QUDDWAH SPARKLES ON DUBAI DEBUT

Quddwah Sparkles On Dubai Debut

Father and son training team Simon and Ed Crisford won their second G2 Zabeel Mile [Sponsored by Phi Advertising] in a row when Quddwah won the feature at Meydan’s first Dubai Racing Carnival meeting of 2026.

Following Poker Face’s win a year ago, Quddwah [pictured] faced a strong field including Godolphin’s G2 winner Aomori City and G1 winner Audience. The latter made a bold showing, charging clear in the straight but was met at the 200metre point by Quddwah, who strode away for a length and a quarter win over the closing Aomori City, with Audience staying on for third.

“It was quite a sweet race to ride in. I had a load of space to go when I wanted which was nice,” said jockey James Doyle, who also won this race in 2020 on Zakouski.

“He’s been very consistent over the years and gets his head in front when he needs to. It’s been a while since I’ve ridden him, I won on him first time and we were quite sweet on him then too.”

On the potential of Quddwah emulating his dam Sajjhaa, winner of the G1 Dubai Turf [formerly Dubai Duty Free] in 2013, he added: “It would be a notch up from the runners he faced tonight, with Japanese contenders and all that, but I’m sure he’d run his race.”

“To win it the way he did was really pleasing,” added Ed Crisford. “He’s settled in nicely here and he has bigger and better things ahead hopefully. You can sort of put him where you want in a race but at the beginning of the year, we decided to drop him in a little and it worked out well.”

 The Crisfords and Doyle celebrated a double when their classy Meydaan gained his first win at the track of almost the same name in the closing Zoho Handicap, over 2810metres on turf.

The five-year-old, last seen finishing tenth in the G1 Melbourne Cup, was too good here, beating two British runners in Burdett Road and Nightwalker by two lengths and four lengths.

“He’s a very high-class horse,” said Doyle. “He didn’t run badly in Australia but was a bit stretched [by the distance] in the Melbourne Cup. He showed his quality in the straight tonight.

“The team will have a chat about what they’d like to do, but my inkling would be maybe come back in trip to a mile and a half [2400metres.]”

El Nasseeb Continues Winning Spree

El Nasseeb beat three of his G3 Dubawi Stakes [Sponsored by France Galop] rivals in the Listed Garhoud Sprint in December and he did the same again, pouncing late to deny Mufasa in the card’s dirt feature.

Tadhg O’Shea went for home on Mufasa off the final turn and looked to have the race won but Silvestre De Sousa had plenty of horse left and profited from his tiring rival, cruising past for a three-length win.

“I rode the race to repeat the form. I was delighted when I took him back at 1000metres as he likes a fast pace,” said De Sousa. “He’s a lovely horse and once he switched leads he really went for home.”

It was a double for De Sousa, the UAE Champion Jockey having earlier won the Binghatti Handicap on Lahfaty, for Michael Costa. The five-year-old mare just held on from last time out winner Welcome Dream, giving Costa his 99^th UAE winner and initiating a treble for owner HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Great Night for British Trainers

The Rebel Racing operation has invested plenty in Dubai this season with a team of ten based at Meydan and they collected their first winner when Two Tribes took the ARN Handicap, over 1200metres on turf.

Ridden by Billy Loughnane, for whom it was also a first Dubai winner, the five-year-old held on by a diminishing head from Indian Springs.

“Two Tribes winning in Meydan tonight was great,” said trainer Richard Spencer. “Billy Loughnane gave him a great ride and it was his first run for a few months so he is entitled to come on from that.

“There’s a race in Saudi in February [G2 1351 Turf Sprint] that he’s entered in, which might be interesting. Hopefully we can have a lot of fun with him out here during the winter.”

A good night for British trainers continued when Ed Walker got off the mark in the UAE thanks to Northern Champion, who just got home in the Jumeirah Stakes [Sponsored by The Jockey Club].

Ridden by Kieran Shoemark who was also celebrating his first UAE winner, the three-year-old battled back to deny Catullus and William Buick right on the line.

“I thought William went three quarters of a length up, but my lad is gutsy and showed a lot of determination, he’s an improving horse,” said Shoemark.

“I did know I won but I was in a bit of disbelief as he did far too much early. He’s a likeable horse and this is a good start to his winter campaign.”

On getting off the mark at Meydan, he added: “I’m thrilled, you want to be riding winners at a place like this and I’m staying out here for two months.”

Out of luck there, Buick still rode a double on the card, the highlight of which was Six Speed in the UAE 2000 Guineas Trial [Sponsored by Churchill Downs]. On a rare ride for Bhupat Seemar, whose stable jockey O’Shea opted to ride Lino Padrino, Buick guided Six Speed to a three and a quarter-length win over the Argentine-bred Legalaized, who ran a fine race on local debut, conceding weight.

“He was superb, very professional and a he’s very likeable horse,” said Buick. “He has a lot of natural speed, he’s quick into stride and was happy to take a lead but when the split came he was straight through and away.

“This is the Guineas Trial and he’s entitled now to go to the Guineas.”

Buick took the opening Zabeel Turf [Sponsored by Binghatti], on Arabian Light who collected his second course success in the 2000metre contest.

The Charlie Appleby-trained five-year-old raced wide from his draw in 12 for much of the race but ran on strongly once hitting the front at the 100metre mark and won by three-quarters of a length from stablemate Bedouin Prince.

The Dubai Racing Carnival continues next Friday, 9 January, when the AED350,000 Lord North Handicap is the feature race.