Dubai World Cup: Sibling rivalry to be at its best at Kahayla Classic

Abu Dhabi: TM Fred Texas, a six-year-old grey, and TM Junior Johnson, a five-year-old chestnut, are an unusual pair of siblings colour-wise. Sired by Burning Sand out of Queen Kong, bred in the US by Toad Moak, they will engage in some major sibling rivalry on Dubai World Cup night when the full-brothers go head to head in the opening race.

TM Fred Texas gave his new owners from Qatar a great win in the Dubai Kahayla Classic, the Purebred Arabian Group 1 feature on Dubai World Cup night last year. TM Junior Johnson, now in the all-conquering Al Asayl Stables owned by the President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, will be looking to make a winning debut in the Kahayla — a World Cup of sorts for the Purebred Arabian horses.

Both are in the line-up for the Dubai Kahayla Classic (Group 1) contest on the all-weather as the only race for Arabians kickstarts the world’s richest race meeting on March 30. The strong field includes former Kahayla winners Seraphin Du Paon and TM Fred Texas, but Ernst Oertel, who is all set to become the first trainer from Abu Dhabi to win the season’s top trainer title, will be looking at TM Junior Johnson to step in if Seraphin Du Paon fails to deliver.

TM Junior Johnson was last seen in action in the Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival’s Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan (Group 3) contest in Houston in March last year. With demand growing for Burning Sand-sired horses and after TM Fred Texas’ superb win last year, the Al Asayl Sables secured TM Junior Johnson last September, but fans in Abu Dhabi never saw him on the tracks.

“He arrived here in September but has had a few setbacks since then,” said an Al Asayl official. “However, he is back in good shape and has been working well.”

Oertel’s runner has made trips down to Meydan from his Al Asayl base in Sweihan to get a feel of the track there. “He has been to Meydan for a few gallops and has been working well,” said the official. “Of course, it will be his first run here so we are hoping he is up to his best. He is still young.”

Joining the two full brothers is their half-brother AF Sanadek, bred here in the UAE and on an unbeaten seven-race streak here. AF Sanadek is sired by Burning Sand out of Fauvette Al Maury and bred here by Khalid Khalifa Al Naboodah.