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Gulf Today
01-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
International cast converge on Meydan Racecourse for Emirates Super Saturday
Dubai World Cup places are up for grabs as the stars converge on a superb Emirates Super Saturday at Meydan Racecourse on 1 March. Six of the day's nine races offer automatic entry to corresponding races on the big day on April 5, including the featured G2 Al Maktoum Classic (sponsored by Emirates Airline), over the Dubai World Cup course of 2000metres on dirt. A full field of 16 line up, including G1 winner Kabirkhan, who aims to bounce back from seventh in the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge last time out. Bhupat Seemar runs Imperial Emperor, who finished in front of Kabirkhan when second to Walk Of Stars in the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge. Seemar also runs Artorius, fourth in the G3 Firebreak Stakes last time, the mount of Pat Cosgrave. The third Seemar runner is recent course winner Guns And Glory, who will be ridden by Richie Mullen for owner Fitri Hay. The G2 Singspiel Stakes (sponsored by Emirates Airline) offers guaranteed entry to the G1 Dubai Turf for the winner and nine take their chance. The favourite is likely to be four-time Group 1 winner Nations Pride, who arrives here off a ninth place in the G1 Pegasus Turf in Florida in January. Charlie Appleby, who has won this race twice. Appleby also runs First Conquest, two from two at Meydan, the mount of Mickael Barzalona. Cairo, trained in the UK by Alice Haynes, has enjoyed a profitable Carnival, finishing second in both the G2 Al Rashidiya and the G3 Dubai Millennium Stakes. Tuz will make UAE racing history if adding the G3 Mahab Al Shimaal (sponsored by to his haul on Saturday - becoming the first horse to sweep the UAE's Group dirt sprints in one season. Seemar's charge, who will break from stall five in the field of 12, has been flawless in his last four starts including the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen last March – his target once again. Colour Up has seen the back of Tuz three times this season already, but Watson hasn't lost faith in Sayed Hashish's star sprinter, despite a below-par fifth in the Listed Jebel Ali Sprint two weeks ago. Trained by Yoshito Yahagi, American Stage is an intriguing runner who brings a three from six win record with him from Japan, although none of his runs have come at Group level. Japan, who were last successful on Super Saturday back in 2010 with Red Desire in the then Maktoum Challenge R3, are also represented in the G3 Burj Nahar (sponsored by Emirates Airline) with T O Saint Denis. Daisuke Takayanagi's six-year-old had an international campaign last year, finishing ninth in the G1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile when last seen in November. Another bringing top level form into the race is the Charlie Hills-trained Ancient Rome, third to Nations Pride in the G1 Arlington Million in August, who tries the dirt for the first time. The G2 Dubai City of Gold (sponsored by Emirates Airline) is a proven path to the G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic and seven run for that entry ticket on Saturday. Godolphin hold a strong hand, with three runners including multiple Group race winner Silver Knott, the mount of stable jockey William Buick, and G3 Sandown Classic Trial winner Arabian Crown, who makes his Meydan debut for Appleby. Three British raiders line up, including Highway Robber, an intriguing recruit from the US for Charlie Hills, and Onesmoothoperator, who drops in trip for Brian Ellison having finished third in the G3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy last week. The day's shortest turf contest is the 1000metre G3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint (sponsored by Emirates SkyCargo) in which defending champion Frost At Dawn runs for trainer William Knight. Among her rivals is fellow Brit West Acre, so impressive in the G2 Blue Point Sprint last time out for trainer George Scott.
The National
28-02-2025
- Sport
- The National
Super Saturday offers golden opportunity to Dubai World Cup hopefuls
Excitement is building with winners of six of the nine races on the Super Saturday card at Meydan set to earn guaranteed spots on the Dubai World Cup night. The highlight of the day is the Group 2 Al Maktoum Classic with connections targeting a direct spot in the $12 million Dubai World Cup on April 5. The leading contenders are eight-time UAE champion trainer Doug Watson's Kabirkhan, Korean star Global Hit, and France's Group 1 winner King Gold. Last year's Dubai World Cup winning-trainer Bhupat Seemar is triple handed with Artorius, Guns And Glory and Imperial Emperor, runner-up in the Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge just over a month ago and the choice of stable jockey Tadhg O'Shea. The nine-race card is the traditional dress rehearsal for the marquee event in just over a month's time. The Group 2 Singspiel Stakes serves as a strong race for an automatic entry to the Group 1 Dubai Turf. Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby is double handed with Nations Pride and First Conquest in the race while an interesting challenger for the Royal Blues appears to be British trainer Alice Haynes' Cairo. Cairo has already had three outings at Meydan, finishing runner-up twice and unplaced in between. 'Cairo's three runs at Meydan have been very good and his last run when he finished second in the Group 3 was probably his best run,' Haynes told The National of her first runner in Dubai. 'The time before, the slowly run race over a mile did not suit him. We added a bit of headgear and ran him differently last time and he improved. 'He's thriving out there and tries hard in his races, plus Silvestre [De Souza – jockey] seems to get on very well with him. Ideally, we would get an invite for the Dubai Turf on the big night after the Singspiel Stakes, so we should know that soon.' Cairo is no stranger to Dubai though. The five-year-old by Quality Road was unplaced in the UAE Derby in 2023 when trained by Aidan O'Brien. He has finished runner-up four times in seven starts since joining Haynes. 'Cairo has been a horse that has finished second plenty of times for us,' she added. 'He finished second in a Listed race in Ireland and then ran in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot. 'He also finished second at Glorious Goodwood and it would be lovely for him to get his head back in front. Kuwaiti owner Refai Alghraiban has been enjoying his time. 'Silvestre sat on him this morning and thinks he's in great order. I am very happy with the work my team has done out there and we look forward to Saturday.' The 2,400m Group 2 Dubai City of Gold paves the way for the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic. Adding an international twist in the Group 3 Mahab Al Shimaal is impressive Japanese runner American Stage, from trainer Yoshito Yahagi, which is an exciting prelude to the Group 1 Golden Shaheen. Daisuke Takayanagi's T O Saint Denis is another Japanese challenger in the Group 3 Burj Nahaar aiming to book a direct spot in the Group 2 Godolphin Mile on Dubai World Cup night. Other highlights include the Group 3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint, a precursor to the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint featuring defending champion Frost At Dawn, as well as the Listed Jumeirah 1000 Guineas and Jumeirah 2000 Guineas. 5.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 (PA) Group 1 Dh 600,000 (Dirt) 2,000m 6.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas (TB) Listed Dh 800,000 (Turf) 1,600m 6.50pm: Burj Nahar (TB) Group 3 Dh 1,200,000 (D) 1,600m 7.25pm: And Al Sheba Turf Group 3 Dh1,200,000 (T) 1,000m 8pm: Singspiel Stakes Group 2 Dh 1,400,000 (T) 1,800m 8.35pm: Al Maktoum Classic Group 2 Dh 1,700,00 (D) 2,000m 9.10pm: Dubai City of Gold Group 2 Dh 1,400,000 (T) 2,410m 9.45pm: Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 Dh 1,200,000 (D) 1,200m 10.20pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Listed Dh 800,000 (T) 1,600m
