Barney Roy Returns in Al Rashidiya

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BARNEY ROY RETURNS IN AL RASHIDIYA 

There is no doubting the class of Charlie Appleby-trained Barney Roy. In 10 lifetime starts, the Godolphin-owned gelding has shown immense form, including winning the 2017 St James’s Palace Stakes (G1) and placing in three other G1s. What is a query is whether he will be able to return to the same level that saw him once rated as high as 120 (currently 115) and finishing a nose astern multiple G1 winner Ulysses in the Coral-Eclipse (G1) and a length behind champion Churchill in the 2000 Guineas (G1).

Now age six, he has made only three starts since a failed experiment at stud that precluded him from the entirety of 2018. He was a smart second to Zaaki (subsequently eighth in the G1 Hong Kong Mile) in the Ascot Shop Paradise Stakes (Listed) before winning the Prix de Montretout (Listed) at Longchamp in late May and faltering to eighth as the lukewarm favourite in Royal Ascot’s Queen Anne Stakes (G1).

On Thursday, the son of Excelebration is set to return in Meydan’s $250,000 Al Rashidiya (G2), a race won by the likes of Right Approach, Presvis and Benbatl, who all went on to win the Dubai Turf sponsored by DP World (G1). If things go well for the earner of $793,503 in the 1800m grass test, his will subsequently point to Super Saturday’s $400,000 Jebel Hatta (G1) on March 7 before his own attempt at the Dubai Turf over the same trip.

“He had that summer campaign (in 2019) and we purposely gave him a break with the Carnival in mind,” Appleby said. “Where we are at the moment, we are working backward from the Jebel Hatta and obviously Benbatl not being declared now has opened that race.”

The future remains a mystery for the charge, as coming back from failed stud tenures often seems to dull the shine of top-tier trainees, but there appears to be enough confidence resonating from his yard to assume that he has shown at least a portion of his previous brilliance. If that is the case, the future appears quite promising, per Appleby.

“If he were to bring his ‘A-game,’ or whatever he does Thursday evening, he’s going to step forward for it,” he concluded. “He’s the class animal in the field there and he might just be good enough to get away with that slight lack of race fitness on Thursday. Hopefully that’ll springboard him onto Super Saturday.”

Barney Roy breaks from the outside post seven on Thursday. William Buick will be in the saddle against a field that includes G1-winning defending champ Dream Castle, G2-winning stablemate Loxley and G1-placed Mike de Kock trainee Majestic Mambo.

DRAFTED SET TO DEFEND AL SHINDAGHA

As much as Satish Seemar has dominated the Dubawi Stakes (G3) on Dubai World Cup Carnival opening night (five victories with three different horses), rival conditioner Doug Watson has done much of the same in the Al Shindagha Sprint (G3) four weeks later over the same 1200m trip and with an identical $200,000 purse. The master of Red Stables—winner of the past three Al Shindaghas with three separate horses—will look to continue his streak when he saddles Misty Hollow Farm’s defending champ, Drafted, against Seemar’s Dubawi winner and expected market favourite, Gladiator King.

“He was a little ring-rusty and broke really slow in the Dubawi,” Watson explained. “We know he’ll come from off the pace with his style, but he was too far back. He had also missed some training with a foot issue, so we were very happy with the way he ran and the way he closed. Since then, he’s had a really good couple pieces of work and I’m hopeful for a good run.”

Closing nearly five lengths on his rivals between the 600m and 200m poles in the Dubawi, the popular 6-year-old son of Field Commission gave the crowd a thrill in that he may catch his rivals, but he ultimately sputtered a bit in the final stages, finishing 1¾ lengths behind Gladiator King and Ibn Malik. His closing 400m in 23.68 seconds was his fastest final ‘quarter-mile’ in three seasons of racing at Meydan.

The grey gelding drew post five of seven in a race that appears to set up equally for stalkers like Gladiator King and closers like Drafted. Regular pilot Pat Dobbs rides again.

“More towards the outside is a good draw with him, because the ones outside of him will sprint away to the front and hopefully cross over,” Watson explained. “I think we need to be a little closer than last time, obviously. I hope he’s the best horse, in the end.”

Watson also expressed confidence in the preparation of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Thursday night runners Motafaawit, who makes his debut for Watson and UAE bow, and Gabr, who looks to return to form after a trio of disappointing UAE efforts.

“I like Motafaawit a lot, but how he’s doing and if he can win are different things. I am happy with where he is right now,” Watson said. “Hopefully we have Gabr on the right trip this time. We also took the tongue tie off him and he’s been working well. I think he’s down to a (rating) mark where he can win. I think he should run well.”

Watson also mentioned that Al Maktoum Challenge R1 (G2) winner Kimbear will likely stretch out next in the $450,000 Al Maktoum Challenge R2 (G2) over 1900m on Feb. 6, while he may go three-deep in the $200,000 Firebreak Stakes (G3) over 1600m one week later with Muntazah, Thegreatcollection and Quip. Additionally, rising star pupil Midnight Sands has Godolphin Mile (G2) dreams, but first will point toward handicap company on the “20th or 27th of February” for his connections—taking a similar path to Watson’s 2016 Godolphin Mile winner, One Man Band.

DEE EX BEE JETS INTO MEYDAN CUP

The highest-rated horse to compete on Thursday at Meydan will be one of the most appropriately named to make his UAE debut, HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum’s Dee Ex Bee. At 118 on the official ratings, the son of Farhh towers over his $175,000 Meydan Cup (Listed) rivals, but must carry a 60kg impost, giving away between four and seven kilograms to the likes of British Champions Long Distance Cup (G2) fourth Mekong, G2-placed Secret Advisor, as well as proven Meydan winners Dubhe and Universal Order.

Previously in the care of Mark Johnston, the 2018 Epsom Derby (G1) runner-up makes his local bow for trainer Salem bin Ghadayer, who believes the horse should surely progress from Thursday’s effort.  

“I checked all of the (DWC Carnival) program and there was only one race just he could run in right now,” Bin Ghadayer said. “I spoke to the boss and we decided to run him. We would like to run him in Saudi before the (Group 2 $1.5 million) Dubai Gold Cup and we need a race before that. He will need the race. He’s about 70% ready and after this we will see about Saudi and then the Gold Cup. I just hope for a good race and for everything to go alright.”

From 19 starts, the four-time winner has finished in the top three 16 times, including placing in five G1 races and chasing the best stayers of his era, including division leaders Stradivarius and Kew Gardens. A confirmed frontrunner, he has never raced 2810m, but has won from 1400m to 3200m in his impressive career.

“I’m happy with how he’s accepted the program here, which is very different from the Johnston yard,” Bin Ghadayer continued. “Some horses need time to acclimatize, but he’s a professional. He is a little lazy. If I showed you how he gallops, you would think he’s a 45-rated horse—an average horse—but he’s a different horse in the race and he has that experience. He is smart and he knows training isn’t racing. Sometimes it’s better to have the lazy horse than the keen horse, because they take care of themselves. Like I like to say, ‘a lazy horse is a sound horse.’ I’m happy with how he’s improved since he arrived and I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

Bin Ghadayer’s go-to jockey, Mickael Barzalona, who rode him for the first time when third last out in October’s Prix du Cadran (G1) at Longchamp, has the mount.

FIGHT ON LEADS THURSDAY O’NEILL TRIO

After a pair of fourth-place finishes and a sixth from his first three Dubai World Cup Carnival runners last week, American trainer Doug O’Neill will fire three more bullets from his 11-strong, history-making string on Thursday. Said triad is led by CTR Stable and O’Neill’s Fight On, who tops the weights in Thursday’s fourth race at Meydan, the $175,000 Mina Hamriya Handicap over 1600m on dirt.

A stakes winner over 1700m in April, the son of reigning champion USA sire Into Mischief carries 60kgs, giving away between 2.5-7kgs to his rivals, including improving local miler Golden Goal, Macau star Fasuba and Godolphin’s possible market favourite Dubai Legacy. Pat Cosgrave will ride from post seven of 10 runners.

“I don’t think the weight work against him too much,” said Leandro Mora, O’Neill’s long-time assistant trainer. “I like that it’s a bigger jockey in Pat riding him and that he gallops with a guy who’s about 140lbs—it’s different when it’s saddle weight, rather than jockey weight. He’s a horse who does not like the rail, so hopefully he can be outside in the clear without being too wide. Last time, he ran a good race against (Grade 1 winner) Gift Box in the (Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita on Dec. 28) and finished fourth. He had a layoff and one race before that, so that gives us confidence that he will run well.”

In the day’s co-featured $200,000 Al Shindagha Sprint (G3), Team O’Neill will start longshot Truck Salesman for owner Alejandro Mercado. A swift type, he will have to flash his American speed if he is to beat the likes of Swedish star sprinter and 2019 DWC Carnival winner I Kirk to the front, while also holding off last-out Dubawi Stakes (G3) winner Gladiator King and defending champ Drafted.

“He’s got only one style and I’m praying for him to break on top and never look back,” Mora said. “He gets courageous up there and he’s fast enough, so we just have to pray that he runs his race. I stood him at the gate (Tuesday morning) without a handler and he was focused and perfect. I think he’ll be okay without a handler on Thursday and I love the seven hole. Outside is always better for American horses.”

Thursday’s $135,000 Mina Rashid Handicap (Race 5) over 1600m on turf will be a daunting task for Abbondanza Racing et al.’s Ocean Fury, but the son of Stormy Atlantic has been looking an absolute picture during morning training and going through his exercises impressively. Exiting a seventh astern G1 winner Mo Forza in G2 company, the three-time winner from 11 starts has proven a difficult horse to ride. He will take on the likes of Mick Halford-conditioned G3-winning mare Surrounding, Godolphin’s promising Land of Legends and hard-knocking David O’Meara-trained handicapper Firmament.

“He’s a horse who you have to work on because he’s a little lazy,” Mora explained. “He doesn’t care where he is in the race, he just needs a rider to keep after him. At one point at Del Mar, he was our favourite 3-year-old, so we think highly of the horse. I know it’s going to be a tough race because it’s on grass here and trainers like Saeed bin Suroor and Doug Watson will bring their best horses.”

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