Dubai: Godolphin’s preparations for this year’s Dubai World Cup meeting stepped up a gear with Group 1 heroes Yibir and Creative Force arriving in Dubai ahead of their intended runs in the Dubai Sheema Classic and Al Quoz Sprint. Exciting three-year-old Combustion is also due to travel from Japan for the UAE Derby — a race his father Discreet Cat won in 2006, according to Godolphin website.
Yibir had a sensational second half of 2021 when flashing home to get up in the final strides of the Group 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar, USA, on November 6. The victory of Yibir completed a remarkable Breeders’ Cup for Charlie Appleby and William Buick, who also scored at the meeting with two other sons of Dubawi — Modern Games in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and Space Blues in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile.
Meanwhile, Bistro provided the perfect start to a pivotal week for Godolphin’s two-year-olds in Australia when making all to easily take Monday’s Listed Cinderella Stakes at Morphettville.
Her trainers Anthony and Sam Freedman have already enjoyed significant juvenile success for Godolphin this season with Daumier, who captured the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield at the end of February.
Daumier is set to return to action on Saturday in the world’s most valuable two-year-old contest, the G1 Golden Slipper, at Rosehill. The Epaulette colt is bidding to become the first horse since Sepoy in 2011 to complete the Blue Diamond-Golden Slipper double.
Golden Slipper Day includes four more G1 races, with top three-year-old Anamoe in the frame for the Rosehill Guineas and leading mare Colette under consideration for the George Ryder Stakes.
Several horses produced excellent efforts in defeat over the past week including Cody’s Wish, who went down by a neck on his G3 debut in the Challenger Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.
Character took third in the G2 Phar Lap Stakes at Rosehill, with Magic Carpet and Gravina also placing in G3 contests on the same card. Midtown made a pleasing return to action in France as he chased home G1 winner The Revenant in a Saint-Cloud Listed race.
