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Costa Appointed New Trainer at Jebel Ali Stables in Dubai

Australian trainer Michael Costa has been appointed as His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's trainer at Jebel Ali Stables in Dubai. The contract was signed in the emirate on Friday. Costa, who runs Michael Costa Racing, will continue to operate his stable in Australia for the majority of the 2021/2022 season and, after all of his horses and staff have been placed with new trainers and positions, will move to Dubai and take up his new role. The horseman will oversee sourcing a large band of racing talent every year. The best-known horse to race in Sheikh Ahmed's colours is the globetrotting multiple Group 1 winner Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), who has earned Group 1 wins in both hemispheres.

Costa released a statement via Michael Costa Racing's YouTube channel which read in part: “I went over with an objective mindset, but I was absolutely blown away by the facility, the horses and the people. The opportunity that was presented was far bigger than I could have ever anticipated. The facility itself is world class and I can't image there being a better facility and training establishment in the world.

“What the job entails is to take up the training operation and purchasing a large bloodstock band every year, as well as travelling the Carnival horses all around the world to compete at the highest level. After viewing the operation and meeting the lovely team at Jebel Ali, I had some hard conversations with my wife and family on what has been the hardest decision of my life. I've decided to take up the position of the head role for Jebel Ali and for His Highness Sheikh Ahmed.

“I'm extremely grateful for all of our owner support, growing a stable with one of the best strike rates in the country. This could only be done with the support of all of our owners. I'd also like to thank all of my staff who've shared this journey with me.”

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A Case Of You To Remain in Dubai For Al Quoz Sprint

Group 1 winner A Case Of You (Ire) (Hot Streak {Ire}) will remain in Dubai and target the G1 Al Quoz Sprint on Mar. 26. He was a distant second to Godolphin's Man Of Promise (Into Mischief) in the six-furlong G3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint at Meydan on Mar. 5. Gary Devlin's 4-year-old colt captured the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp on Oct. 3 and was a good fifth in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 6. He made his 4-year-old bow a winning one, with an easy 3 1/2-length win in a Dundalk all-weather affair on Feb. 11 prior to his Meydan second.

“He's good and we're very happy with him,” said trainer Ado McGuinness. “He grubbed up well after the race, he had a nice roll on Sunday morning. I don't know how we are going to beat the winner but we're going to try again.

“I suppose if the winner wasn't in it, we'd be hot favourite for the Sprint on World Cup night because we beat the third easy enough.

“It's definitely the Al Quoz next barring any mishaps. We'll see what we do then. We'll sit down and maybe make a plan for Ascot after that. The Al Quoz will be his first port of call.

“He's staying over there. I was out with him before I came home. He looks great and there's not a bother on him. He looks a million dollars in the sun.”

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Al Quoz Next For Happy Romance

The McMurray Family's Happy Romance (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}), who ran third in the 1400-metre G3 1351 Turf Sprint in Riyadh on Feb. 26, is pointing to the 1200-metre G1 Al Quoz Sprint on Mar. 26, according to trainer Richard Hannon. A winner of the G3 Hackwood S. last July, the bay filly ran fourth in the G1 Betfair Sprint Cup S. on Sept. 4 and tired to 11th in the G1 QIPCO British Champions Sprint S. on Oct. 16.

Hannon said, “Happy Romance ran a blinder in Riyadh. She has come back and is in good form and she will go for the Al Quoz.

“I don't really know what the plan is after that. We'll get her back and plot races from there. We'll see how she gets on in Dubai and once she is right, we'll look for the next one.

“I always thought she would get seven furlongs. She is extremely capable over both six and seven furlongs and that will give her plenty of options again this season. She is a smashing filly.”

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Mishriff to Skip DWC Meeting and Return in Eclipse

Prince Faisal's globetrotting multiple Group 1 winner Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) has recovered in good order from a last-placed finish in the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup near the end of February, but will not defend his G1 Dubai Sheema Classic title on Mar. 26. The John and Thady Gosden trainee will instead wait until the G1 Coral-Eclipse S. in July. Also, a winner of the G1 Juddmonte International S. at York in August, the 5-year-old entire was fourth in the G1 QIPCO Champion S. on Oct. 16.

Ted Voute, Racing Manager for Prince Faisal, said, “I saw John Gosden at Wednesday at Kempton and he said he was sound and great and he hadn't done any veterinary check-ups yet. He was on Warren Hill and everything appeared fine.

“He definitely wasn't himself in the Saudi Cup. Basically, most of last year, every time he ran in a Group 1 we did a medical check-up afterwards. He is valuable and he is pretty well insured, so we made that a standard practice. I think we are waiting to see if that throws any light on it.

“Looking at it, I think it was multi-factorial. He didn't break as well as last year and David had to fight with him a little bit. Every time you do that he hangs his head on the side slightly and says, 'Oh, I'm not sure I like this'. The track was a little bit deeper and he got some dirt in his face, and he wasn't used to that particularly. I don't think any one of those things beat him, but maybe a combination of all of them might have done.

“I can't pinpoint anything apart from what everybody else can see at this moment. I'm sure John will say something when he has run the tests.”

Voute added, “John did say he is not in any rush. We will try to follow the same plan as last year, so that would be the Eclipse next. We definitely won't go to Dubai. I say that, but last year we said we wouldn't go, then all of a sudden we went to the Sheema Classic.”

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