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Irish-Bred Space Blues Proves For Godolphin In Saudi Turf Sprint

Despite a layoff since August, some 11th-hour rain and a minor delay to the start of the race, form rang true in the US $1,000,000 1351 Turf Sprint sponsored by stc when Godolphin's Charlie Appleby-trained Space Blues (IRE) asserted himself in the final 200m.

Ridden to perfection by William Buick, the compact 5-year-old son of Dubawi broke from barrier two and sat comfortably in the second flank as early fractions were carved out by Krispen (IRE) and Urban Icon (GB).

Always keeping an eye on the Allan Smith-trained defending champion Dark Power (USA) and jockey Frankie Dettori – galloping just ahead – Buick leaned the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest winner to the outside, joining Appleby stablemate Glorious Journey (GB) as they commenced four and five-wide rallies around the bend.

Hitting the stretch with a couple of lengths to find on the leaders, Space Blues accelerated nicely in the final 300m, overpowering last year's victor over the unique 1351m distance. The final margin was three-quarters of a length back to Dark Power, with a neck back to Urban Icon and Joel Rosario in third. The win was a bit of redemption for Appleby, whose Mubtasim and Glorious Journey were second and third to Dark Power in 2020's inaugural running.

Quotes:

Charlie Appleby, trainer, Space Blues, 1st: “Absolutely delighted with that. We knew he was a class horse coming into the race and he had a lovely draw. I could see (the ground) was a bit loose for him and our concern was that he might just spin a bit on it, but he's come back on the bridle turning in like a class horse and put the race to bed at the right time. He travels for fun, watching the race there. I'll be interested to see what William has to say because obviously Dubai World Cup night has to be taken into consideration.”

William Buick, jockey, Space Blues: “We had a great run through. He broke well and I didn't want to be too close to the pace. The pace was perfect. It wasn't too hot or too slow. I followed Frankie (Dettori) before the split in the straight. It was how I hoped the race would pan out. He was the best horse and I didn't want to go for any heroics. You'd imagine this would set him for the Al Quoz.”

Frankie Dettori, jockey, Dark Power, 2nd: “I had a good race. I got the cover and we ran pretty much the same race as last year. He ran well and I was delighted to have him back in great form. The winner is a Group 1 horse, let's not forget. There is just some water on the track, it still rides beautifully.”

Allan Smith, trainer, Dark Power: “Charlie's horse was always coming, but no disgrace for Dark Power. He ran a fantastic race and Frankie gave it a good run. It was pretty much copybook to last year. He ran a little bit with the choke out early on, but Frankie got him settled. He got into a nice rhythm around the bend and I was delighted with him. And good luck to Charlie. We'd done him last year and he's done us this year. We've been invited to the Dubai World Cup meeting for the Al Quoz and I suppose if anything that'll be his next move.”

Joel Rosario, jockey, Urban Icon, 3rd: “That was good – he broke well; it took him a little bit to get a position, but turning for home, for a second I thought he was going to go on, but there were strong horses coming at the end there, the first two. He ran good, though.”

Rest of jockey quotes:

James Doyle, jockey, Glorious Journey, 4th: “He ran a good race. He got a little bit restless in the gates so we started a little bit slow but we ended up being in a nice position. When Space Blues came past me I just struggled to keep tabs with him, but he ran well and it was a great result for the team.”

Adrie de Vries, Land of Legends, 5th: “I jumped well. I got on for the speed a little bit then I lost a bit of position. He came back good in the straight. He could do with a little bit further, he's a seven-furlong (1400m) horse. This was a bit short for him.”

Cristian Demuro, Momkin, 6th: “He ran good but he stopped a little bit.

Alexis Moreno, Krispen, 9th: “My horse had good speed but he did not finish well. The best horse won the race. Best of luck for everybody.”

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Space Blues Up For Turf Sprint Win

The favourite and headline act Channel Maker (English Channel) may have been upset in the card-opening Neom Turf Cup, but that was not the case 35 minutes later, with last year's G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest victor Space Blues (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) obliging at short odds for Godolphin and trainer Charlie Appleby. Stalking the pace just off the fence, Space Blues and William Buick sat on the heels of last year's winner Dark Power (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) down the backstretch. Space Blues had about three lengths to make up upon turning for home and he was briefly seamed in by his stablemate Glorious Journey (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), but when daylight appeared so did Space Blues, charging down the middle of the track to overhaul Dark Power in a well-timed ride and win by three-quarters of a length, with longshot Urban Icon (GB) (Cityscape {GB}), a now locally trained 320,000gns buy from the Tattersalls Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale last year, holding on gamely after pressing the early pace to be third.

The winner of his lone start at two, Space Blues picked up his first black-type win, with Urban Icon a neck behind in second, in the Listed Surrey S. going seven furlongs at Epsom at three. He built on that promise to be second in the G3 Jersey S. and G1 Prix Jean Prat and third in the Maurice de Gheest before season's end, and after kicking off his 4-year-old campaign with a nondescript seventh in the G3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint, Space Blues truly blossomed upon his return to Europe last summer. The chestnut went unbeaten in four starts, taking Haydock's Listed Spring Trophy S., the G3 Prix de la Porte Maillot and the G2 Lennox S. all over seven furlongs before dropping down to 6 1/2 for a career-best victory in the Maurice de Gheest over the dual Group 1 winner Hello Youmzain (Fr) (Kodiac {GB}). Space Blues was defying a more than six-month layoff to keep his winning streak alive on Saturday.

“Absolutely delighted with that,” said trainer Charlie Appleby. “We knew he was a class horse coming into the race and he had a lovely draw. I could see [the ground] was a bit loose for him and our concern was that he might just spin a bit on it, but he's come back on the bridle turning in like a class horse and put the race to bed at the right time.

Buick added, “We had a great run through. He broke well and I didn't want to be too close to the pace. The pace was perfect. It wasn't too hot or too slow. I followed Frankie [on Dark Power] before the split in the straight. It was how I hoped the race would pan out. He was the best horse and I didn't want to go for any heroics. You'd imagine this would set him for the [G1] Al Quoz [Sprint on Mar. 27].”

Pedigree Notes

Space Blues is the sixth foal out of the G2 Challenge S. scorer Miss Lucifer (Fr) (Noverre), who was bred by Sheikh Maktoum's Gainsborough Stud. Miss Lucifer's first foal was Godolphin's Shuruq (Elusive Quality), who ran at the Dubai World Cup Carnival for Saeed bin Suroor in 2013 and 2014 and won the G3 UAE Oaks, G2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1 and G3 Burj Nahaar before going on to take the G3 International Istanbul Trophy in Turkey. Shuruq has gotten off to a good start at stud in America, her first two foals being the Grade III-placed Javanica (Medaglia d'Oro) and the listed-winning and dual Grade I-placed Antoinette (Hard Spun), while she has a 2-year-old filly by Medaglia d'Oro and a yearling colt by Uncle Mo. Featuring under Space Blues's third dam High Spirited (Ire) (Shirley Heights {GB}) is the G1 1000 Guineas victress Virginia Waters (Kingmambo) and G1 Matron S. winner Chachamaidee (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}). Miss Lucifer has a yearling filly by Dark Angel (Ire).

STC 1351 TURF SPRINT (Cond.), $1,000,000, King Abdulaziz, 2-20, 4yo/up, 1351mT, 1:20.03, gd to fm.
1-SPACE BLUES (IRE), 126, h, 5, Dubawi (Ire)-Miss Lucifer (Fr)
(GSW-Eng, $193,403), by Noverre. O/B-Godolphin; T-Charlie
Appleby. £437,956. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Fr, GSW-Eng, 14-8-
3-1, £820,329. *1/2 to Shuruq (Elusive Quality), Hwt. Older
Mare-UAE at 7 to 9.5f, MGSW-UAE, GSW-Tur, GSP-Eng,
$484,000.
2-Dark Power (Ire), 126, g, 7, Dark Angel (Ire)-Sixfields Flyer
(Ire), by Desert Style (Ire). (€80,000 yrl '15 GOFSEP; 50,000gns
RNA HRA '17 TATNOV; 42,000gns HRA '18 TATOCT) O-Al
Adiyat Racing; B-Mr Guy O'Callaghan; T-Allan Smith. £145,985.
3-Urban Icon (GB), 126, h, 5, Cityscape (GB)-Fauran (Ire), by
Shamardal. (21,905gns yrl '17 TATSEP; 340,000gns RNA HRA
'19 TATOCT; 320,000gns HRA '20 TATOCT) O-Prince Faisal Bin
Khaled Bin A/Aziz; B-Minster Stud; T-Fahad Saad. £72,992.
Margins: 3/4, 1/4, 3/4. Also Ran: Glorious Journey (GB), Land Of Legends (Ire), Momkin (Ire), Avalina, Larchmont Lad (Ire), Krispen (Ire), Royal Dornoch (Ire). DNF: Captain Von Trapp.
Click for the Racing Post result. VIDEO.

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Options Open For Soft Whisper

Trainer Saeed bin Suroor is keeping options open for his Listed UAE 1000 Guineas winner Soft Whisper (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), with next week's G3 UAE Oaks and Saudi Derby both still on the table.

“She is entered in the UAE Oaks and also the Saudi Derby,” bin Suroor said. “She's in both races and we will keep options open. She is a good filly and unbeaten in Dubai. She won the Guineas Trial and also the Guineas under Frankie [Dettori]. She won both races really well and has come back good from her last race. We're looking forward to the future with her.”

Soft Whisper has not been worse than second in six starts and has won her last four straight. She took the UAE 1000 Guineas Trial on Jan. 7 by 2 1/2 lengths before winning the main event itself by seven three weeks later.

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Mouheeb, Naval Crown Headline Thursday’s UAE 2,000 Guineas

Thursday's second classic of the Dubai season, the Group 3 $125,000 UAE 2000 Guineas, has drawn a solid sextet, led by HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Jebel Ali Racecourse-based Mouheeb and Godolphin's Naval Crown. The 1600m (one mile) affair goes as the evening's third of six races.

Three weeks ago, Mouheeb valiantly battled leading local sophomore Rebel's Romance to a short head in the UAE 2000 Guineas Trial over this one-mile layout. On the merits of such, he is the co-favorite in this, despite his 95 official rating landing nine pounds short of Charlie Appleby-conditioned Naval Crown.

A well-bred sort for these conditions, the son of Flatter is a brother to Swale (G3) winner and dual G1-placed Favorable Outcome. He commenced his career with a one-sided win up the Jebel Ali hill over a straight six furlongs before closing resolutely in his aforementioned runner-up effort on Jan. 14.

“Mouheeb has trained well,” trainer Nicholas Bachalard said. “He had a tough race last time, but I think he's bounced out of it very well. It's going to be a tactical race with a small field, which is not ideal, but I think he will run well. He finished up his race well last time over this distance, so maybe if he runs well, we will consider the UAE Derby going forward. On pedigree, it looks like he's a miler, but sometimes it just depends on the competition.”

Naval Crown has more seasoning, with five starts in 2020, and is a son of UAE's top sire of winners, Dubawi, who has already sired Saudi Derby-bound Rebel's Romance and the winner of last weeks' UAE 1000 Guineas (Listed), Soft Whisper. An impressive winner at Yorkshire Ebor at third asking and a respectable third to Chindit in July as a maiden, he exits a pair of thirds in G3 company in France. His placing in the Prix la Rochette (G3) was especially flattering, as runner-up Sealiway went on to win the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (G1) and both he and the winner, Go Athletico, subsequently contested the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1).

“Naval Crown is a solid little horse,” trainer Charlie Appleby said. “We toyed with the idea of sticking to the turf, but his homework on our dirt (at Marmoom Stables) is very good. The question mark would obviously be the trip—it will be his maximum, this mile, but what he brings is a certain level of class off the European form and race experience. As a rule, he shows good gate speed, so he does tick a few boxes going into it. The question marks are the (Meydan) dirt and that trip, but there's only one Guineas out there and we'll have a crack at it.”

Appleby also gave an update on the barn's leading dirt sophomore: “Rebel's Romance is in good form and obviously the plan is for him to head to Saudi for the Derby on the 20th. He's done well since his run and we're looking forward to taking him over there.”

The remaining quartet in the Guineas is topped by one-sided maiden victor Meshakel, who is owned and trained by UAE's leading conditioner Salem bin Ghadayer and cost $640,654 at auction. The Ali Rashid Al Rayhi-trained pair of Zhou Storm and Grand Dubai—who have three local wins between them—must be respected in here, as well, while trainer Doug Watson starts good-looking Tapiture maiden Uncle Hamed, who has a pair of seconds from three starts and should appreciate the up in trip.

Zhou Storm sparked the imagination with a pair of smart victories over the Meydan surface, but failed to match strides when third in the Trial by seven lengths. Grand Dubai, who races for his trainer, wheels back on one week's rest after finishing 10th in the Al Bastakiya Trial over 9.5 furlongs. He owns a victory over this course and distance three starts back on Dec. 17. Adrie de Vries rides Grand Dubai, while Maxime Guyon, who recently brought his tack to Dubai for the remainder of the winter, rides Elbashir Salem Elhrari's Zhou Storm.

Al Rayhi said, courtesy of a translator: “They're doing very well. Grand Dubai is in good form. Zhou is doing well and won his two starts, but last time there was a strong pace in the beginning and he didn't finish. This distance will suit him, hopefully, and with a smaller field, which should help him to get his position and then kick like he did (in his wins). We tried to get Maxime to ride for us a couple years ago for the season, but it didn't happen, so when Connor decided to go back (to the UK) because of the lockdown situation, it seemed a good opportunity to give Maxime some rides, since he's here now.

“Grand Dubai has come out of his run last week very well and has shown he is happy,” Al Rayhi continued. “Coming off a race, we're coming in very easy this week, but he has not shown that he is tired. I think he will run well.”

Watson is confident that Abdul Mohsen Al Abdul Kareem's Uncle Hamed will improve over a course more similar to the oval he trains on at home. All three of his starts have come up the hill at Jebel Ali over a straight sprint.

“We're giving him the visor for the first time and I know there's speed in the race,” Watson said. “It's also a nice, small field and I think he wants this trip. I like our horse to run a big race if he likes Meydan and I think he will. We gelded him just before his last race and (jockey) Pat Dobbs said he's been a different horse since then. He's a neat little horse and I would love to see him run a big race in the Guineas.”

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