• Three-time Group 1 winning mare The Fugue has arrived in Dubai safe and sound and now aims for the $5 million Dubai Duty Free (G1), according to her trainer John Gosden. The five-year-old was originally hoping to become the first female to win the $10 million Dubai World Cup (G1), but has since been reverted back to her preferred surface, the turf, at Meydan. The Mike de Kock-trained Anaerobio, who was third in the Group 1 Jebel Hatta on Super Saturday, was also added to the list of likely runners for the 1,900m contest, taking the number to 12.
• Regular UAE jockey Daragh O’Donohoe was impressed when he rode out Dubai Gold Cup hopeful Saddlers Rock on Sunday morning. Saddlers Rock is a former Doncaster and Goodwood Cup winner as well as being placed in an Ascot Gold Cup and O’Donohoe certainly liked his form, saying: “The Rock was electric this morning. If this horse don’t run well... well I don’t know,” on Twitter.
• Richard Hughes, the UK champion jockey for the past two seasons, has been booked to partner Mars in the Group 1 Sheema Classic. Now trained by Mike De Kock he has always shown lots of ability, with his third in the St James Palace Stakes (G1) behind Dawn Approach possibly being the pick of his form to date. The booking of Hughes is a huge positive.
• Oklahoma City and Michaelmas have been taken out of the $2 million UAE Derby (G2) by Aiden O’Brien, who relies on Giovanni Boldini and Sir John Hawkins. Giovanni Baldini looks to be the Ballydoyle first choice, having just being beaten to second in the 2013 Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) by Outstrip at Santa Anita. Sir John Hawkins was third in the Coventry Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot last year.
• Other interesting runners seen working at Meydan on Sunday included Sheema Classic-bound Twilight Eclipse for US trainer Tom Albertrani and Dubai World Cup hopeful from Japan, Belshazzar. Ed Dunlop had his two big-race hopefuls, including last year’s Dubai World Cup runner-up Red Cadeaux and Joshua Tree out in the morning. Michael Halford has had his string in good order this season and Dabadiayan and Certerach, who both go in the Dubai Gold Cup, worked well.
• The Hong Kong Jockey Club has given permission for Neil Callan (Hamza in Al Quoz Sprint), Olivier Doleuze (Rich Tapestry in Dubai Golden Shaheen), Joao Moreira (Amber Sky in Al Quoz Sprint, Blazing Speed in Dubai Duty Free, Dominant in Dubai Sheema Classic, Military Attack in Dubai World Cup and Sterling City in Dubai Golden Shaheen), Douglas Whyte (Akeed Mofeed in Dubai World Cup) and Gerard Mosse (Red Cadeaux in Dubai World Cup) to take up their intended rides on Saturday.
• Top international jockey Ryan Moore was confirmed over the weekend to partner Gentildonna in the Dubai Sheema Classic. The mare was just beaten in this race year but Moore partnered her to victory in the Japan Cup in November when she became the only horse to win the Grade 1 highlight of the Japanese season twice.
• Godolphin dominated the Grade 3 Excelsior Stakes at Aqueduct on Saturday night with Romansh beating Long River by a neck. It was an excellent boost for the operation ahead of Saturday’s showpiece and the result was a slight surprise, with Long River being expected to prevail. There was also a 1-2 for the Ortiz brothers who were riding the pair with Jose just seeing off Irad.
— The writer is a racing journalist and broadcaster and GM of Draiton Feed Commodities.
