Tag: Meydan

O’Neill Sending Eight To Dubai World Cup Carnival

A group of eight horses trained by Doug O'Neill led by GI Pennsylvania Derby hero Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) is being aimed at the upcoming Dubai World Cup Carnival at Meydan Racecourse, according to a tweet from the Dubai Racing Club Monday. The octet is scheduled to touch down in Dubai Jan. 18 and their preparations will be overseen by assistant trainer Leandro Mora, O'Neill confirmed via text Monday. It will be the second time in three years that the conditioner will be represented by horses stabled in Dubai, having celebrated an outstanding DWCC in 2020.

O'Neill indicated last month on Steve Byk's At The Races satellite radio program that Hot Rod Charlie would have the $12-million G1 Dubai World Cup as his major early-season target. The newly turned 4-year-old was most recently narrowly beaten into second by Express Train (Union Rags) in the GII San Antonio S. Dec. 26 and breezed a half-mile in :48.40 prior to the first race at Santa Anita Jan. 8. Similar to California Chrome and Curlin, each of whom prepped victoriously in Dubai prior to winning the World Cup, Hot Rod Charlie could take in a race such as the $100,000 Listed Curlin S. over the same 10-furlong distance as the main event Friday, Feb. 11.

Among the 17 horses that represented O'Neill at the 2020 Carnival was Fore Left (Twirling Candy), a two-time stakes winner on dirt in the U.S. as a juvenile who defeated 15 rivals to land the G3 UAE 2000 Guineas on his lone appearance in the desert. A would-be start in the G2 UAE Derby was scuppered when the COVID-19 pandemic claimed the entire Dubai World Cup program. New York-bred Khantaro d'Oro (Kantharos) could be on a similar trajectory, despite being a six-start maiden. Third and second in turf heats at Santa Anita in October and at Del Mar the following month, respectively, the bay ridgling was a well-beaten seventh in the grassy GIII Cecil B. DeMille S. Nov. 28, but exits a runner-up effort to the progressive Blackadder (Quality Road) on the main track in Arcadia Dec. 26.

W C Racing's Wildman Jack (Goldencents) made history at the 2020 DWCC, becoming the first American-trained galloper to land a turf race in Dubai when scoring impressively in the G3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint on Super Saturday. He, too, was denied a run in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint on World Cup night due to its cancellation, but the W C Racing-bred and co-owned sophomore gelding Get Back Goldie (Goldencents) is expected to be part of the O'Neill team as well. Unplaced in a pair of dirt tries to kick off his career, the bay graduated against $50,000 maidens on the turf at Santa Anita Oct. 23 and exits a ninth in the Cecil B. DeMille.

Fore Left carried the silks of top O'Neill client Reddam Racing and that operation is set to be represented at the Carnival by 4-year-old Go On (Nyquist), a maiden winner going six furlongs in 1:08.50 at Santa Anita Oct. 9 and a latest fourth, beaten just five lengths, in the San Antonio.

According to the tweet from the Dubai Racing Club, the other four likely shippers include SW & GSP Strong Constitution (Constitution); Cal-bred stakes winner Positivity (Paynter); Appreciated (Acclamation), recently claimed for $40,000 and placed in two of three starts for the O'Neill barn; and $1-million FTFMAR graduate Notre Dame (Into Mischief), the gate-to-wire winner of a six-furlong Santa Anita allowance Dec. 26.

The 18th edition of the Dubai World Cup Carnival begins Friday, Jan. 14, featuring the G3 Al Maktoum Challenge R1 over the metric mile. Total prize money for the DWCC exceeds $7.5 million across nine meetings, ending with the Super Saturday card Mar. 5. The $30.5-million Dubai World Cup night takes place Saturday, Mar. 26.

 

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One Ruler Returns In Dubai

One Ruler (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), once considered a leading Classic contender for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby, looks to get his career back on track when he steps out in Friday's Zabeel Trophy, a one-mile conditions race on the turf, at Meydan.

One Ruler, a homebred out of the former Andre Fabre-trained triple group-winning miler Fintry (Ire) (Shamardal), won the G3 Autumn S. at Newmarket in 2020 and was three-quarters of a length second to Mac Swiney (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) in the G1 Vertem Futurity Trophy. He managed only sixth, however, in the following spring's G1 2000 Guineas, and filled the same position behind stablemate Adayar (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the G1 Derby. One Ruler finished third when dropped down to 2000 metres for the G3 Hampton Court S. at Royal Ascot, and fared better when given further distance and class relief, finishing third in the Listed Sir Henry Cecil S. and fourth, beaten a length, in the Listed Prix de Tourgeville, both over a mile. One Ruler races for the first time as a gelding on Friday, and is partnered by William Buick.

Appleby saddles three in the Zabeel Trophy, and another 4-year-old looking to get his career back on track after a gelding operation is La Barrosa (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). The 750,000gns yearling won the G3 Tattersalls S. at two, but his best finish in three starts last year was a second in the G3 Craven S. He is partnered by James Doyle, while Richard Mullen takes the ride on Appleby's 5-year-old Path Of Thunder (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), who won a mile Newmarket July meeting handicap but hasn't been seen since finishing down the field in a Glorious Goodwood handicap.

Musabbeh Al Mheri sends out Alfareeq (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), who won at Abu Dhabi last out on Dec. 19 and is rated 107, and the trainer said, “He's had one run at Abu Dhabi after a long break and has been training well. He faces a tougher task this time but he's got the ability and the mile is his best trip. We are hoping he runs well.”

Erwan Charpy sends out another last-out Abu Dhabi winner in Shadwell's Moqtarreb (GB) (Kingman {GB}), winner of the Listed National Day Cup over a mile on Dec. 5.

“It's a different class of race and it's going to be tough and competitive,” said Charpy. “He has a good enough draw and has been doing well and we remain hopeful of his chances.”

Bhupat Seemar has started off well since temporarily taking over the reins from his uncle Satish Seemar at Zabeel Stables, and he sends out Nordic Lights (GB) (Intello {Ger}) among his 20 runners on Friday's nine-race card for his first run off a near three-year layoff since being purchased from Godolphin.

“He hasn't run for a while and his true distance is perhaps longer, but this looks like a good place to start him and we'll see how he goes,” Seemar said.

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Munnings Half-Sister To Lookin At Lucky Becomes ‘Rising Star’

by Alan Carasso

Shahama (Munnings), who bolted up by nine lengths on her 1400-metre debut at Meydan Dec. 9, endured a much more troubled passage in Saturday's UAE 1000 Guineas Trial, a conditions event over the same course and distance, but exhibited her considerable class in the final stages to score by 2 1/2 lengths en route to 'TDN Rising Star'-dom. She is the eighth 'Rising Star' for her sire.

Off slowly and ridden along from gate five racing over a rare sloppy main track in this jurisdiction, the $425,000 OBS April graduate (:21 flat) was forced to sit in behind the contested pace, but traveled well a handful of lengths behind. Shaken up with a bit more than a quarter-mile to travel, the half-sister to multiple champion Lookin At Lucky (Smart Strike), Ch. 2yo & 3yo Colt, MGISW, $3,307,278, hit the gap hard one off the fence at the 300-metre marker and galloped home a much-the-best winner.

“Seven furlongs is the minimum for her, she's got a big stride,” said winning rider Adrie de Vries. “I was never in trouble, I was following William Buick's horse, I was in a pocket, but she learned a lot today. Today she did it the hard way. I thought today when she hit the front, she was waiting. I was a bit afraid for the conditions, as the ground gets firm with the rain. A mile and even further will be better for her.”

Shahama, also a half-sister to Kensei (Mr. Greeley), MGSW, $751,364, is a logical candidate for the $150,000 Listed UAE 1000 Guineas over 1600 metres Jan. 28. SF Bloodstock acquired Shahama's dam–a foal of 1999–for $40,000 with this filly in utero at the 2018 Keeneland November Sale. Private Feeling did not produce a foal in 2020, but her now-yearling son of Catalina Cruiser fetched $200,000 from First Finds at last year's November Sale and she was most recently covered by Smart Strike's Grade I-winning son Tom's d'Etat.

5th-Meydan, UAE 1000 Guineas Trial (Cond.), AED183,650, 3yo, f, 1400m, 1:25.93, sy.
SHAHAMA, f, 3, by Munnings
1st Dam: Private Feeling, by Belong To Me
2nd Dam: Regal Feeling, by Clever Trick
3rd Dam: Sharp Belle, by Native Charger
Sales history: $425,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $43,483. Click for the Emirates Racing.com chart. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-KHK Racing; B-SF Bloodstock LLC (KY); T-Fawzi Nass.
 

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Munnings Firster Highly Impressive at Meydan

SHAHAMA (f, 2, Munnings–Private Feeling, by Belong to Me), a half-sister to two-time Eclipse Award winner and five-time Grade I-winning Coolmore stallion Lookin At Lucky, ran them off their feet to break her maiden in exceptionally impressive fashion Thursday at Meydan. Drawn out in gate nine, Shahama was away fairly beneath Adrie de Vries, but slowly made her way forward and raced right on the pace while four wide in the breeze down the backstretch. Forced to cover ground on the turn and into the stretch, the baldy-faced bay responded when popped the question about 400 meters from home and she finished full of run to score by nine lengths. Shahama cost $425,000 at this year's OBS April sale after breezing a quarter-mile in :21 flat. Sales history: $425,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0. O-KHK Racing; B-SF Bloodstock LLC (KY); T-Fawzi Nass.

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