Tag: G2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1

Shamardal’s Algiers Impressive In Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1

Algiers (Ire) (Shamardal) stormed to an impressive 6 1/2-length victory in the $250,000 G2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1 Presented by Zabeel Feed on Friday to add an exclamation point to the opening card of the Dubai World Cup Carnival.

Already a group winner after taking the G3 Jebel Ali Mile last term, the 6-year-old entire punched the breeze out wide as Golden Goal (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) battled Capezzano (Bernardini) for the backstretch run. In a good rhythm, although at least six deep on the bend, Algiers edged up to make it a line of four 600 metres out, and slingshotted past foes with abandon to seize the advantage just before the quarter-pole. From there it was only a matter of how far, with Discovery Island (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) making up ground to take second, with Everfast (Take Charge Indy) another 2 1/2 lengths behind.

“All credit to Algiers, he was really tough out there,” said co-winning trainer Simon Crisford. “We wondered beforehand if he'd had enough match practice on this surface against these horses, but he's handled it really well.”

“He's won over 10 1/2f (2100metres) at York and in France so he should get it,” he added of the Dubai World Cup distance. “He will be in the World Cup, he's also in the big race in Saudi [at the end of February], and we'll look at the next leg of the Maktoum Challenge too.”

Said Doyle, who was riding his 99th UAE winner, “The draw (11) was always a worry and I had to go four or five wide around the turn, giving away ground, but he's shown again he's a good horse.”

Successful in a Saint-Cloud listed affair back in September of 2020 and at the same tier at Compiegne in June of 2021, he placed in a pair of French Group 3s later that season. Sent to Dubai, he landed his first group race in his second start in the desert, by 1 1/2 lengths in the G3 Jebel Ali Mile in February. Unplaced in the G2 Godolphin Mile on Dubai World Cup night, Algiers made a winning return in a 1 mile 1 1/2f handicap at York, but he tired to sixth in the Listed James Seymour S. at Newmarket after being carried left on Oct. 29. However, he warmed up for this tour-de-force with a very narrow second to  Missed The Cut (Quality Road) in Lingfield's Listed Churchill S. on Nov. 12.

 

Pedigree Notes

The late Darley stallion Shamardal has 164 stakes winners to his name, with Algiers part of an 83-strong battalion of group winners. Based on Friday's performance, it is not outside the realm of possibility that he could become Group 1 scorer number 28 later in the year.

A half-brother to the dam of the multiple stakes placed Anthorus (Fr) (Territories {Ire}), Algiers is the best foal produced by his accomplished dam, the Platini (Ger) mare Antara (Ger). Earning black type in no less than five countries, the mare was the most highly rated 3-year-old filly of her year in Germany, with a win in the G3 Preis der Deutschen Einheit. She also earned Group 1 placings in Italy, France and England. Besides Algiers, she has three other winners to her credit, with the winning 4-year-old Frankel (GB) gelding Wild Tiger (GB) being her last reported foal.

 

Friday, Meydan, Middle East
AL MAKTOUM CHALLENGE R1 (PRESENTED BY ZABEEL FEED)-G2, $250,000, Meydan, 1-6, NH4yo/up & SH3yo/up, 1600m, 1:35.88, ft.
1–ALGIERS (IRE), 126, h, 6, by Shamardal
1st Dam: Antara (Ger) (Hwt. 3yo Filly-Ger at 9 1/2-11f,
                                GSW-Ger, G1SP-Ity & Fr, GSW & G1SP-Eng,
                                SP-Tur, GSW-Eng, $499,204), by Platini (Ger)
2nd Dam: Auenpracht (Ger), by General Assembly
3rd Dam: Auenqueen (Ger), by Big Shuffle
O-Hamdan Sultan Ali Alsabousi; B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Simon &
Ed Crisford; J-James Doyle. $150,000. Lifetime Record: MSW &
MGSP-Fr, 19-6-5-2, $416,934. Click for the
   free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Werk Nick
   Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Discovery Island (GB), 126, g, 6, Dubawi (Ire)–Sperry (Ire), by
Shamardal. 1ST BLACK TYPE. 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE.
O-Mohammed Khaleel Ahmed; B-Godolphin (GB); T-Bhupat
Seemar. $50,000.
3–Everfast, 126, g, 7, Take Charge Indy–Awesome Surprise, by
Awesome Again. ($47,000 Ylg '17 KEEJAN). O-Kildare Stud –
Frankie O'Connor; B-Extern Developments (KY); T-Doug
Watson. $25,000.
Margins: 6HF, 2HF, 3/4.

 

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‘Golden’ Start To Dubai World Cup Carnival For Watson?

by Heather Anderson and J.N. Campbell

With New Year's celebrations firmly in the rearview, racing eyes turn to Dubai, as the $7.5-million Dubai World Cup Carnival kicks off at Meydan Racecourse. The DWCC culminates on Super Saturday, Mar. 4, the warmup for the $30.5-million Dubai World Cup card slated for Mar. 26. Of the seven races carded, five are black-type level and there are a quartet of stakes contests set to be decided in the desert on Friday.

Anchoring the action is the $250,000 G2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1 Presented by Zabeel Feed, where Golden Goal (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), one of five in the race for American ex-pat trainer Doug Watson, attempts to become the second owner of consecutive victories in the 1,600-metre affair after Le Bernardin (Bernardini) in 2016/17.

Also rated 105 is Watson's Everfast (Take Charge Indy), who was third in both the 2022 G2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 and G1 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3. G3 Burj Nahaar hero Midnight Sands (Speightstown), rated 107, will take part as is Thegreatcollection (Saint Anddan), who won a listed and two other events in Dubai over the years.

Watson, who is aiming for his fourth victory in the race, said, “We have a cast of characters for the mile races. We're still hopeful with Midnight Sands and Golden Goal ran a great race last time. He only got beaten by four lengths and he always needs his first run for us. He's having a really nice season training and he'll be tough on the night.”

Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's Prince Eiji (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) is another entry who appears poised for a big year for Watson, and he ran out a 1 1/4-length victor in the Listed Dubai Creek Mile over track and trip on December 1.

“What we liked about it most was that he was vying for the lead with Danyah, took back a little bit and then really grabbed the bit,” said Watson of Prince Eiji. “So we know he can come from off the pace and we learned a lot that night, plus he's strengthened up a lot this year.”

The quintet will not have an easy time of it, however, with Bhupat Seemar sending out Secret Ambition (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) to build on his 2021 G2 Godolphin Mile heroics among others.

Sire Dubawi On Global Stakes Cusp In Al Fahidi Fort

The internationally successful Charlie Appleby comes into the Dubai World Cup Carnival looking to win his fifth Group 2 Al Fahidi Fort S. in six years. He enters Godolphin's Noble Truth (Fr) (Kingman {GB}) and Al Suhail (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), a well-bred four-year-old and six-year-old, respectively.

Both members of the home team are coming off of lay-offs with the former last seen winning impressively at Royal Ascot in the G3 Jersey S., while the latter ended up seventh at Ascot in the G3 Bengough S. in October. Darley's Dubawi, also represented in this race by Dubai Mirage (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), is one shy of 250 individual global stakes winners.

Not to be outdone, Shadwell looks to make its presence known with six-year-old Alfareeq (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}). This experienced turf specialist knows Meydan well, especially since he won last year's G1 Jebel Hatta S. in fine style. He prepped for this spot with a second place finish in Abu Dhabi in a listed race December 4.

Other notable runners include French trainer Yann Barberot's Bouttemont (GB) (Acclamation {GB}) and Fast Raaj (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}). The latter will be making the surface switch from the Polytrack to the turf after he won his second consecutive race in Deauville on December 10, after being gelded earlier in the month.

Classy Switzerland Begins Shaheen Title Defense

Taking to the dirt for the G3 Dubawi S., the prep that offers automatic entry into the G1 Golden Shaheen on World Cup night, we find nine-year-old stalwart sprinter Switzerland (Speightstown) poised to turn back time in his search for more Dubai World Cup night glory as the defending champion. “Hopefully he's still got the spark; I think I can see it on the track in the mornings,” said his trainer Bhupat Seemar. “We got to know him better last season, we'd had him for a year by then, so we got to know his habits and his quirks which really helped.”

Ready to face him are a number of worthy challengers which includes Shadwell Stable's Mubakker (Speightstown), who has not been seen since last year's G2 Godolphin Mile, a race in which he finished fifth. His dam, Ready To Act, produced Prouver in 2020, a filly that sold for $310,000 as a Keeneland September yearling one year later; and a filly by Omaha Beach that brought $250,000 at the same sale in 2022.

A couple of local runners have been drawn in for this Group 3 opportunity, among them Mouheeb (Flatter), who won the Listed Al Garhoud Sprint on December 9 and he returns for Michael Costa. “He's quite a strong, robust horse and he showed he was quite sharp in his trackwork,” the trainer said about the five-year-old, who won G3 UAE 2000 Guineas in 2021. “It was so good to see him at Meydan; he really put his ears back and was determined to win.”

Listed Races Dot Carnival Card on Friday

The 2,410-metre Dubai Racing Club Classic, a turf handicap with $100,000 on the line, includes a trio of Charlie Appleby runners, namely, the group-placed Walk Of Stars (GB), who is another striving to give his sire Dubawi (Ire) 250 individual black-type winners.

Rounding out the Friday card is the 1,000-metre Listed Ertijaal Dubai Dash on the turf, that brings together a strong group of sprinters, including Godolphin's Man Of Promise (Into Mischief), who was third behind A Case Of You (Ire) (Hot Streak {Ire}) in last year's G1 Al Quoz Sprint.

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