Friday’s Track Notes, March 25, 2022

$12 million Group 1 Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airlines

After watching Dubai World Cup favourite Life Is Good have his final gallop around the track, Elliott Walden could only grin and shake his head. Walden, the CEO and racing manager of co-owner WinStar Farm, has been around horses all of his life and worked with several top horses including Triple Crown winner Justify and Dubai World Cup winner Well Armed. Yet he still gets a kick out of watching the four-year-old entire son of Into Mischief go around the track.

“He just never has an off day,” he said. “I’ve never seen a horse gallop as smoothly as he does everyday.” Doug O’Neill elected to send Dubai World Cup entrant Hot Rod Charlie, and UAE Derby hopeful Get Back Goldie to the training track. The pair jogged once around the oval with an outrider pony in between. Tony Romaro was aboard Hot Rod Charlie while jockey Flavien Prat was aboard Goldie.

“Charlie can be a handful in the morning,” O’Neill commented. “We didn’t want him to be too tough for Prat. We are very happy how everything has gone since coming out here. He looks great and we are ready for tomorrow.”   

The Grade 1 Longines Gran Premio Latinoamericano winner Aero Trem was last seen finishing fifth in the Saudi Cup in February, but connections are hopeful with Pereira declaring: “He did a normal canter around the track and all is well pointing towards the big race. The jockey (Vagner Leal) got a good feeling aboard him and is looking forward to a good run tomorrow. All preparations have gone according to plan and he’s done well and it’s looking good and everything is in place.”

The William Haggas-trained Grocer Jack was declared a non-runner on Thursday evening.

Group 1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic

Whether or not Stella Veloce wins or loses the Sheema Classic, trainer Naosuke Sugai says his presence in the US$6 million feature is a testament to owner Tsuyoshi Ono, who died on March 2 aged 50 after a short battle with cancer.

Ono will be represented by Stella Veloce as well as returning 2020 Saudi Derby winner Full Flat in the Godolphin Mile and Veloce Oro in the Dubai Gold Cup in a bid for a first Dubai World Cup night success, having finished second with Matera Sky in the 2019 Dubai Golden Shaheen.

“I feel that this race has more meaning now, it’s different than it would be for a usual race,” Sugai said. “I hope to pay the owner the best tribute possible and that he can be celebrating in heaven for Stella Veloce. It’s all going well so far and I feel that Mr Ono is playing his part in spirit.” Antonio Fresu will take the seat aboard the Musabbeh Al Mheiri-trained For The Top, whose only win this season is a four-length romp in the Listed The Entisar over 2000m on the dirt track.

Fresu said: “It’s going to be a tough race but he’s done well and has form going over turf too and the distance is definitely not a problem so he should go well.”

$2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen Sponsored by Atlantis Dubai

Dubai-based conditioner Doug Watson saddles two, with Everfast and Al Tariq stepping forward. The latter finished sixth last year, but has a pair of Group 3 wins over course and distance to show on his resume. Al Tariq is drawn in gate four, while Everfast, winner on his UAE debut in December and then a distant third in the Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge R3 behind Dubai World Cup-bound Hypothetical, leaps out of gate seven.

Watson said: “If there’s a lot of speed Everfast could be the one that’s closing. He has enough speed to keep himself in the race and if they burn out a little in front, he might be able to close them down.

“Al Tariq has a great draw and we have to wait and see how he breaks and how fast everybody else wants to go. He did stalk when he won the Al Shindagha so we’re not afraid to sit a little off the pace, we don’t need to be on the lead, so we’ll just see how the gates open and how he comes out and makes plans from there, we’ll just leave it up to the jockeys.”

Strongconstitution stayed in the international quarantine going 10 laps around the 1/4 mile training track attached to the yard. The five-year-old gelding is owned by Say Jay Racing & Roadrunner Racing. Greg Helm the managing partner of Roadrunner Racing who also own majority share in Hot Rod Charlie has been here all week and has loved what he’s seen.

“This place is surreal,” Helm said. “If you would have told me two years ago when we were trying to fill out our partnership group on Hot Rod Charlie that we would be here no one would have ever believed us. He is all grown up now and looks every bit a stallion.”    

Group 1 winner Drain the Clock has completed the exacta in 10 of his 12 career races and comes into the Dubai Golden Shaheen as clearly one of the top choices. For breeder and Co-owner Nick Cosato of Slam Dunk Racing this race means everything.

“He is absolutely thriving here in Dubai. Winning a race like this with a horse that I bred would be like my son hitting the game winning home run in the Little League World Series. Over the moon overjoyed and probably a tad emotional as well.”

Group 1 Dubai Turf Sponsored By DP World

Sir Busker has had plenty of time to acclimatise to the Dubai climate, making two starts so far this winter. The most recent of those was an excellent effort to finish fourth in the Group 1 Jebel Hatta over course and distance on Super Saturday and Piers Winkworth, Racing Manager for the owners Kennet Valley Thoroughbreds, feels he’s more than entitled to take his chance. 

He said: “We’re incredibly excited to have a runner on World Cup Night, he came out there for the Carnival and he’s run twice so far. He’s thrived out in Dubai and had a lovely time out there. William Knight’s head girl Jitka has been looking after him over there and she’s done a fantastic job. William Buick rode him for a piece of work with Hukum the other day and he seemed to go really well. 

“He’s got a wide draw on Saturday but he’s a hold up horse anyways, so hopefully William can drop him in and get him a nice position so that when they come round the bend he can be there to pick up the pieces. We’re hoping that he’s got a chance on his best form in the UK and we’re not just there to make up the numbers.”

$1.5 million Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint Sponsored by Azizi Developments

Despite his recent form on dirt, Khuzaam found himself a place in the $1million Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint sponsored by Azizi Developments on turf. His trainer Doug Watson believes he has genuine pace.

“He is a real unknown. He’s very fast and is doing very well and we’re just hopeful, but if he were to run a big race it wouldn’t surprise me like the way he ran up the hill in the Jebel Ali Sprint, so we’re looking forward to him going out there,” Watson said.

$1 Million Group 2 Godolphin Mile Sponsored By Nakheel

Golden Goal stalked the pace and hugged the rail when scoring in the Group 3 Al Maktoum Challenge R1 over course and distance mid-January and the eight-year-old gelded son of Dark Angel has had to overcome a few issues, with trainer Doug Watson’s only worry being his wide draw as he is set to leap out of stall 10. Watson also fields Shadwell owned Mubakker.

Commenting on his pair, two-time race winner with One Man Band and Second Summer in 2016 and 2017 respectively, said: “Golden Goal had a bit of dirty mucus and had a bit of scope and it took us three weeks to get him back, but it seems we have. Obviously we had to treat him and try and build him back. Drawn 10 it could be a bit tough, but he’s a tough horse and I expect him to run well. Whether he can overcome that draw I don’t know, but gate 5 for Mubakker seems just perfect for me. He’s got a lot of speed inside that he can kind of chase there and it should open up the race for him and he can close like he has in the past.”

$1 Million PA Group 1 Dubai Kahayla Classic sponsored by Ithra Dubai

Rajeh won the PA Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge R2 over 1900m without much fuss by a massive six and a half length margin and was subsequently third in the PA Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge R3, the track and trip prep on the Super Saturday card three weeks ago. Trained by Musabbeh Al Mheiri, he will go under Antonio Fresu yet again. The Italian having ridden him in all his three UAE starts is confident about a good showing after his horse drew post 5.

“He’s a very good horse and we have a good draw as well. He’s been running really well in Dubai and seems to have shown his best form here. Hopefully, all goes well on race day,” Fresu commented.