-Stall Valley; B-Sigfridsson Tor
Harry (SWE); T-Niels Petersen. $36,000.
3–Wedding Dance (Ire), 126, f, 4, Invincible Spirit (Ire)–Wadaa,
by Dynaformer. (600,000gns Ylg '19 TAOCT). O-Godolphin;
B-Rabbah Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby. $18,000.
Margins: 3/4, HF, SHD.
Also Ran: Down On Da Bayou, Pessemona (GB), Silent Night (Swe), Stunning Beauty (Ire), Mnasek, Dalanijujo (Ire), Soft Whisper  (Ire).
Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

 

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Flatter Colt Stays Perfect In Dubai

Panadol was an eye-catching 7 3/4-length debut winner going a mile at Meydan on a non-carnival card on Feb. 13, and he employed the same tactics in his second start and stakes debut on Saturday by going to the lead and never looking back.

Breaking on terms from the extreme outside barrier, Mickael Barzalona had guided Panadol to the lead by the time they passed under the wire the first time. The advantage down the backstretch was three-quarters of a length while Speight'spercomete (Speightstown) perched three-wide. The stalkers began to close in approaching the quarter pole and the Uruguayan invader El Patriota (Uru) (Ecologo {Arg}) began to make up ground, but none of them proved any match for Panadol, who kicked two lengths clear at the top of the lane. Speight'spercomete bravely saw off the challenge of El Patriota to secure runners-up honours, but Panadol was ultimately three-quarters of a length the best.

Said pilot Mickael Barzalona, “He is the kind of horse we want on this kind of surface, especially in Meydan. Today he felt even greener than on his first race, so I really appreciate that he had a second run this season before going for the UAE Derby. He does the distance well, he has got some good talent, and we will see whether he is able to perform on [Dubai] World Cup night.”

“He has only recently started with us,” said Salem bin Ghadayer. “We had two options with him, either to go directly to the (UAE) Derby or give him one more run, just to give him a little more experience. I spoke with HH Sheikh Hamdan and his opinion was to give him one more run. The horse showed that he could recover well. We hope to carry on till the last goal.”

Panadol is out of the winning Dixieland Band mare Arradoul, and he becomes her third stakes horse and first stakes winner, she having already produced the listed-placed Backwood Bay (Girolamo) and Permanent Vacation (Elusive Quality). Arradoul is a half-sister to the two-time listed winner and multiple group-placed Ender's Sister (A.P. Indy), who produced the GI Forego S. and GI Albert G. Vanderbilt H. winner A.P. Indian (Indian Charlie), as well as the GII Indiana Derby victor Tiz Shea D (Tiznow). Arradoul and Ender's Sister are also siblings to Ender's Shadow (A.P. Indy), a listed winner and Grade III-placed. Arradoul has a 2-year-old filly by Alpha named Alarra, and was bred to Runhappy and Audible in the past two seasons.

 

Saturday's Results:
AL BASTAKIYA (SPONSORED BY ARABIAN ADVENTURES)-Listed, $150,000, Meydan, 3-6, NH3yo & SH3yo, 1900m, 1:58.13, ft.
1–PANADOL, 121, c, 3, by Flatter
1st Dam: Arradoul, by Dixieland Band
2nd Dam: Gold Rush Queen, by Seeking the Gold
3rd Dam: Fit For A Queen, by Fit to Fight
1ST STAKES WIN. ($180,000 2yo '20 OBSJUN) O-Sheikh
Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum; B-Chester Broman &
Mary R Broman (NY); T-Salem bin Ghadayer; J-Mickael
Barzalona. $90,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $103,479. *1/2
to Permanent Vacation (Elusive Quality), SP-Ven; and
Backwood Bay (Girolamo), SP-US, $107,000.
2–Speight'spercomete, 121, c, 3, Speightstown–Perfect La
Comete, by Perfect Soul (Ire). O/B-Charles Fipke (KY); T-Doug
Watson. $30,000.
3–El Patriota (Uru), 131, c, 3, Ecologo (Arg)–Patria Mia (Arg), by
Pure Prize. O-Stud La Pomme; B-De La Pomme (URU);
T-Antonio Cintra Pereira. $15,000.
Margins: 3/4, 2HF, NK.
Also Ran: Fire Group, Endifaa (GB), Grand Dubai (Ire), Mayehaab (GB), Effectif (Arg), Khatun (GB), Nayefah, Sharp Spun (GB), Leopardo.
Click for the Racing Post result. VIDEO.

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