Dubai Honour set for another Australian Group One tilt after Hong Kong Vase second

South China Morning Post

28-03-2025

Tom Marquand expects Dubai Honour to prove hard to beat when the globetrotting stayer tackles Saturday's Group One Tancred Stakes (2,400m) at Rosehill in his first appearance since running second in December's Group One Hong Kong Vase (2,400m).
The globetrotting stayer produced his best performance in Hong Kong on his fourth trip to the city when runner-up to fellow British galloper Giavellotto in the Vase.
Dubai Honour has contested the Group One QE II Cup (2,000m) at Sha Tin three times, with his best result third behind Romantic Warrior in 2023, and he again holds an entry for the Champions Day feature next month.
The William Haggas-trained gelding returns to Sydney, where he is unbeaten from two starts having won the Ranvet Stakes (2,000m) and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2,000m) at Group One level in 2023.
'We always see it with those horses, they do the Sydney trip once and he's been to Hong Kong a couple of times now as well and they just become so professional,' Marquand said of the three-time Group One winner.
'It probably is fair to say that he does thrive off it. He really does well. He is a mature horse now and we all know his level of form, and that's a high level.
'We are very much of the impression that over a mile-and-a-half he doesn't need the rain, but if it comes it's of assistance.
'When Ryan Moore won on him [in the Ranvet Stakes] it was a good four. It was pretty quick and he's felt good before on Hong Kong ground. It's not that he needs the soft ground, it just assists him a bit extra.'
Dubai Honour narrowly holds favouritism in overseas markets ahead of the former Irish-trained Vauban, who joined the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable after his second failure in the Group One Melbourne Cup (3,200m) in November.
He struck instantly for his new stable and owners with victory in the Group Three Sky High Stakes (2,000m) at Rosehill first up.
The Tancred Stakes is one of 12 overseas races to be simulcast by the Jockey Club on Saturday, with another two races from Rosehill, three from Flemington and six from South Africa's Turffontein racecourse also offered for betting.
The Group One Australian Cup (2,000m) headlines the Flemington card, with comeback mare Pride Of Jenni holding favouritism in her bid for a fourth elite-level success.
Pride Of Jenni was retired after a disappointing spring campaign, but a change of heart from owner Tony Ottobre led to her return and she won the Group Two Peter Young Stakes (1,800m) at Caulfield first up.
The great mare is back! 💫
Pride Of Jenni picks up where she left off, stringing her opposition out & trouncing them in the Peter Young Stakes.@cmaherracing @craig_newitt pic.twitter.com/qayDiM7HpB — Racing.com (@Racing) March 15, 2025
At Turffontein, the Group One SA Derby (2,450m) takes centre stage with most attention surrounding the unbeaten Immediate Edge.
Trained by father-and-son duo Mike and Mathew de Kock, Immediate Edge maintained his perfect record at start three when he overcame interference to brilliantly win over 2,000m on his last appearance.