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Females Centre Stage at Meydan on Thursday

Meydan's G2 Cape Verdi is the highlight on the Dubai Wold Cup Carnival card on Jan. 28. Of the eight fillies and mares signed on to the one-mile feature, a quintet carry the Godolphin blue and the highest rated at 108 is the Group 3 winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Summer Romance (Ire) (Kingman {GB}). A listed winner at Newmarket as a juvenile, the Charlie Appleby charge won the G3 Princess Elizabeth S. at Epsom on July 4 and was last of six in the G1 Prix Rothschild after making all for most of that contest. Her listed-winning and MGSP stablemate Althiqa (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) was last seen running second in the G3 Sceptre Fillies' S. in September.

“They are two nice fillies,” said Appleby, who has won the Cape Verdi the past two years. “Althiqa was very consistent in Europe last year, winning a listed race and placing in a Group 3. She looks ideal for this test.

“Summer Romance has wintered really well and has thrived in the sunshine. Her last start in a Group 1 just did not go to plan, but she showed at Epsom that she is a very useful filly.”

Saeed bin Suroor's Dubai Love (GB) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) won the 2020 Listed UAE 1000 Guineas last January and followed up with a distant second in the G3 UAE Oaks on Feb. 20. Third in the Listed Al Bastakiya on Super Saturday in March, the bay was given some time off and returned to England for two mores starts, with her final appearance being a fourth in the G3 Musidora S. in July. She is joined by the three-for-three Aug. 23 Ffos Las handicap heroine Last Look (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) and Stunning Beauty (Ire) (Shamardal), undefeated in a pair of novice stakes at Newmarket and Leicester in July and August, respectively.

“Stunning Beauty is a very talented, but somewhat quirky filly,” Bin Suroor said. “She looks the ideal type for the Cape Verdi and is unbeaten as is Last Look who has been given plenty of time as she is a bit fragile.

“Dubai Love is just a tough, genuine and versatile filly who landed the UAE 1000 Guineas on dirt last year.”

Charlie Fellowes sends out Anthony Oppenheimer homebred Perfect Inch (GB) in her first group test. The roan 4-year-old was second to Roger Varian's GSP Stylistique (GB) (Dansili {GB}) in the Listed Petite Etoile at Deauville on Nov. 24. Black-type winner Quiet Times (Ger) (Reliable Man {GB}) finished second in Deauville's Listed Prix Miss Satamixa on Dec. 19 for trainer Pia Brandt; while Norwegian 1000 Guineas heroine Silent Night (Swe) (Night of Thunder {Ire}), who placed in a listed stake at Meydan last year, enters off a third in the Listed Lanwades Stud S. at Bro Park on Sept. 20.

Thursday's Listed UAE 1000 Guineas Presented by Longines features seven sophomore fillies, with the most accomplished being the three-time winner Soft Whisper (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). Bearing the royal blue of Godolphin, the Saeed bin Suroor trainee has won her last three starts-breaking her maiden at Salisbury on Aug. 21, a four-length score at Pontefract on Sept. 24 and a 2 1/2-length tally in her Jan. 7 Meydan bow going 1400 metres. She faces several undefeated rivals including a pair from trainer Doug Watson.

Bin Suroor said: “Soft Whisper won twice in Britain last year and did well to win the trial after a slow start. The extra 200m should suit and we are expecting a big run.”

His 96-rated Mnasek (Empire Maker) drew off by 6 3/4 lengths in her lone start going seven panels on Dec. 17, with both the second and third-trainer Nicholas Bachalard's Nayefah (Super Saver) and Watson's Heshmah (Kitten's Joy)-also taking part in the first UAE Classic of the season. Owner Charles Fipke's Super Chianti (Super Saver) duly saluted for Watson when unveiled in a 1200-metre maiden race at Meydan on Nov. 19. For some Swedish flavour, Khatun (GB) (French Navy {GB}), representing the Dina Danekilde yard, breaks from the widest stall in seven after taking a six-furlong turf feature at Jagersro on Nov. 25.

Watson said: “Both are in flying form at home and we are really looking forward to trying them in this better class of race having just won a maiden apiece.”

High End (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) bears the blue cap for Godolphin in the 2000-metres Listed Zabeel Turf Presented by Longines earlier on the card. One of an octet in the race for the royal blue, the Saeed bin Suroor trainee, a three-time winner, played the bridesmaid in the Listed Foundation S. at Goodwood on Sept. 23. Another bin Suroor trainee who appears to be rounding into form is Royal Marine (Ire) (Ravens Pass), who won the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at ParisLongchamp in 2018. He returns to action on the back of a runner-up effort in a Sept. 19 Newbury handicap. Charlie Appleby's stakes-placed Bright Melody (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) also takes part.

Satish Seemar's Senority (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) could prevent a Godolphin clean sweep and the 7-year-old gelding was second in the G3 Abu Dhabi Championship at Abu Dhabi last March. He was off the board in a Jan. 14 handicap locally. Majestic Mambo (SAf) (Mambo in Seattle), who ran second in the G1 Daily News 2000 in his native land, is also amongst the opposition and is saddled by Mike de Kock. Although winless in several tries in the desert, the 6-year-old gelding was fifth in the Abu Dhabi Championship in March.

Listed winner Raakib Alhawa (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) makes his Meydan debut for David Simcock and owner Khalifa Dasmal. The 5-year-old gelding, who landed the August S. at Windsor in August of 2019 was last seen running seventh in an Ascot handicap on Oct. 17.

Click here for the group field.

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St Mark’s Basilica Tops European 2YO Rankings

For the eleventh time, Aidan O'Brien was responsible for the European Champion 2-year-old, with St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) having topped the official classifications for 2020 on a mark of 120.

The colt, a half-brother to 2000 Guineas winner and young Coolmore stallion Magna Grecia (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), is the seventh consecutive winner of the G1 Darley Dewhurst S. to be named as the top-rated juvenile in Europe.

St Mark's Basilica's stable-mate Wembley (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who was runner-up in both the Dewhurst and the G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S., was joint-second in the rankings along with Supremacy (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), who is trained by Clive Cox and won the G1 Juddmonte Middle Park S. to be the top-rated British-based colt on 118.

“St Mark's Basilica is the latest in a long line of European 2-year-old champions, dating back to Fasliyev in 1999, to emerge from the Aidan O'Brien academy,” said IHRB Handicapper Mark Bird. “We rated his effort in landing the Darley Dewhurst Stakes as marginally the best form shown by a European 2-year-old in 2020 and just ahead of that shown by the 12 other Group 1-winning 2-year-olds in Europe this year.”

He added, “At this stage of his career, he rates higher than his half-brother Magna Grecia, who won the QIPCO 2000 Guineas, and he appears to hold every chance of emulating his sibling in winning that event in 2021, with normal progression as a 3-year-old.”

The BHA's Handicapper Graeme Smith noted, “Supremacy became the latest in a long line of Group 1-winning sprinters to emerge from Clive Cox's stable over the last decade and achieved a rating of 118 when defeating the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes winner Lucky Vega in a deep looking Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes. Very well bought for £65,000, he was the standout British-trained juvenile from Goodwood onwards and went into winter quarters as the highest-rated 2-year-old his prolific trainer has ever handled.”

The top-rated juvenile in France in 2020 was Sealiway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}), the impressive winner of the G1 Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere for Frederic Rossi and owners Haras de la Gousserie and Guy Pariente, for which he was awarded a mark of 116.

There was a three-way tie to be the best juvenile filly of 2020 between Pretty Gorgeous (Fr) (Lawman {Fr}), Shale (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), all of whom were rated 113.

Pretty Gorgeous and Shale, trained respectively by Joseph and Donnacha O'Brien, clashed in their last four starts, with the former winning both the G2 ARM Holding Debutante S. and G1 bet365 Fillies' Mile, while Shale triumphed in the G3 Frank Conroy Silver Flash S. and G1 Moyglare Stud S., with Pretty Gorgeous in second on both occasions.

Campanelle, trained in America by Wesley Ward for Stonestreet Stables, built on her success in the G2 Queen Mary S. at Royal Ascot to win the G1 Darley Prix Morny.

The highest-rated filly in Britain, on 112, was Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never), winner of the G1 Juddmonte Cheveley Park S. for Andrew Balding and Jeff Smith. Two French-trained fillies were given the equal mark of 110: the G1 Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac winner Tiger Tanaka (Ire) and Plainchant (Fr), winner of the G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte. The fillies are respectively by the Rathasker Stud father-and-son team of Clodovil (Ire) and Gregorian (Ire).

Eleven of the top 25 juveniles in Europe are trained In Ireland, with five of those being from Aidan O'Brien's stable. Ten are trained in Britain, while three are in France and one in America.

In 2019, European champion 2-year-old Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal) was awarded a rating of 128, the second-highest since Celtic Swing (GB) (Damister) was rated 130 in 1994. Noting the difficulty of the 2020 Flat season, with the coronavirus pandemic delaying its start by two months, Mark Bird added, “In summary, 2020 could not be said to have been a vintage year for 2-year-olds. While numerically, the 44 horses that made the Classifications are in line with recent averages, the truncated nature of the season and the slightly muddled nature of some of the form lines mean that the Champion juveniles of the year rank at the lower end of the historical scale.”

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Tattersalls Ireland Delay NH Sale

Further changes to the 2021 Irish sales calendar were announced on Tuesday owing to the extension of the Irish lockdown measures until Mar. 5. This has necessitated a change of date for the Tattersalls Ireland February National Hunt Sale, which will now be held at Fairyhouse on Tuesday, Mar. 9.

Announcing the delay, Tattersalls Ireland CEO Simon Kerins said, “It is unfortunate that we have had to make yet another change to the dates for the February National Hunt Sale, but we are constantly having to respond to the evolving situation and to the latest Government guidelines.

“Although matters are out of our control, we will continue to monitor the situation and look at any and all options as matters evolve to provide the best possible opportunities to sell and buy. We have consulted with Goffs to ensure that any changes to our sales schedule are in harmony with their plans to ensure we deliver a workable solution for all of our mutual clients.”

It was announced last week that the Tattersalls February Sale in Newmarket will be held as a live virtual sale on Feb. 4 and 5 while Britain remains under a strict lockdown. No horses will be at Park Paddocks and bidding can be carried out on the Tattersalls internet bidding platform or via telephone.

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Goffs Weanling Session Rescheduled For Mar. 11

A further change has been announced to Part 2 of the Goffs February Sale, which will now take place on Thursday, Mar. 11 at Kildare Paddocks.

The session of Flat weanlings had originally been rescheduled to Mar. 2 but has now been delayed by a week following the decision of the Irish government to extend lockdown restrictions across the country to March 5.

Part 1 of the February Sale, which is comprised of broodmares, older horses in training and 2-year-olds, will go ahead in its original time slot of Feb. 9 and 10 but will be held online only.

“It is unfortunate to have to further delay this sale date but we believe that another week will make an onsite sale possible at Kildare Paddocks, and that the strong interest from potential purchasers since publication of the catalogue will lead to trade that mirrors our successful November Foal Sale,” said Goffs Group Chief Executive Henry Beeby.

“As at the Goffs sales in December, we will have strict protocols in place that reflect the latest Government directives to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all attendees. Goffs Online will also allow any buyer who cannot attend to bid remotely. The platform has been widely embraced since the outbreak of the pandemic, taking over 6,000 bids and leading to €6.5 million of otherwise unattainable business. The Goffs team will also be available to take telephone bids for those absentees who prefer that method.”

He added, “As last year we have coordinated the revised February Part 2 date with Tattersalls Ireland who we understand will hold their delayed February NH Sale on Tuesday, 9 Mar.”

Potential buyers can register to bid via GoffsOnline.com between Monday, Feb. 1 and 5pm on Monday, Feb. 8.

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