Dual Group 1 winner Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) has returned to full work and will take another crack at the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic in March, according to co-trainer William Muir, who trains with Chris Grassick.
The 5-year-old entire took the G1 Coronation Cup last year, and was fourth in the Sheema Classic this March. Second in defence of his Coronation Cup back at Epsom in June, he was last seen taking the G1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth S. by 2 3/4 lengths at Ascot on July 23.
Injury ruled out the bay from contesting the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, as well as trips to the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland and the Longines Hong Kong International Races in October, November and December, respectively.
Muir said, “He's back on track now and we're starting to get him ready for his Sheema Classic run. He started cantering back last week, he's moving beautifully and looks a million dollars.
“It's quite exciting to see him back up on the gallop as you know you've got another good one out there. He looks fantastic.
“I was gutted to miss those big races, but we had to do what was right for him and in the end we found he had something deep seated in his foot, which has now come out and everything is fine.”
Dubai will likely not be Pyledriver's 6-year-old bow, as Muir and Grassick are mulling starts over the all-weather.
“There's a possibility we could run in the Winter Derby Trial or the Winter Derby, depending how he comes,” Muir added. “I wouldn't set that in stone, but it's in the back of my mind.
“I know the Lingfield races are a mile and a quarter, but if he ran in one of those it wouldn't be the be all and end all–it would be more of a prep run before he goes to Dubai.”
Of the eight races for Thoroughbreds on the $30.5-million Dubai World Cup night, five of them went to horses owned, bred, and trained in Japan. Granted, $5-million G1 Dubai Turf winner Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) had to share his victory with His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Mohammed Racing's now-dual Turf hero Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), but that is cold comfort to other countries, who struggled to get near the winner's circle.
The night started out in much the same fashion as the Saudi Cup card in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 26 where Japan went four-for-six, with a Japanese victory, as Bathrat Leon (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) won the $1-million G2 Godolphin Mile, the second race on the card. Japan's G3 Longines Red Sea Turf H. victor Stay Foolish (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) used his Saudi prep as a springboard to G2 Dubai Gold Cup honours, and it was only in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint that the Japanese contingent drew a top-three blank, as A Case Of You (Ire) (Hot Streak {Ire}) surged away to win by 1 1/4 lengths, putting Ireland on the board.
Back on dirt, Crown Pride (Jpn) (Reach the Crown {Jpn}) punched his ticket for the GI Kentucky Derby with a 2 3/4-length score in the G2 UAE Derby. Red Le Zele (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), second in the 2021 G1 Golden Shaheen, once again completed the exacta in this year's version, as Speightstown ironhorse Switzerland belied his years for a cozy triumph. After Panthalassa's tie with Lord North, Authority (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}), who had also taken a Group 3 in Riyadh on Saudi Cup day, charged around the course in front for much of the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic, but as he gave way, countryman Shahryar (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) took over to lift the evening's biggest turf prize, fending off GI Breeders' Cup Turf winner Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) by a neck. Although the G1 Dubai World Cup went to Country Grammer (Tonalist), Japan still picked up some prizemoney, as the 2021 runner-up Chuwa Wizard (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) reported home third to cap a red-letter day for the island nation.
The Japanese have been aggressively upgrading their country's bloodstock from the highest tier of international racing and breeding prospects for several decades. They have now been well-rewarded on the world stage.
'Shah'king up the World Order
Already a winner of the G1 Japanese Derby, Shahryar (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) was one of five horses to represent his country in the $5-million G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic on Saturday. Just 2:26.88 seconds after the gates flew, he became the fourth Japanese winner of the 2410-metre turf showpiece and fifth individual scorer on the night for Japan, which has enjoyed some stellar performances around the world in the past few months. Stay Gold (Jpn) (Sunday Silence) landed the 2001 edition, and fellow top sire Heart's Cry (Jpn) (Sunday Silence) stamped his name on the trophy in 2006. The final former winner was international wondermare Gentildonna (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who accomplished that feat in 2014.
The John and Thady Gosden-trained Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) was only a neck back in second, a half-length to the good of the pacesetting Authority (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}), who denied Group 1 winner Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) by a short head.
Once the gates flew, Authority steamed up to take command, with Shahryar in that foe's slipstream and Alenquer (Fr) (Adlerflug {Ger}) sitting third. Pyledriver was also tucked in an ideal position hugging the fence a few lengths off of the leaders. For The Top (Arg) (Equal Stripes {Arg}) perched just off the inside behind the leader and Yibir raced dead last.
Freewheeling and in a relaxed rhythm on the front end, Authority entered the backstretch with the field well strung out behind him. For The Top kept Authority honest in the vanguard as the pack neared the final bend, and Burgas (Tur) (King David) launched a middle move, three deep.
A gap opened inside the final 500 metres, and pilot Cristian Demuro quickly gave Shahryar his cue. Poised to pounce with less than a quarter mile to travel, Shahryar let down strongly and began to eat into Authority's lead. Yibir, meanwhile, was winding up out in the centre of the course and what had appeared an impossible task, to get the boys in blue a winner on the night, suddenly seemed highly likely. Right as Shahryar grabbed the baton from Authority at the furlong grounds, the Godolphin runner unleashed a furious rally.
The Classic hero finally subdued a stubborn Authority and had enough left in the tank to just hold off an indomitable Yibir. It was very tight for third, with Pyledriver giving a good account of himself, but just losing out to the pacesetter.
Winning trainer Hideaki Fujiwara, who had saddled Vin De Garde (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) to a third-place finish in the G1 Dubai Turf one race earlier on the card, said, “This horse was a winner of the Tokyo Yushun, the Japanese Derby, and that is as good a race as we have in Japan. I was confident that he wasn't going to lose.
“It's very normal for him to get on his toes before he races so I wasn't too concerned and I had full faith in Cristian [Demuro] to handle the horse and take care of him during the race.”
Europe's greatest weight-for-age race, the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, at the beginning of October, is now the aim for the Sheema Classic scorer.
Added Fujiwara, “It would be a dream for me to take this horse to the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. It is the race we want to win and it would mean so much to be able to take him there. That is our ambition and our aim.
“It has been a great night for Japan and a great night for our stable with a first and a third. I am so proud of our horses.”
Said Demuro, “Before the race, I knew I wanted to be behind Authority as I knew he would lead. We were able to get a nice position just behind him on the rail and when I pulled my horse out in the straight I knew he was going to win.
“For a moment he was a little lost in front, but we felt Yibir coming and I always believed we were going to get there.
“It is amazing to win a race like this. Amazing also to win on a Japanese horse. They are showing they are the best in the world.”
William Muir, trainer of Pyledriver, said, “He's run a great race, travelled powerfully but probably didn't get all the luck in running, but I can't complain. I'm delighted for the horse and the owners and I'm looking forward to the season ahead back home.”
“It was a super run and he didn't get the splits at the crucial moments, but I'm very happy with him,” said pilot Frankie Dettori of the 2021 G1 Coronation Cup hero.
Lightly raced, Shahryar was a debut winner in October of his 2-year-old year, and returned at three to take third in the G3 Kyodo News Hai (Tokinominoru Kinen) on Valentine's Day in 2021. The G3 Mainichi Hai went his way going 1800 metres on firm turf that March, and he bested eventual Japanese Horse of the Year Efforia (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) by a nose in the 2400-metre G1 Japanese Derby on May 30. Given a break, he returned to be fourth to Stella Veloce (Jpn) (Bago {Fr}) in the G2 Kobe Shimbun Hai at Chukyo on Sept. 26, and his final start prior to his Dubaian heroics was a third to Japanese Triple Crown Winner Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the Nov. 28 G1 Japan Cup.
Pedigree Notes
The legendary Deep Impact's influence is still front and centre in Japanese bloodlines, and the winner is one of 54 Group 1 winners from the late Shadai kingpin. Shahryar is the second winner of the race after his paternal half-sibling Gentildonna (Jpn), who scored in 2014. Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) was third in 2021, and Last Impact (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) also filled that spot in the 2016 edition. Through Saturday, the son of GI Kentucky Derby hero Sunday Silence is responsible for 184 black-type winners, with 147 of them in group company.
Broodmare sire Essence of Dubai, best known as the winner of the GII Super Derby, GII Norfolk S. and the 2002 versions of the G2 UAE Derby and G3 UAE 2000 Guineas, has three black-type winners to his credit, as well as the graded-placed Unbridled Daddy (Scat Daddy).
Shahryar, one of five winners for his dam, is a full-brother to dual Group 1 winner and fellow Classic winner Al Ain (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who won the Japanese 2000 Guineas in 2017. The duo are out of the 2010 Eclipse Champion Female Sprinter Dubai Majesty (Essence of Dubai), who struck in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint that same year. She was knocked down for a cool $1.1 million to Katsumi Yoshida at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale and sent to Japan. The dam's latest foal is a yearling colt by Duramente (Jpn), and she was covered by Real Steel (Jpn) last spring.
Saturday, Meydan, Dubai LONGINES DUBAI SHEEMA CLASSIC-G1, $6,000,000, Meydan, 3-26, 3yo/up, 12f 11yT, 2:26.88, gd.
1–SHAHRYAR (JPN), 125, c, 4, by Deep Impact (Jpn)                1st Dam: Dubai Majesty (Ch. Female Sprinter-US, GISW-US,                                $1,509,243), by Essence of Dubai                2nd Dam: Great Majesty, by Great Above                3rd Dam: Mistic Majesty, by His Majesty
O-Sunday Racing Co Ltd; B-Northern Farm (JPN); T-Hideaki
Fujiwara; J-Cristian Demuro. $3,480,000. Lifetime Record:
GISW-Jpn, 7-4-0-2, $6,802,660. *Full to Al Ain (Jpn) (Deep
Impact {Jpn}), MG1SW-Jpn, $4,749,430. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*.
2–Yibir (GB), 125, g, 4, Dubawi (Ire)–Rumh (Ger), by Monsun
(Ger). O/B-Godolphin (GB); T-Charlie Appleby. $1,200,000.
3–Authority (Jpn), 126, h, 5, Orfevre (Jpn)–Rosalind (Jpn), by
Symboli Kris S. O-Silk Racing Co Ltd; B-Northern Farm (JPN);
T-Tetsuya Kimura. $600,000.
Margins: NK, HF, SHD.
Also Ran: Pyledriver (GB), Uberleben (Jpn), Alenquer (Fr), Hukum (Ire), Glory Vase (Jpn), Stella Veloce (Jpn), Dubai Honour (Ire), Dubai Future (GB), Without a Fight (Ire), Kaspar (Ger), Burgas (Tur), For the Top (Arg). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
The likely fields for the nine group races (one Arabian and eight Thoroughbred) of the $30.5-million Dubai World Cup night card on Mar. 26, were revealed on Thursday. A total of 32 Group/Grade 1 winners will take part in the Meydan showpiece.
Todd Pletcher trainee Life Is Good (Into Mischief), a winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S., anchors the $12-million G1 Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airlines. Fellow Americans joining him in the field are Grade I winners Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow)-who already sports a win over the surface in the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 earlier this winter for Doug O'Neill, and Country Grammer (Tonalist), while the multiple Grade I-placed Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) also takes part. The latter pair were second and third in the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup on Feb. 26, and are trained by Bob Baffert and Steve Asmussen, respectively. Last year's Dubai World Cup second and third, Chuwa Wizard (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) and Godolpin's Magny Cours (Medaglia d'Oro) have also signed on. Another in the royal blue is Group 2 winner Real World (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) from the yard of Saeed bin Suroor. Hypothetical (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), the winner of the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 at the beginning of the month and the second-place finisher Remorse (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), are also part of the field.
A field of 14 lines up in the $6-million Longines Dubai Sheema Classic, with a pair of Japanese Group 1 winner-Glory Vase (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Shahryar (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) representing the Land of the Rising Sun. Godolphin's GI Breeders' Cup Turf hero Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) for Charlie Appleby and G1 Coronation Cup victor Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) have also thrown their hats in the ring. Others in the Sheema Classic are William Haggas's Dubai Honour (Ire) (Pride Of Dubai {Aus}) and Alenquer (Fr) (Adlerflug {Ger}), while Owen Burrows will saddle G2 Dubai City Of Gold scorer Hukum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}).
John and Thady Gosden's Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) will defend his title in the 1800-metre $5-million G1 Dubai Turf Sponsored By DP World, but multiple Group 1 winner Lord Glitters (Fr) (Whipper) and a trio of Japanese hopefuls–Schnell Meister (Ger) (Kingman {GB}), Vin De Garde (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn})–will make his task difficult.
In the $2-million 1200-metre G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen Sponsored By Atlantis Dubai, American Grade I winners Dr. Schivel (VIolence) and Drain The Clock (Maclean's Music) lock horns with the Japanese duo of Chain Of Love (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) and Red Le Zele (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}). Another Japanese entrant, Copano Kicking (Sprint At Last), who ran fifth in the 2021 Golden Shaheen, has been withdrawn from consideration due to an injury.
On turf, the 1200-metre $1,500,000 G1 Al Quoz Sprint Sponsored by Azizi Developments sees three Charlie Appleby Godolphin colourbearers-Group 1 winner Creative Force (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Man Of Promise (Into Mischief) and Group 2 winner Naval Crown (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) go up against European Group 1 winners Emaraaty Ana (GB) (Shamardal) and A Case Of You (Ire) (Hot Streak {Ire}).
Classic hopefuls square off in the $1-million 1900-metre G2 UAE Derby Sponsored By Irwin, and Bob Baffert's GI Del Mar Futurity and G3 Saudi Derby victor Pinehurst (Twirling Candy) heads the field, which also includes the Saudi Derby runner-up Sekifu (Jpn) (Henny Hughes). The 1600-metre $1-million G2 Godolphin Mile Sponsored By Nakheel features last year's winner Secret Ambition (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), who is aiming to defend his title. The longest race on the card, is the 3200-metre $1-million G2 Dubai Gold Cup Sponsored By Al Tayer Motors on grass. Japanese trainer Yoshito Yahagi saddles G3 Longines Red Sea Turf H. winner Stay Foolish (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}), who will face the undefeated G3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy winner Manobo (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby.
“We are delighted with the strength of the entries for the 26th Dubai World Cup meeting,” said Major General Mohammed Essa Al Adhab, General Manager of Dubai Racing Club. “We have strength and depth across all nine races and it's wonderful to have so many different countries represented.
“We are also extremely happy to be able to welcome back a capacity crowd for the first time since 2019 and we hope that everyone will enjoy a superb evening of racing.”
The G1 Kahayla Classic for Arabians will begin at 3:45 p.m. local time, and the Dubai World Cup will take place at 8:30 p.m. Meydan Racecourse opens at 12 p.m., and tickets are available on the Dubai Racing Club website.
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.”
