Following their performances in the GI Dubai World Cup, beaten favorite Life Is Good (Into Mischief) and race winner Country Grammer (Tonalist) are on their way to WinStar Farm for a freshening before they return to serious training. WinStar President and CEO Elliott Walden estimated that their stay at the farm will last from 30 to 45 days.
WinStar is the co-owner of both horses.
Colonel Liam (Liam's Map), who finished ninth in the GI Dubai Turf, is also being sent to WinStar.
The heavy favorite in the wagering, Life Is Good, who is also owned by the China Horse Club, suffered just the second defeat in his career. He led for most of the way but weakened in the final sixteenth of a mile, which suggests that the mile-and-a-quarter distance was not to his liking. He finished fourth, beaten 2 1/4 lengths.
“I thought he ran well,” Walden said. “We were obviously disappointed that he didn't win, but it's not like he laid down and threw in the towel. He ran hard. I think the track was not quite to his liking. They ran a mile-and-a-quarter in 2:04.97. In the Shaheen sprint they went in 1:11 and change. Those horses should have gone in 1:09. The mile-and-a-quarter on this type of track was a big factor.”
Before the Dubai World Cup, the GI Metropolitan S. had been mentioned as a possible starting spot for Life Is Good, but Walden said it was too early to make any plans so far as his future racing schedule.
Closing relentlessly in the final furlong, Country Grammer, also owned by Zedan Racing, drew clear to win by 1 3/4 lengths over Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow). He is trained by Bob Baffert, the former trainer of Life Is Good.
“Country Grammer ran super,” Walden said. “We felt like that if Life is Good stubbed his toe he could be a horse that could win and that's what happened.”
Walden said that no races had been picked out as of yet for Country Grammer but listed the GI Pacific Classic as a possibility.
As for Hot Rod Charlie, trainer Doug O'Neill said some time off at a farm is also a possibility for the four-year-old.
“He came back in good shape and I can tell you that we have no idea where we are going with him,” O'Neill said. “He'll come back to my barn and then we will go over him and talk with the owners. He may get a couple weeks at a local farm to graze and get some sun on his back. He's earned it. I was elated with how well he ran. We were so optimistic going into the gate and then mid-race it looked like it wasn't going to be his day. Then turning for him, he came running down the inside and I got to the point where I thought he might win. It was a whirlwind of emotions.”
In a race for the ages that three horses deserved to win, the brave pacesetter Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) and defending champ Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) could not be separated and a dead-heat was eventually declared. A full eight minutes passed after a course-record smashing renewal of the $5-million G1 Dubai Turf before a stunned Meydan Racecourse audience knew which of the trio had emerged victorious in a desperately close finish.
Sparkling trainer Yoshito Yahagi, who was savoring his third win on the card, exclaimed, “We've had a lot of good luck today so we didn't think we'd lose! I've never known a wait like that in a photo finish.”
Then, the fast-finishing Vin De Garde (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) was declared a hard luck third despite being well in front just past the wire. His disappointed jockey Mickael Barzalona said, “My horse ran a very good race. We were unlucky.”
As the the eventual winning pair circled the walking ring with their connections anxiously awaiting the judge's decision, racing pundits marveled over whether they had ever witnessed a more exciting race in World Cup night history.
Under jockey Yutaka Yoshida, Panthalassa, a Group 2-winning entire in his native Japan who had never ventured outside of his homeland, bagged the early lead, set demanding fractions and gave his all while racing closest to the far side rail.
A pleased Yoshida said, “It was a very good run from my horse and he did all that I asked of him and only just managed to hold on at the end.”
Flanked on both sides by his Japanese-trained revivals, Lord North, a 6-year-old gelding who had broken the Meydan course record in last year's renewal when beating Vin De Garde by three lengths, benefited from regular rider Frankie Dettori's patience and a well-timed bid.
Awaiting the verdict, Dettori said, “I thought I was beaten on the line so I will settle for a dead-heat if it's available. He had half the year off, he almost died last year so to get him back performing at this level, it is a credit to the team.”
The winners stopped the timer in 1:45.77 besting Lord North's mark of 1:46.46 for the 1800-metre distance.
A poised John Gosden, co-trainer with his son Thady of defending champion Lord North, said, “That's a very fair result as we got ourselves in a bit of a Japanese sandwich there and those horses are so tough. They've been buying horses for the last 30 years or so and their investment is paying dividends, they've come here and knocked us for six–they've gone and won four races now.”
He continued, “I'm thrilled with our boy. He's been off for a year with a very nasty throat infection and we've managed to get him back in time.”
The 4-year-old Newmarket-based filly Saffron Beach (Ire) (New Bay {GB}), ridden by Hollie Doyle, finished best of the rest, 3 1/2 lengths behind the winners. Her satisfied trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam said, “She ran a great race. I'm really delighted. she's so tough and we'll have a lot of fun with her this year.”
If the race had a disappointment, it was the highly-regarded Japanese colt Schnell Meister (Ger) (Kingman {GB}), who crossed the line in eighth. His jockey Christophe Lemaire said, “He had a good trip in the middle. He didn't finish like I expected. He is better than that.”
The William Haggas-trained Mohaafeth (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) cost himself his chance when sluggish to begin. He ended up 10th in the field of 14.
The 2004 renewal of the race, then known as the Dubai Duty Free and contested at Nad Al Sheba, finished in a dead-heat between Paolini (Ger) (Lando {Ger}) and Right Approach (GB) (Machiavellian).
Pedigree Notes
The five-year-old horse Panthalassa was sired by Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), a world-class sprinter who won 13 of his 19 races and is best known as the sire of G1 Hong Kong Sprint winner Danon Smash (Jpn) and the redoubtable champion Almond Eye (Jpn), a multiple Group 1 winner in Japan and Dubai. His dam is Miss Pemberley (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), who raced six times in Japan without winning. Five of her eight foals have won in Japan with Dimension (Jpn) and Etendard (Jpn), a pair of Deep Impact fillies, joining Panthalassa as Japanese black-type performers.
Lord North, a gelded son of Champion sire Dubawi, was bred by Godolphin in Ireland. Raced by HH Sheikh Zayed bin Mohammed Racing, his dam is Najoum (Giant's Causeway), a Kentucky-born Godolphin homebred, who won two of her four lifetime starts and showed promise as a 2-year-old winning a seven-furlong race on turf and an eight-furlong race on Polytrack. Najoum is a half-sister to GI Blue Grass S. winner and former Kentucky-based stallion Bandini (Fusaichi Pegasus). In addition to Lord North, Najoum has produced three other foals with the horse Chronicles (GB) (Street Cry {Ire}), winner of a 10-furlong Irish maiden race as a 3-year-old, being her only other winner.
Saturday, Meydan, Dubai DUBAI TURF SPONSORED BY DP WORLD-G1, $5,000,000, Meydan, 3-26, 3yo/up, 9fT, 1:45.77, gd.
(DH)-1–LORD NORTH (IRE), 126, g, 6, by Dubawi (Ire) 1st Dam: Najoum, by Giant's Causeway 2nd Dam: Divine Dixie, by Dixieland Band 3rd Dam: Hail Atlantis, by Seattle Slew
O-HH Sheikh Zayed bin Mohammed Racing; B-Godolphin (IRE);
T-John Gosden; J-Frankie Dettori. $1,175,000. Lifetime Record:
G1SW-Eng, 15-8-4-1, $4,209,593. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
(DH)-1–PANTHALASSA (JPN), 126, h, 5, by Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) 1st Dam: Miss Pemberley (Ire), by Montjeu (Ire) 2nd Dam: Stitching (Ire), by High Estate (Ire) 3rd Dam: Itching (Ire), by Thatching (Ire)
O-Hiroo Race Co Ltd; B-Pangloss Y K, Toshihiro Hirosaki et al
(JPN); T-Yoshito Yahagi; J-Yutaka Yoshida. $1,175,000. Lifetime
Record: GSW-Jpn, 20-6-4-0, $2,888,474. *1/2 to Etendard
(Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), GSP-Jpn, $770,677; and Dimension
(Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), MGSP-Jpn, $1,030,766. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
3–Vin de Garde (Jpn), 126, h, 6, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Skia (Fr), by
Motivator (GB). O-Shadai Race Horse Co Ltd; B-Shadai Farm
(JPN); T-Hideaki Fujiwara. $500,000.
Margins: DHT, NO, 3HF.
Also Ran: Saffron Beach (Ire), Sir Busker (Ire), My Oberon (Ire), Alfareeq (Ire), Schnell Meister (Ger), Colonel Liam, Mohaafeth (Ire), Ursa Minor (Ire), Haqeeqy (Ire), Desert Fire (Ire), Harrovian (GB). Scratched: Finest Sound (Ire), Lord Glitters (Fr). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree of Lord North or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree of Panthalassa.
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.
Group 1 winner Saffron Beach (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) is targeting the G1 Dubai Turf on Mar. 26. Trained by Jane Chapple-Hyam, the chestnut won both her starts at two, including the G3 Oh So Sharp S. She resumed last April with a second in the G3 Nell Gwyn S. and was runner-up to Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) in the G1 1000 Guineas on May 2. Off the board in the G1 Oaks and G1 Falmouth S. in June and July, respectively, the Sangster family and J. Wigan colourbearer bounced back to take the G3 Atalanta S. at Sandown on Aug. 21. Her latest effort was a win going a mile in the G1 Sun Chariot S. on Oct. 2.
“She had eight weeks out at grass since her last run and she started trotting back yesterday with a view to getting her ready for the Dubai Turf,” said Chapple-Hyam. “I discussed things with the owners over the last few weeks. It is a very hard programme for the 4-year-olds early on and this seemed a good option before looking at some of the mile races back in the UK and other options abroad.”
She added, “We don't know if she will take to the travelling until you try it but I think she will as she has matured and grown up a lot. The track should be perfect for her. Her only time going left-handed around a turn at Epsom was a disaster but a line can be put through that run.
“Although it was going the other way when she won at Sandown it was achieved going around a turn. She should be fine as she is a well-balanced filly.”
