Dubai Long-serving Godolphin handler Saeed Bin Surour might have to sit out this year’s Dubai World Cup (G1) but he is nevertheless amassing a strong team of raiders for the other showpiece races on the $30mllion (Dh110 million) March 26 Meydan blockbuster.
Bin Surour plundered three noteworthy victories at the penultimate meeting of the 2016 Dubai World Cup Carnival on Thursday evening, including the featured Group 2 Balanchine, a race that he has won twice in the past, with Very Special.
With that performance the four-year-old Loup de Vega filly has ignited Bin Surour’s hopes of winning a sixth Group 1 Dubai Turf (formerly Dubai Duty Free) and first since Sajjhaa triumphed in 2013.
Ridden by Bin Surour’s retained rider James Doyle. Very Special finished two and a half lengths clear of the Marco Botti-trained Euro Charline, who was fourth behind Solow in the Turf last season.
“She jumped well again and no-one wanted to go. The fizz of that first night was out of her today so she was different class tonight,” said Doyle. “It [the Dubai Turf] is definitely an option and I think she would have to improve again.”
Very Special won the middle leg of Bin Suroor’s three time on the night after the victories of American Hope in the Emirates Holidays Handicap also under Doyle and Pure Diamond in the Meydan Classic under Harry Bentley.
“Hopefully we will go to Dubai World Cup night with her [Very Special],” the trainer said. “She is a really lovely filly and has thrived in the Dubai sunshine since she arrived.
“She seems to like bowling along in front and James gave her a great ride as he did last month.”
Earlier the Doug Watson-trained Polar River extended her unbeaten streak to four wins from four starts when comfortably winning the UAE Oaks from her two rivals, the Argentinian Group 1 winner Vale Dori and Scandinavian challenger Dolly Dagger,
Polar River will now take on the colts in the Group 2 UAE Derby over the same 1900m course and distance as the UAE Oaks.
“She won her race in just a few strides,” said Dobbs. “She idled somewhat in the final stages but has won comfortably enough. She travelled throughout the race better tonight and is still learning.
“We have to look forward to the UAE Derby which will be a stronger race and that should suit her. We did not learn much tonight but she is a lovely filly to have in the yard.”
The David Simcock-trained Sheikhzayedroad was the comfortable winner of the Group 3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy, the 2810m turf prep race for World Cup night’s 3200m Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup.
A Group 1 winner at Woodbine in 2014, he won a 2000m turf handicap at Meydan that year and coped admirably with the extra distance here, supplying jockey Martin Harley with a first UAE winner in the process.
“I am delighted for this horse as he is a real favourite in the yard,” said Simcock. “We have always thought he would be a nice stayer one day and to have a horse like this to take us to Dubai World Cup night with a live chance is brilliant.”
The Group 1 Purebred Arabian Al Maktoum Challenge R3, over the same 2000m dirt course and distance as the Kahayla Classic on Dubai World Cup night, was won comfortably by Handassa in course record time.
Making his local and dirt debut under Paul Hanagan, he was a first UAE winner, at the sixth attempt, for Frenchman Francois Rohaut and looks another exciting homebred Purebred Arabian for Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance.
