SIX of the seven races at the fifth meeting of the 2021 Dubai World Cup Carnival at Meydan were stakes races, with three Group 2 contests and a pair of Group 3 races.

Godolphin and Charlie Appleby combined to win a brace of Group 2 races, highlighted by the success of D’Bai in the Zabeel Mile, The winner was produced to lead in the dying strides by William Buick.

Eleven faced the starter in the turf feature and all appeared with chances at some stage. Buick switched D’Bai wide to make his challenge in the closing stages, and victory provided Appleby with his fifth win in the race in seven years, all bar one partnered by Buick.

D’Bai is a seven-year-old Dubawi gelding and this was his eighth win, and second at Group 2 level. Two years ago he won the seven-furlong Al Fahidi Fort. Buick said: “Once I had racing room on the outside I knew I had time to get there and he has really responded well when I needed him to.”

Romance shines

Also on turf, but for fillies and mares, the nine-furlong Group 2 Balanchine was also won by Appleby and Godolphin, and for a third consecutive year. This time James Doyle was in the saddle aboard the winner, Summer Romance.

Allowed an easy lead, Doyle was positive aboard the four-year-old Kingman filly. The pair were clear with two furlongs to run and never in any danger. Stylistique was second, while Appleby’s Althiqa, burdened by a penalty for her recent Group 2, was third under Buick.

Appleby said: “[Summer Romance] was very keen and fresh first time, so just did not settle which took its toll. We have relaxed her this evening and James gave her a great ride. I imagine we will take her and Althiqa back to Europe now.”

JUST five lined up for the five-furlong the Group 2 Meydan Sprint on turf.

Equilateral, runner-up in the race last year behind Waady who was fourth this time, went one better this time with a smooth success under Andrea Atzeni.

The winning rider allowed the six-year-old Equiano gelding to stride to the front, after which they never really looked in danger of defeat. Trained by Charlie Hills, Equilateral runs in the colours of Fitri Hay, having previously raced for his breeder Khalid Abdullah.

This was his seventh and biggest success, while another career highlight was chasing home his stable companion Battaash in the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot last June.

Doug Watson saddled the winner of the Group 3 UAE Oaks over nine and a half furlongs on dirt. The second fillies’ classic of the campaign was turned into a procession by Mnasek who scored a bloodless victory under Pat Dobbs, the pair far too good for six toiling rivals. It was a third success in the race in six years for Dobbs, and a third also for Watson.

Owned by Al Rashid Stables, Mnasek, a daughter of Empire Maker, won on her debut over seven furlongs in December, despite missing the start. She was then slowly away over a mile in the Listed UAE 1000 Guineas, staying on late to snatch second.

She broke on level terms this time and, entering the straight, as soon as Dobbs said go, the race was over.

Afterwards the winning trainer said: “The stalls team have been great helping us out and Pat worked her from the stalls on Saturday and she broke great, so we came here pretty confident. It all went perfectly and we have options now, obviously the UAE Derby, but there are some nice options in the [United] States as well, so we can have a good think, but enjoy this first.”

Al Tariq

Watson and Dobbs completed a big race dirt double, combining to land the Group 3 Al Shindagha Sprint over six furlongs with Al Tariq who had opened his UAE account on his previous appearance, landing the Listed Jebel Ali Sprint a fortnight earlier. Watson and Dobbs have now landed four of the last five renewals.

Speaking about the five-year-old Oasis Dream gelding owned by Abdul Mohsen Al Abdul Kareem, Dobbs said: “It was a nice surprise at Jebel Ali after he had a setback earlier in the season, but Doug and his team have done a great job. This was a very good performance because I was always travelling strongly and then he quickened off that fast pace.”

Bin Harmash weaves magic with New Trails

RUN over the same 10-furlong dirt course as the Dubai World Cup, the Listed Curlin Stakes was won impressively by New Trails, representing a superb training feat by Ahmad bin Harmash.

Not seen in public for 348 days, the winner actually ran in the 2019 Dubai World Cup, but was disappointing in all his five starts last season. This was his first victory for over two years.

A seven-year-old Medaglia D’Oro gelding, he was settled on the rail by Fernando Jara, had plenty of ground to make up in the home straight, and grabbed the initiative a furlong out.

Jara, who won the Dubai World Cup in 2007 aboard Invasor and was UAE champion jockey a year later, said: “That is a great effort from the whole team to get him back and ready after so long off. He is a nice horse as he has shown in the past, so it is great to see him do it again on the track.”

The evening’s kicked off with a mile dirt handicap, won cosily by Hypothetical, confidently ridden by Mickael Barzalona in the silks of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum for Salem bin Ghadayer. The four-year-old Lope De Vega colt provided the trainer with his 100th UAE winner.

A course and distance handicap winner, Hypothetical was fourth in the Group 3 Jebel Ali Mile before returning to Meydan a fortnight earlier to finish second in the Group 3 Firebreak Stakes. Barzalona said: “He is a very tough horse who will stay further in time, but I imagine we will stick to the mile for now and, hopefully, look towards the Godolphin Mile.”