Arabian Light could be a name to watch out for in the future after Charlie Appleby’s charge made his second Meydan Racecourse start a winning one in the featured Lord Glitters Handicap (sponsored by Azizi Developments).
Arabian Light (William Buick) wins the Lord Glitters Handicap (Pic – DRC)
Ridden by William Buick, the four-year-old looked unlucky when third in the Lord North Handicap last time out but made amends here with a conclusive victory.
Despite slightly missing the break and being bumped at the start, the son of Kingman and Meydan Listed winner Pure Diamond was able to hit the lead inside the final 400m and deny veteran Sean, who ran a stormer in second, by half a length.
“He was a bit slow away, but I managed to get in the slipstream of the leaders and he had a nice run round,” said Buick.
“He perhaps got a bit lonely in front late on. There’s plenty for him to look at here and he’s still a young horse.”
Godolphin took all three feature races, their winning spree starting when Symbol Of Honour took the Dubai Trophy (sponsored by Azizi Developments), for three-year-olds over 1200m. Appleby’s grey was the hot favourite to follow up his course and distance win in the Al Wasl Stakes and he didn’t disappoint.
Ridden by William Buick, he took his time to get on terms with leader Dark Saffron but was eventually the comfortable winner, crossing the line a length and three-quarters in front.
“The form of his last win, beating subsequent Gr2 winner West Acre, worked out well,” said Buick. “I was delighted with him today. He’s a real pro and goes out there and does what he has to do. I think he’ll stay 1400m”
On a week which saw the sad death of leading owner and breeder The Aga Khan, it was fitting that the Vazirabad Handicap (sponsored by Azizi Developments) was named after his three-time Dubai Gold Cup winner.
The race itself provided the third leg of Appleby’s treble, but there was a different jockey onboard this time when Mickael Barzalona cajoled Royal Power to a late charging narrow success over stablemate El Cordobes.
“William Buick told me before the race that he should have improved for the last run and I was able to get in an OK spot,” said Barzalona. “When I got him into the clear he fought hard to get to the winning post.”
Pinheiro Impresses in Opener
Earlier on, the opening Azizi Venice Handicap, over 1600m on turf, produced a finely judged riding performance by Bernardo Pinheiro on Folk Festival.
Salem Bin Ghadayer’s four-year-old beat No Retreat on their previous outing at Abu Dhabi three weeks’ ago and it was the same one-two here, with No Retreat and Adrie De Vries traveling well and hitting the lead in the final 200m, only for Folk Festival to swoop from the very back of the field, winning by half a length.
“I know what I have under my legs!” said Pinheiro. “I really like this horse, even though he only started racing here 15 days ago.
“Three weeks ago, I was up there with the speed, but today from barrier 15 he would have been too keen, so I had to ride him patiently. He was flying at the end.”
Out of luck here, De Vries gained recompense later when Moon Blade won the Azizi Mina Conditions race for three-year-olds.
De Vries had been in the saddle when the son of Central Banker was last on debut at Jebel Ali over 1200m, but he relished the step up to 1600m this time. Off the home turn he set sights on the leading pair of Poet Orten and Galactic Star, reeling them in with ease for a length win.
“We always thought a lot of him, and he’s been working well,” said De Vries of Moon Blade, who is owned and trained by Marwan Al Baidhaei. “When he ran up the hill (Jebel Ali) it was way too short for him, but he came on a lot and he’s a nice horse for the future. I think he’ll get a mile and a quarter easily.”
Power Mode… On!
The most impressive win of the night award went to Power Mode, who was far too good for his 14 rivals in the Azizi Riviera Handicap, over 1200m on turf.
The four-year-old had been a straight track winner for trainer Danny Murphy in Ireland but only tenth on his local debut at Abu Dhabi. However, he seemed to thoroughly enjoy himself here. Ridden by Tadhg O’Shea, Bhupat Seemar’s trainee led throughout and kicked for home at the 400m marker. From then on, it was game over and he stormed to a three-length win over stablemate Jungle Mac.
“At Abu Dhabi I got absolutely no run on him. I was on the inside and went for two gaps and both closed on me,” explained O’Shea. “He’s been training very well, and he winged the gates today. I just laid up his neck and let him do the rest.”
Few Meydan meetings go by without a win for Musabbeh Al Mheiri and his Elyabri eked out success in the penultimate Burj Azizi Handicap, over 2000m on dirt.
Ridden by Richie Mullen, this was the second win of the season for the four-year-old who was poised to strike in the straight and able to out-battle leader Book Review by a length.
“Connections gave me plenty of confidence and said if I could get down the inside, he would love it,” said Mullen. “He hit a flat spot halfway round the turn and then I angled him out to give him a clear sight of things. The second, Book Review, battled back and he had to dig deep, but you only have to look at his form to see he’s a nice genuine horse.”
Sand Storm in the Desert
Sand Storm AA has been held in high esteem by trainer Ernst Oertel since joining him from France and the mare was tenacious in the Purebred Arabians’ Azizi Wasl contest, for non-winners of two.
Ridden by O’Shea, she was prominent through much of the 1600m contest and dug deep in the home straight to see off Saafeer by a length.
“She gallops super at home and we’ve won one race with her, but we were always hopeful of more,” said O’Shea. “Arabians will go once for you, but if you stop and ask again they’ll likely say no – you have to keep it smooth with them.
“She was value for the win as she was pulling out more at the end. This is her first run for new owners, Joe and Betty Gillis, so it’s nice for them to have a winner at Meydan.”
Meydan resumes on Friday, 14 February, with an eight-race card.
- www.dubairacingclub.com
