A Case Of You To Remain in Dubai For Al Quoz Sprint

Group 1 winner A Case Of You (Ire) (Hot Streak {Ire}) will remain in Dubai and target the G1 Al Quoz Sprint on Mar. 26. He was a distant second to Godolphin's Man Of Promise (Into Mischief) in the six-furlong G3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint at Meydan on Mar. 5. Gary Devlin's 4-year-old colt captured the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp on Oct. 3 and was a good fifth in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 6. He made his 4-year-old bow a winning one, with an easy 3 1/2-length win in a Dundalk all-weather affair on Feb. 11 prior to his Meydan second.

“He's good and we're very happy with him,” said trainer Ado McGuinness. “He grubbed up well after the race, he had a nice roll on Sunday morning. I don't know how we are going to beat the winner but we're going to try again.

“I suppose if the winner wasn't in it, we'd be hot favourite for the Sprint on World Cup night because we beat the third easy enough.

“It's definitely the Al Quoz next barring any mishaps. We'll see what we do then. We'll sit down and maybe make a plan for Ascot after that. The Al Quoz will be his first port of call.

“He's staying over there. I was out with him before I came home. He looks great and there's not a bother on him. He looks a million dollars in the sun.”

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Al Quoz Next For Happy Romance

The McMurray Family's Happy Romance (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}), who ran third in the 1400-metre G3 1351 Turf Sprint in Riyadh on Feb. 26, is pointing to the 1200-metre G1 Al Quoz Sprint on Mar. 26, according to trainer Richard Hannon. A winner of the G3 Hackwood S. last July, the bay filly ran fourth in the G1 Betfair Sprint Cup S. on Sept. 4 and tired to 11th in the G1 QIPCO British Champions Sprint S. on Oct. 16.

Hannon said, “Happy Romance ran a blinder in Riyadh. She has come back and is in good form and she will go for the Al Quoz.

“I don't really know what the plan is after that. We'll get her back and plot races from there. We'll see how she gets on in Dubai and once she is right, we'll look for the next one.

“I always thought she would get seven furlongs. She is extremely capable over both six and seven furlongs and that will give her plenty of options again this season. She is a smashing filly.”

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Sheema Classic Is Next For Alenquer

Saturday's G3 Winter Derby hero Alenquer (Fr) (Adlerflug {Ger}) exited the race in good order and will target the $6-million G1 Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan on Mar. 26. Trainer William Haggas was pleased by the 4-year-old colt's performance, which broke the Lingfield course record for 1 1/4 miles. A winner of the G3 Classic Trial S. at Sandown in April and the G2 King Edward VII S. at Royal Ascot, Alenquer then completed the trifecta in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris in July and went one better in the G1 Juddmonte International S. on Aug. 18. Unplaced in the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, the Winter Derby was his first start back.

“I was very pleased with him,” said Haggas of the M M Stables-owned winner. “He had been training nicely and he won very nicely. He is obviously a talented horse who has run in a couple of Group 1s but he hasn't won one yet. We are hoping this will be his year.

“I was very much worried by the drop back in trip in Saturday and the nature of the track, but it fell right for him–he got a nice lead and he didn't make his own running, which we would have done if we'd had to.

“He picked up really well at the right time and possibly caught a really good horse [Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire})] on a rusty day. Maybe. He has run now three of his better races over this trip, but he is very capable over a mile and a half.

“The plan has always been to go to Dubai for the mile-and-a-half Sheema Classic, so I don't see why that would have changed.”

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Family Affair For ‘Royal’ in Dubai Millennium

It was a Godolphin exacta in the G3 Dubai Millennium S. at Meydan on Friday as Royal Fleet (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), a paternal grandson of the race's namesake, defeated last year's winner Star Safari (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) by a short head.

Away without incident, which could not be said for the slow-starting Lucius Tiberius (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), the Charlie Appleby trainee was aggressive as the field left the short chute and found an ideal position in a pressing second as Marie's Diamond (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) cut out the early running. In a good rhythm, Royal Fleet stayed just off the flank of the pacesetter as the field tackled the bend and, once given an inch of rein from pilot James Doyle, surged up to apply some pressure to Marie's Diamond. The latter was noticeably lathered, and Royal Fleet stuck his head in front at the quarter-mile pole as the well-fancied Star Safari came with his run from farther back.

Confronted by his stablemate 200 metres from home, Royal Fleet proved dour and although headed, fought on with his rival appearing to have his measure. A few jumps from the line, he edged back in front to claim the victory. Castlebar (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who'd had to alter course for racing room when making his bid, ran on to take third 2 1/4 lengths back.

A winner of his first three starts including the July 10 Mile H. at Newmarket, the Godolphin colourbearer lost his unbeaten record with a fifth in the Skybet Mile H. at York later that summer, but rebounded to take a Doncaster handicap by a half-length on Sept. 11. Gelded shortly thereafter, he ran with credit to be second in both the Jan. 21 G2 Al Rashidiya and the Feb. 11 G2 Singspiel S., prior to Friday's victory.

 

Pedigree Notes

Royal Fleet is the 222nd black-type winner and 145th group winner for his Darley sire Dubawi, who counts 48 Group 1 winners among them. Bred on the same cross as G1 Pretty Polly S. heroine Nezwaah (GB), the winner is the third foal and third winner out of G3 Prix de Lieurey heroine Zibelina. Royal Fleet is followed by his winning 3-year-old full-brother Noble Order (Ire) and a yearling colt by Blue Point (Ire).

Also a winner of the Listed Valiant S., Zibelina is a half-sister to black-type winner Floristy (GB) (Fasliyev), the dam of three-time group winner Lazuli (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and stakes winner Inspiriter (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). Third dam Talented was just that, striking in the Sun Chariot S. when it was still a Group 2 and also placing in the G3 Lancashire Oaks, G2 Ribblesdale S. and G3 Prix de la Nonette. At stud, she threw Epsom Derby third Carlton House (Street Cry {Ire}), who raced in the colours of Her Majesty The Queen to wins in the G2 Dante S. and G3 Brigadier Gerard S. besides another trio of Group 1 placings in the UK and Down Under.

 

Friday, Meydan, Middle East
DUBAI MILLENNIUM S. (PRESENTED BY LINCOLN)-G3, $150,000, Meydan, 2-25, NH4yo/up & SH4yo/up, 2000mT, 2:01.61, gd.
1–ROYAL FLEET (GB), 129, g, 4, by Dubawi (Ire)
1st Dam: Zibelina (Ire) (GSW-Fr, SW-Eng, $105,891),
                                by Dansili (GB)
2nd Dam: Zaeema (GB), by Zafonic
3rd Dam: Talented (GB), by Bustino (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-Godolphin (GB);
T-Charlie Appleby; J-James Doyle. $90,000. Lifetime Record:
8-5-2-0, $231,855. *1/2 to Royal Crusade (GB) (Shamardal),
GSP-Eng, GSW-Fr, SP-UAE, $143,240. Werk Nick Rating: A+++.
   *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Star Safari (GB), 130, g, 6, Sea the Stars (Ire)–Intimhir (Ire),
by Muhtathir (GB). (€200,000 Ylg '17 BBASEP). O-Godolphin;
B-Gestut Brummerhof (GB); T-Charlie Appleby. $30,000.
3–Castlebar (Ire), 129, g, 4, Invincible Spirit (Ire)–Aimhirgin Lass
(Ire), by Pivotal (GB). 1ST BLACK-TYPE. 1ST GROUP BLACK-
   TYPE. (€460,000 Ylg '19 GOFOCT). O-Fahad Mohammed
Aloraini; B-Irish National Stud (IRE); T-Helal Alalawi. $15,000.
Margins: SHD, 2 1/4, 1HF.
Also Ran: Burgas (Tur), Marie's Diamond (Ire), Integrant (Fr), Lucius Tiberius (Ire), Iron Butterfly (Swe), Volcanic Sky (GB), Al Maysan (GB), Pensiero d'Amore (Ire), Big Team.
Click for the Racing Post chart or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video.

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