GODOLPHIN MILE
● 3.45pm (Group 2)
● 1,600m (Dirt)
● $1 million
● Sponsored by Meydan Sobha
North America
For some horses when they change yard it can work the oracle and in the case of North America he has shown improvement since joining Satish Seemar’s Zabeel yard. After a year off he started racing for new connections at the end of 2016 and has not put a foot wrong in four runs. His demolition of the Group 3 Firebreak Stakes field at Meydan was by far and away his best performance and made him a massive player in the Godolphin Mile, the first race of the day. Ridden by the ever likeable and UAE-based Richard Mullen, this fiveyear-
old son of Dubawi is bound to be a popular local winner if he continues his rise.
DUBAI KAHAYLA CLASSIC
● 4.15pm (Group 1)
● 2,000m (Dirt) Purebred Arabians
● $1 million
● Empowered by IPIC
AF Mathmoon
It’s not often you see a horse improve on an amazing performance, but last year’s winner of this race has shown signs he has. AF Mathmoon, a surprise winner in 2016, has since shown his class, and a successful defence is more than just a possibility. He has annihilated good fields in Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1 and Mazrat Al Ruwayah and sealed a great partnership with his new jockey, Jim Crowley. Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance’s six-year-old looks to be a promising selection to open the evening with a triumph.
DUBAI GOLD CUP
● 4.50pm (Group 2)
● 3,200m (Turf)
● $1 million
● Sponsored by Al Tayer Motors
Vazirabad
We expect last year’s winner Vazirabad to put up another strong show. He saw off Big Orange in 2016 in a thrilling finish. Vazirabad continued to have an amazingly consistent season in France after his Meydan triumph and victory in the Group 1 Prix Royal-Oak at Saint Cloud was the highlight. He has had a prep run here in the Nad Al Sheba Trophy and should strip much fitter on the big night. He is ridden by star jockey Christophe Soumillon and we expect him to make no mistake here.
THE UAE DERBY
● 5.25pm (Group 2)
● 1,900m (Dirt)
● $2 million
● Sponsored by The Saeed and Mohammed
Al Naboodah Group
Thunder Snow
It’s notoriously difficult to pick the winner in this race, but this year the mighty Godolphin may have the answer. The experienced and high-quality colt Thunder Snow looks to have a great shout. In his last two runs the penny really seems to have dropped and he looks top-class. First he won the Group 1 Critèrium International at Saint Cloud (France) and then he showed his well-being with another demolition in the UAE 2000 Guineas here at Meydan in February. His trainer Saeed Bin Suroor is a master on World Cup night and we expect this one will join his list of illustrious winners.
AL QUOZ SPRINT
● 6pm (Group 1)
● 1,200m (Turf)
● $1 million
● Sponsored by Azizi Developments
Limato
I think it’s fair to say 2016 was the year that Limato lived up to his hype and came of age. A remarkable victory in the Darley July Cup was the highlight of his season. He also won the Group 1 Prix de la Forêt in Chantilly in super style. Trained by the old-school master Henry Candy in beautiful Berkshire UK, this five-year-old son of Tagula looks to be the best challenger from Europe, making him one to beat. He has built up a great relationship with Harry Bentley who knows the track and conditions here so well. They are sure to be in the mix.
Ertijaal
If you believe in the old adage horses for courses, then Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Ertijaal could be the one for you. Last year’s runner-up looks set to go one place better in 2017. He will be ridden by the newly retained Jim Crowley who has already won on him twice, most recently when defeating Jungle Cat in February’s Meydan Sprint. He is trained locally by the
experienced Ali Rashid Al Rayhi and has only been beaten once in his last seven races — a wrong he will be looking to right tonight.
DUBAI GOLDEN SHAHEEN
● 6.35pm (Group 1)
● 1,200m (Dirt)
● $2 million
● Sponsored by Gulf News
Mind Your Biscuits
This race has traditionally been one where US-trained horses fare well. Mind Your Biscuits, trained by Chad Summers, has a great line of form. The speedster was runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint before taking out the Malibu Sprint at the end of 2016. They gave him a great warm-up in the Gulfstream Park Sprint Stakes at the end of February and despite going down narrowly, this four-year-old son of Posse looked to be going the right way. Joel Rosario looks to take the ride and we all remember him here on this big night. We are with Biscuits and we cannot wait to see him.
DUBAI TURF
● 7.30pm (Group 1)
● 1,800m (Turf)
● $6 million
● Sponsored by DP World
Decorated Knight
When Decorated Knight won the Group 1 Jebel Hatta here on Super Saturday, he underlined his credentials of being a serious player in the Dubai Turf. Roger Charlton trains this horse and having trained the winner in 2012 he knows exactly what he needs to take this prize. He has a very progressive form line and this five-year-old son of Galileo looks every part a big player. He races in the famous colours of Authorised who won the Epsom Derby and Andrea Atzeni looks set to take the ride. He seems sure to be on the premises.
Zarak
Another horse with a progressive line of form is the Alain de Royer-Dupré-trained Zarak. Until recently he had run all his races in his native France where finishing runner-up in the French Derby was probably his best form but he was nothing if not consistent. Always ridden by Soumillon he took his chance in the Dubai Millennium Stakes where he saw off strong competition. He is fit and likes the course, so we will be disappointed if he’s not a huge threat in this contest.
DUBAI SHEEMA CLASSIC
● 8.05pm (Group 1)
● 2,410m (Turf)
● $6 million
● Presented by Longines, Official Timekeeper
Highland Reel
If you want strength and consistency in a horse, then you will like the chances of the globetrotting Highland Reel. Trained in Ireland by the genius Aiden O’Brien, this five-year-old son of Galileo ran in Ireland, England, France, the US, Hong Kong and Dubai last year. Owned by Coolmore and Partners, his highlights were winning the King George V1 and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Ascot (UK) and the Breeders’ Cup Turf. He will be ridden by Ryan Moore and should he run, beating this five-year-old horse will prove to be a challenge.
Postponed
Last year’s winner Postponed returns for another crack at the Sheema Classic. Victory in 2016 launched this six-year-old son of Dubawi into the big time for a stellar European season, which included victories in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Coronation Cup and the Juddmonte International at York. Roger Varian trains this star performer and he ran a promising prep race on Super
Saturday at Meydan where he finished a fast finishing second in the Dubai City of Gold and that should have put him spot on. He is owned by Shaikh Mohammad Bin Obaid Al Maktoum whose yellow colours are seen worn by his jockey, Andrea Atzeni who is an Italian based in the UK and is a class act. You can expect this team to put up a strong defence of their title.
DUBAI WORLD CUP
● 8.45pm (Group 1)
● 2,000m (Dirt)
● $10 million
● Sponsored by Emirates Airline
Arrogate
You have to take your hats off to the organisers of Dubai World Cup for attracting the best horse in the world to its showpiece. It has happened again this year and we will get a chance to see Arrogate (left) in the flesh. He was
undefeated in his past six races and was only beaten in a tight finish on his first run. Arrogate is trained by Bob Baffert who knows what it takes to win this race. Having won the Travers Stakes, Breeders’ Cup Classic and Pegasus World Cup Invitational, this superstar will be looking to make it a fourth Group 1 win on the spin here at Meydan. Owned by Juddmonte Farms and to be ridden by veteran US jockey Mike Smith, the four-year-old is expected to turn up and prove beyond doubt he is the best in the world.
Mubtaahij
Last year’s big race runner-up comes back for another crack aiming to go one better this time around. He is owned by Shaikh Mohammad Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum and trained by the hugely successful and ever popular South African Mike de Kock. Mubtaahij (below) enjoyed a mixed campaign last year in the US during the summer with only just being beaten in the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes being the highlight. He had a warm-up in the Curlin Stakes and looks likely to come on for the run. If there are any cracks in Arrogate, then this son of Dubawi is sure to be one of those most likely to be able to find them.
- The author is a UAE-based racing broadcaster and polo commentator
