Rebel’s Romance Flies to City Of Gold Success on Emirates Super Saturday

He may be eight years old, but Rebel’s Romance  showed few signs of age when charging to career win 21 in the G2 Dubai City of Gold [sponsored by emirates.com] – one of the highlights of Emirates Super Saturday at Meydan Racecourse.

The nine-time Group 1 winner had seven rivals in the 2410metre turf contest but traveled ominously well throughout, going into the lead off the home turn under William Buick and holding off Fort George by a length and a half.

“It takes a lot for me to get emotional, but I love him,” said trainer Charlie Appleby. “I had my heart in my mouth just wanting him to get round safely.

“He’s just been a rockstar and we wanted to bring him here to show everyone what a great racehorse he is and he’s shown it again tonight.”

The City Of Gold offers qualification to the G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic – which Rebel’s Romance won in 2024 – for the winner, but Appleby was cautious about committing the gelding to the race.

“It’s a nice conversation to have, but we will take it race by race,” he said. “He’s an old boy and we’re going to look after him.”

Crisfords Celebrate Big-Race Treble

It was an unforgettable night for the father-son training duo of Simon and Ed Crisford who won both the other Group 2s among a sparkling treble.

First up came Quddwah, who could be a force to be reckoned with in the G1 Dubai Turf after racing away with the 1800metre Singspiel Stakes [sponsored by Emirates Airline].

The six-year-old, ridden by Ryan Moore, was well positioned off a slow pace and went for home in the straight, beating Dividend by two and a half lengths.

“There was no pace early,” said Ed Crisford. “Ryan had him in completely the right position, kicked for home coming off the bend, and he won really well.

“We’ll see how he is but the Dubai Turf will be the plan as he saw out the extra furlong well.”

35 minutes later, the Crisfords struck again when Meydaan showed his liking for dirt with an authoritative win in the G2 Al Maktoum Classic – earning G1 Dubai World Cup qualification.

It was a first run on the surface for the five-year-old son of Frankel, but he took to it beautifully, powering clear in the straight for a five and a quarter length win over G1 winner Walk Of Stars.

“He won here over a mile and six furlongs on turf but he had been training well on this surface,” said Ed Crisford.

“So we thought ‘why don’t we give this a go?’ Every work on it he just got better and we trialed him on it last week and he finished really well.

“We thought he would be outpaced early, but that if he could just have the front rank within his sights he could finish well and that’s what he did. William [Buick, jockey] was taking a pull on the back stretch and I thought ‘well we’ve won this!

“Let’s go to the World Cup!”

Team Crisford wound up with a treble when Title Role beat hot favourite Talk Of New York in the finale, the Listed Jumeirah 2000 Guineas [sponsored by Emirates Holidays].

Ridden by Ryan Moore, the three-year old was held up early on but produced an impressive finishing kick, beating pacesetter Pacific Avenue by just over a length.

“All the talk was about Charlie’s horse [Talk Of New York] who had been training well, but we had the experience, with two runs out here,” said Ed Crisford.

“There was a lot of pace on tonight and this horse is tough. We will take him back to the UK and I would quite like to take him to the Greenham at Newbury. Then he’s entered in the French Guineas… he could be a Jersey sort of horse, there’s options.”

Summing up a superb night for his team, he added: “we had some big chances tonight but to have three winners on Super Saturday is just huge for our stable. We love Dubai and our horses love Dubai.”

El Nasseeb the New Sprinting Star

El Nasseeb can now have bragging rights as the best UAE-based sprinter after beating a strong field – including defending champion Tuz – in the G3 Mahab Al Shimaal, prep for the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen.

It was a third course and distance win for Musabbeh Al Mheiri’s five-year-old who produced his customary late run to mow down reigning Shaheen champ Dark Saffron by a length.

“He’s a much better horse when there’s a fast pace and today suited him very well,” said jockey Silvestre de Sousa. “He couldn’t go with them early on and from the 900metres he came a little bit alive on the bridle and responded well – he loves the dirt.”

On El Nasseeb’s chances in the Dubai Golden Shaheen in four weeks’ time, he added: “If he turns up in the same form he is in tonight he’ll have a big chance.”

Out of luck in the Mahab Al Shimaal, Tuz’s trainer Bhupat Seemar and jockey Tadhg O’Shea still got on the scoresheet courtesy of Commissioner King in the G3 Burj Nahaar [sponsored by Emirates Airline.]

The six-year-old was handy throughout the 1600metre contest and O’Shea wasted no time in going for home, putting four lengths between himself and stablemate The Camden Colt on the line.

“It’s good to get it done and be first and second,” said Seemar. “We’re learning about this horse. He’s got natural speed and we’ve got to let him use it, which is what we tried to do today. His weapon is his speed.”

Commissioner King will now head to the G2 Godolphin Mile on World Cup night, Seemar confirmed.

Upset Artists Do It Again

The Nicolas Caullery team are adept at providing shock results and they did so again when outsider Piana took the Listed Jumeirah 1000 Guineas [sponsored by Emirates Skywards]. The diminutive filly had been eighth on her previous outing but just prevailed in a tight finish here under Stephane Pasquier.

“It’s amazing!” said Caullery. “Perhaps the 1400metres was too short for her last time and the mile was better for her today. She waited on the inside and her finish was very strong.”

It was a first Meydan winner for Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe-winning jockey Pasquier, who said: “It’s easy to ride like this as I had a good draw number [1] so I traveled well and came inside. I’m very happy and proud to win here.”

There was another shock in the G3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint [sponsored by Emirates Courier Express] which went to Native Approach. The five-year-old was dropping in trip for trainer Ahmad bin Harmash and proved too tough to peg back under Connor Beasley, beating Run Boy Run by a length and a half.

“The plan will be the Al Quoz Sprint,” said bin Harmash. “We ran him at seven [furlongs, 1400metres] and we ran him at a mile but he is so keen, we can hardly saddle him. We were thinking to run in a handicap next week, but the speed he shows in the yard we thought we would try this.

“He traveled all the way so easy and won really well.”

There was an international winner of the opening G1 Al Maktoum Challenge R3 for Purebred Arabians which went to the Oman-trained Falaah. Fifth in Round 2 last time out, the eight-year-old arrived with a surging run to beat defending champion Mubeed by a length in the hands of Al Moatasem Al Balushi.

Carnival action resumes at Meydan Racecourse next Friday, 6 March, when the G3 Ras Al Khor is the feature race.