Dubai: Trainer Saeed Bin Surour’s romance with the Meydan Carnival continued to prosper when he sent out a pair of exciting winners that have kindled the Godolphin handler’s dreams of even bigger victories on Super Saturday and the Dubai World Cup meeting.
After Top Score lead home a Godolphin 1-2-3 finish in the 1400 metre Meydan Classic, Beautiful Romance, who had finished seventh in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup at Flemington on November 1 before landing the Group 2 Zipping Classic on his final start in Australia, overwhelmed heavily French star fancied Vazirabad and Sheikhzayedroad, to capture the Group 3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy, a build-up race to the Dubai Gold Cup on March 25.
“Every win matters, that’s why we are in this game,” said Bin Surour, who was saddling his 13 winner of the season and 11th at the Carnival.
“Beautiful Romance is a horse we have always liked as she is very genuine. “After she won a Group 2 race in Australia, we decided to bring her to Dubai and aim for this race.
“She is a tough filly. In Australia, she showed she has a good turn of foot. She was too far back in the Melbourne Cup but for one furlong she finished really, really strong.
“She beat two good horses at Meydan and that gives us confidence to run in the Dubai Gold Cup on World Cup night.”
Earlier, in the evening Top Score, ridden by the Flying Dutchman Adrie de Vries, edged out two other Godolphin owned horses, the Charlie Appleby-trained Fly At Dawn and stable companion Really special.
The performance had Bin Surour thinking about the Group 2 UAE Derby a race that he has won on seven occasions but not since 2011 when Khayylah triumphed. “Top Score never shows a lot in the morning but he is a different horse on the racetrack and has improved physically out here in Dubai,” he said.
“We will see how he comes out of this race and talk to His Highness Shaikh Mohammad [Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai] but he could back on dirt for the UAE Derby on Dubai World Cup Night.”
The Charlie Appleby-trained Viren’s Army led in another Godolphin 1-2-3 in the Al Naboodah Harley-Davidson® Trophy, a 2000m turf handicap.
Meanwhile, Dubai World Cup hope Mubtaahij, who was making his season debut after a bruising campaign in the US, had to settle for second place behind the Doug Watson-trained Etijaah in the first running of the Curlin Handicap.
Run over the same 2000m dirt course and distance as the Dubai World Cup the race is a significant lead-up to the $10 million contest and was previous used by Curlin and California Chrome as key prep.
Conceding weight to all eight rivals Mubtaahij looked a trifle short of fitness and was eventually overtaken in the final two furlongs. by Etijaah.
“We know what we have in him and we’re expecting a good season.” de Kock had said of Mubtaahij who was the star of 2015 Carnival where he won three times including the UAE Derby.
