Tag: Fawzi Nass

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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International Trophy Is Just The Start For Bahrain

SAKHIR, Bahrain–Old habits die hard. Neil MacKenzie Ross may have been Clerk of the Course at Sakhir racecourse in Bahrain for the last seven years but even in 24-degree heat at 7am, the British ex-pat was easy to spot in the green wellies in which he doubtless completed plenty of laps of Lingfield when he filled the same role at the Sussex course.

“There is quite a thick dew,” he said with a defensive grin as he awaited the arrival of the 14 runners for Friday's Bahrain International Trophy for their morning exercise on the pristine turf track.

Just ahead of the horses, the chairman of the Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club, Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, appeared on course to greet the growing team of international visitors at Sakhir racecourse for the big race.

In just its third year, the early highlight of Bahrain's 27-meet racing calendar has been elevated to Group 3 level for the first time in 2021 and it has attracted a cast of runners from Bahrain, Britain, Ireland, France and Germany which fully befits that status.

There are few people more passionate about the development of horse racing in Bahrain than Shaikh Isa, the grandson of the King and a lifelong equestrian who also has horses in training in Britain. Following Friday's meeting, his focus will turn to the impending start of the new 10-race Bahrain Turf Series which it is hoped will draw similar international participation. 

“I was worried when I saw Neil's wellies this morning,” said a smiling Shaikh Isa at the draw for the International Trophy. “As it was in year one with the Bahrain International, it was a strong race but people I felt were just testing the water, and now I feel they have taken the plunge in year two and year three. The Turf Series is also going in that direction.”

Worth a total of £500,000, this year's Bahrain International Trophy has drawn four Godolphin entries from three different trainers. Charlie Appleby, fresh from his Breeders' Cup treble and en route to being crowned champion trainer in Britain for the first time, fields two of those, the current favourite Zakouski (GB) (Shamardal), winner last month of the listed Ben Marshall S. on his first start for 261 days, and the 7-year-old four-time Group 1 winner Barney Roy (GB) (Excelebration {Ire}). The latter notched the first of those top-level wins at three in the St James's Palace S. when trained by Richard Hannon and, following a stud stint shelved through infertility, he joined Appleby's stable in  2019 and added a trio of Group 1s to his record last year in Dubai and Germany. 

Godolphin's French-trained Magny Cours (Medaglia d'Oro) is currently second-favourite for the 10-furlong contest on the back of some consistent performances this season, including a last-start win in the G3 Prix Perth and a third-place finish in the Dubai World Cup in March. The 6-year-old, who will carry the red cap from stall 10, is set to become the first runner for Andre Fabre in Bahrain. The quartet in the royal blue is completed by the Saeed Bin Suroor-trained Dubai Future (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who is the mount of Frankie Dettori. 

The betting may suggest otherwise, but the fan favourite for Friday's main event is the Turnbull family's striking grey Lord Glitters (Fr) (Whipper). The popular 8-year-old was last seen in winning action in the G1 Jebel Hatta in March but appears to retain plenty of enthusiasm. His trainer David O'Meara and jockey Jason Watson arrived in Bahrain on Tuesday evening, and Watson was aboard Lord Glitters as he pranced to the track in the company of Fev Rover (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}) some 12 hours later.

“He's an older horse now but the ability is still there and he thrives out in this part of the world with the heat in his joints,” said O'Meara after drawing gate 12 for his dual Group 1 winner. 

Fellow Yorkshire-based Fev Rover is one of two 3-year-old fillies in the field and her trainer Richard Fahey has also made the trip to Bahrain. He fared better at the draw with stall four for the Nick Bradley Racing-owned filly who was third in the 1000 Guineas.

“I'm delighted to get the opportunity to run this filly over a mile and a quarter on quick ground,” said Fahey, who added with a laugh, “I've been trying to find quick ground all season in Europe and every time I've entered her it's rained all week, so I'm just warning everyone it's probably going to rain heavily tomorrow in Bahrain.”

German trainer Andreas Suborics has recently taken over the training of Penja (Fr) (Camelot {GB}) from Jean-Claude Rouget after the Group 3 winner sold for €1.2 million to Jurgen Sartori at the Arqana Arc Sale. The 3-year-old will be reunited on Friday with Cristian Demuro, who has ridden her in all five starts in France this season. 

“She only arrived in my stable six weeks ago but she arrived in perfect condition,” said Suborics of Penja after drawing stall eight. “I couldn't be happier than I am with her at the moment. She had a good, fresh canter this morning and we have a good gate number. She will love the fast ground and there's nowhere else we can find good ground at this time of the year so everything is positive so far. Of course as a 3-year-old it is not easy to run against these older, experienced group horses but we are confident that she will perform well and if she is in the first four we will be happy.”

Ireland is represented by the Jessica Harrington-trained Cadillac (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), who was ridden by Shane Foley during an easy canter on the turf and who has Richie and Emma Galway and Patrick Cooper among his support crew in Bahrain this week.

Pogo (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}) and Victory Chime (Ire) (Campanologist) boost the British challenge, representing the stables of Charlie Hills and Ralph Beckett respectively, while a strong local defence will be launched by leading Bahrain trainer Fawzi Nass, who won last year's International Trophy with Simsir (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}).

The leading light from Nass's trio of runners appears to be his recent recruit Emperor Of The Sun (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the 4-year-old half-brother to Zoustar (Aus) who was previously trained by Donnacha O'Brien.

“I've only had him for a few days–for the last six weeks he has been with John O'Donoghue in Ireland so we have only got to see him here for the last five or six days but he seems fine,” said Nass, who will also saddle Naamoos (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and Qaader (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), while his compatriot A Jaleel Al Mallah fields the outsider What A Welcome (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}).

It is clear that the team behind racing in the Kingdom of Bahrain has its sights set on bigger things to come, starting with the launch of the £550,000 Turf Series on Dec. 10. But for now, International Pattern recognition is a source of satisfaction for Shaikh Isa.

“It's been three years in the works now and we now have our Group 3 status but we need to build on that,” he said. “We won't stop at just one Group 3.”

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Classical Wave Sells For 240,000 Guineas At Tattersalls Online May 25th Sale

The fourth Tattersalls Online Sale continued the success of earlier editions with the 240,000 guineas sale of Classical Wave representing a record price for a colt/gelding in training on the Tattersalls Online platform.

A total of 19 lots sold for 493,800 guineas at the Tattersalls Online May 25th Sale with the number of registered bidders increasing by 29 percent on the previous online sale with buyers from as far afield as Bahrain, Italy and the UAE.

The Peter Charalambous trained Classical Wave was the star attraction on the online sale following two victories and two seconds from his last four starts. Rated 103 by 'Timeform' the son of Gleneagles is from a classic Juddmonte family and is a half-brother to the Classic-placed Weekender and the listed-placed Media Stream. His sale price of 240,000 guineas is second only to the £420,000 given for West End Girl on the Tattersalls Online platform.

Successful purchaser Oliver St Lawrence commented; “He's been purchased on behalf of Fawzi Nass with the Bahrain International and the King's Cup next year in mind. He looks a progressive horse and he may have a run or two in Britain over the summer.

On using the online platform he added; “It's the first time I've used Tattersalls Online and I found the whole process very easy and efficient.”

The second highest price for the sale was 75,000 guineas for the high-class National Hunt mare Vegas Blue who was knocked down to Coolmara Stables' Kieran Mariga. The 6-year-old daughter of Getaway was the winner of a listed National Hunt Flat race at Huntingdon for Nicky Henderson and owners Crimbourne Bloodstock. She is out of a half-sister to the five-time Grade 1 winner Bellshill and was offered in foal to Nathaniel.

Successful purchaser Kieran Mariga said;

“The mare was bred a mile away from us and has a good pedigree with siblings including a full-brother to come. She's obviously a Listed winner which we try to buy and I thought her cover by Nathaniel was a great cover and am delighted with our purchase.”

Regarding the Tattersalls Online platform, Mariga added;

“I was really impressed with the online sale process, although the heart rate was up in the last five minutes. Tattersalls and Jamie Codd and the vendors were all excellent in providing information and updates about the sale and I have confidence that the system is very fair. I am delighted.”

Trainer Andrew Balding consigned three lots to the sale and the Park House Stables draft realized 53,000 guineas. He commented; “I'm delighted to have supported the online sale and am so pleased with the results achieved. The Tattersalls Online platform represents a cost-effective and easy way to sell horses and I will continue to support it.”

After the conclusion of the Tattersalls Online May 25th Sale, Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony commented;
“The Tattersalls Online platform continues to grow with a new record for a colt/gelding in training of 240,000 guineas for Classical Wave and a head-to head battle between Middle Eastern and Australian interests. The number of interested bidders continues to increase as does the quality and quantity of the horses on offer. This is only the fourth Tattersalls Online Sale and the positive response from both vendors and purchasers is encouraging for the future development of Tattersalls Online Sales which have already clearly demonstrated their appeal to domestic and international buyers.”

The next two sales scheduled to take place on the Tattersalls Online platform are on June 29 and Aug. 17.

The June 29 sale takes place just ten days after Royal Ascot and provides an ideal option to bring a horse to market following the completion of the Royal Meeting. The sale is open to all stock including flat and National Hunt performers. Further dates for Tattersalls Online sales will be announced in due course.

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Gun Runner Colt Tops OBS Spring Sale’s Opening Session

Hip No. 118, a son of Gun Runner consigned by Eisaman Equine, Agent, went to Donato Lanni, Agent for Michael Lund Petersen, for $850,000 to top the first session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's 2021 Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.

The gray or roan colt, whose eighth in :10 flat was co-fastest at the distance at Monday's under tack session, is out of graded stakes placed stakes winner Salamera, by Successful Appeal, a half sister to champion Vivaldi Girl.

Hip No. 185, a son of Distorted Humor who breezed an eighth in :10 1/5 on Monday, was sold to Spendthrift Farm LLC / Myracehorse.com for $550,000. The bay colt, consigned by Mayberry Farm, Agent, is out of grade one stakes placed Silverpocketsfull, by Indian Charlie, a daughter of graded stakes placed stakes winner Unforgotten.

Maverick Racing / CMNWLTH paid $550,000 for Hip No. 297, a son of Midnight Storm consigned by Woodford Thoroughbreds, Agent. The dark bay or brown colt, who breezed a quarter on Tuesday in :20 4/5, is out of Tasunke, by Indian Charlie, from the family of Grade 1 winner Tap to Music.

Hip No. 44, a daughter of Munnings consigned by Eddie Woods, Agent, was sold to Fawzi Nass for $425,000. The bay filly, who turned in an under tack quarter in :21 flat on Monday, is a half sister to twice-champion and Preakness Stakes winner Lookin At Lucky out of Private Feeling, by Belong to Me.

Hip No. 104, a son of Noble Bird consigned by Ocala Stud, Agent, was sold for $400,000 to West Bloodstock, Agent for Robert E. and Lawana Low. The chestnut colt, who breezed a quarter on Monday in :20 4/5, is out of stakes winner Rosebud's Ridge, by Tiger Ridge, a half sister to the dam of graded stakes winning millionaire OBS graduate C Z's Rocket, winner of the recent Grade 3 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap at Oaklawn Park.

Hip No. 262, a son of Twirling Candy consigned by Grassroots Training & Sales LLC, was sold to Nicoma Bloodstock / Ben Gowans, Agent for $375,000. The dark bay or brown colt, whose eighth in :9 4/5 was co-fastest at the distance on Tuesday, is out of Sumlin, by Eskendereya, a daughter of graded stakes placed Visavis.

Solis / Litt went to $360,000 for Hip No. 132, a daughter of Valiant Minister consigned by Coastal Equine LLC (Jesse Hoppel), Agent. The dark bay or brown filly, who worked a quarter in :20 4/5 at Monday's Under Tack session, is out of stakes winner Savingtime, by Kantharos, from the family of champion Blushing Katy,

Hip No. 202, a son of Cairo Prince consigned by Randy Miles, Agent, was purchased by John Ballantyne / N B S Stable for $335,000. The gray or roan colt, who breezed an eighth in :10 1/5, is out of Smart 'n Special, by Smart Strike, a full sister to Grade 1 winner Shadow Cast.

For the day, 181 horses brought a total of $17,829,500 compared with 154 selling for a total of $13,209,500 at last year's opening session. The average price was $98,506, up 14.9 percent compared to $85,776 in 2020 while the median price was $50,000, compared with $46,000 a year ago. The buyback percentage was 19.5 percent; it was 19.8 percent last year.

The Spring Sale continues Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. Hip No.'s 305 – 608 will be offered for sale.

To view Tuesday's full results, click here.

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