Valiant Prince keeps perfect Meydan record

Godolphin’s stranglehold on the G2 Al Rashidiya (Presented by Azizi) shows no sign of releasing as Valiant Prince (pictured) led home a blue 1-2-3 in the feature race of the second night of the Dubai World Cup Carnival.

Charlie Appleby’s five-year-old was two from two at Meydan prior to this but did have to prove his liking for 1800metres, as well as beat hotly fancied stablemate Ottoman Fleet. Despite being keen early on under James Doyle, he was stronger at the finish than both that rival, who finished third, and G3 Bahrain Trophy winner Dubai Future, powering through between horses for a three-quarter length success.

“It was a big step forward on what he’s achieved in the past,” said Doyle of Valiant Prince’s Group race debut. “We were drawn well, but it got a little hairy on the bend and the two in front got away. It kind of suited him as he doesn’t want to see much daylight and the way he picked up was quite a surprise – he felt like he was always going to win comfortably.”

The new Thunder Snow Challenge, over 2000metres on dirt, is named after the dual Dubai World Cup winner so it was fitting that it went the way of a horse who once finished fifth in the big race itself.

Salute The Soldier was below par in three starts last season, but Fawzi Nass’ veteran bounced back here under his favourite frontrunning tactics deployed by Adrie De Vries. Inside the final furlong he never looked like being caught, despite Uruguayan G1 winner Atletico El Culano flying home for second.

“I’m so happy for the horse and for the team to get him back to that level, as it was a tough race today,” said De Vries. “Since we moved to Meydan [Nass is now based at Grandstand Stables] he seems a lot happier. Last year he just wasn’t the same horse and I had my doubts he would get back, but he’s proved me wrong.”

Second with Dubai Future, original Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor still enjoyed a good night as his Soft Whisper took the new Ipi Tombe Stakes, over 1400metres on turf.

The daughter of Dubawi was the best three-year-old dirt filly in the UAE in 2021 but she’s been plying her trade on turf of late and gained her ninth career success here. Ridden by Danny Tudhope, she led early on but was then content to let stablemate White Moonlight take them along. At the finish, that order was reversed and Soft Whisper ground out the win by a neck. Spanish-trained outsider Samedi Rien charged late for third, ahead of disappointing G1 winner Wild Beauty.

 “She improved physically, even this season,” said Bin Suroor. “Her condition wasn’t good last year, which can happen with fillies, but we took her back to England and looked after her with a plan to bring her back to Dubai.

“White Moonlight is also a nice filly, we like her.”

Bin Suroor and Tudhope completed a double when the progressive Electrical Storm took the closing Azizi Riviera Handicap, over 1600metres on turf.

The winner of a domestic handicap three weeks earlier, this was much tougher but the six-year-old avoided some scrimmaging in the straight and was too strong at the line for Turkish raider Aegean Finale and the British-trained Ouzo.

“He was coming back in trip so the fact they went quick probably helped him,” said Tudhope, who plans to stay in Dubai for the entire Carnival. “This would be his minimum distance.”

Brits on the scoresheet again

Unlucky in the finale, the international contingent managed a winner earlier on when UK-based George Boughey saddled Al Dasim for an impressive victory in the Al Wasl Stakes (Presented by Azizi), over 1200metres on turf.

The three-year-old son of Harry Angel provided jockey Mickael Barzalona with the first leg of a double, tracking the early pace and then shooting clear for a comprehensive three-length win over Fast-Uno.

“The way he’s been training it wasn’t a surprise,” said Boughey, for whom this was just a second Dubai runner. “But I think the race may have fallen apart a little bit in that some of the others didn’t show up.

“He’ll be back here for the Dubai Trophy in a few weeks and I think he could be hard to beat.”

It was also a successful evening for the local yards, starting in race one, the 1600metre Azizi Mina Handicap on dirt, which produced the finish of the night. Down On Da Bayou dictated things up front under Barzalona and looked to have it won turning for home, only be joined by Tadhg O’Shea and Royal Mews for a pulsating final furlong battle. It took a photo finish to separate them on the line, the victory going to Bhupat Seemar’s Royal Mews by a nose.

“He’s a good horse and I’m delighted for [owners] Deva Racing,” said O’Shea. “I was happy when I saw I was in barrier two and the filly [Down On Da Bayou] was in four, so it was always going to set up nicely. The filly went down fighting.

“He’s a horse on the up, but we’ll see what the handicapper does and maybe bring him back in a couple of weeks, as that will have done his confidence good.”

Down On Da Bayou’s trainer Salem Bin Ghadayer gained recompense two races later when Tiger Nation backed up his Jebel Ali maiden win of just 12 days ago in the UAE 2000 Guineas Trial, over 1400metres. The locals looked up against it with a trio of South American imports in there but Barzalona’s mount led throughout and held off the fast-finishing ES-Unico by a length and a quarter.

“It wasn’t an easy race and I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it couldn’t have gone better,” said the rider. “He’s inexperienced but fast and powerful so he’s got everything he needs to get the [UAE 2000 Guineas] trip.”

“I wasn’t sure about running him here but I got some pressure from Mickael who wanted him to experience the lights and the track, rather than go straight to the 2000 Guineas,” said Bin Ghadayer, who also won this a year ago with Rawy. “I don’t see it’s impossible for him to get the mile.”

The Carnival continues next Friday, January 20^th, when the Group 2 Zabeel Mile and the Listed UAE 1000 Guineas are the feature races.