The Gr3 UAE Oaks (presented by DP World) has twice in recent seasons produced fillies to run in the Gr1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs and Queen Azteca could do the same after a thrilling win in this year’s renewal.
Queen Azteca’s connections celebrate her win (Pic – DRC)
The 1900m dirt race wasn’t an easy watch for trainer Niels Petersen, however, after Queen Azteca, who had beaten most of these rivals in the Cocoa Beach Stakes, left it late under jockey Carlos Lopez.
She looked an unlikely winner at the top of the stretch, needing all of it to get there and deny pacesetter Arigatou Goziamasu by just under a length.
“It was a bit more stressful than I thought it would be!” said Petersen, who is 13-times Champion Trainer in Norway. “I didn’t think Arigatou would be the one to step up, after last time, but both fillies ran great races.
“From 50m out, I thought we had a good shot at it when Arigatou stopped a little, so maybe it looked easier than it was.
“It’s a big racing scene here and we come from little Norway, so to pull it off is a huge achievement. I think all of Scandinavia was cheering us on today.”
Choisya Spoils the Dream for Cinderella
The presence of Cinderella’s Dream, two from two at Meydan and a Gr1 winner, made the night’s official feature, the Gr2 Balanchine Stakes (presented by DP World), a quality affair.
Cinderella’s Dream’s trainer Charlie Appleby stated before that she wasn’t fully tuned up for this, with bigger targets later on, and maybe that was what caught her out.
Ridden by William Buick, she threatened in the straight but failed to catch the Simon and Ed Crisford-trained Choisya, who completed the big fillies’ turf double by adding this to her Gr2 Cape Verdi success.
“Today there was much more pace early on,” said winning jockey Mickael Barzalona, who made all the running in the Cape Verdi. “I was happy to sit in just behind the leaders. When we hit the straight, I asked her to pick up and she did so very well.
“It’s always a huge advantage for jockeys when horses can be in different positions and today she won because she’s very versatile.”
The Crisfords enjoyed a double on the card, initiated when a superb Pat Dobbs ride got Magnum Opus home in the DP World Logistics Handicap, over 1800m on turf.
He had the whole of the field in front of him turning for home but found a way through to deny Folk Festival, who looked marked for the win under Bernardo Pinheiro.
“He didn’t travel for the first half of the race but once I got there and gave him a little squeeze he showed a brilliant turn of foot,” said Dobbs. “There wasn’t much of a gap but he was going that well he was able to get through it.”
Dubai Future Rolls Back the Years for Bin Suroor
The most popular winner of the night might well have been the evergreen Dubai Future, who gave Saeed Bin Suroor his first Meydan win for two years in the Gr3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy (presented by DP World).
The nine-year-old, remarkably running at his sixth Carnival but off the track for over a year, was given a hold-up ride by Silvestre De Sousa. However, he passed the rest of the field easily in the straight, winning by four and a half lengths and gaining automatic entry to the Gr2 Dubai Gold Cup on World Cup day.
“He had a little bit of a setback last year which is why he didn’t run,” said Bin Suroor. “I didn’t want to lead with him today as it was his first time back after a break, so I told him [De Sousa] to go in behind.
“He’ll now go straight to the Dubai Gold Cup.”
Another going to the big night is Galactic Star who will head to the Gr2 UAE Derby after winning the Listed Al Bastakiya (presented by DP World), a course and distance prep over 1900m on dirt.
The Bhupat Seemar trainee, ridden by Richie Mullen, was always close to the pace and had just enough left to repel British challenger and hot favourite Heart Of Honor by a neck.
“I always knew they liked this horse a lot,” said Mullen. “He’s got his quirks but he’s full of ability and talent. There were question marks over the trip but Bhupat said ride him as if he gets it.
“It helps if they’re going two turns because they come back to you a bit easier going into that first turn and horses can just relax a little bit more than they do over a mile.”
One of the most impressive winners of the night was Classic City, who streaked home in the DP World GCC Handicap, over 2000m on dirt, giving jockey Alexandre Da Silva a first Meydan win.
Owned and trained by Ernst Oertel, better known for success with Arabians but adept with Thoroughbreds too, the six-year-old powered clear of his 14 rivals in the straight and was six and a quarter lengths too good for Elraaed at the line.
“I just bought him for a bit of fun!” said Oertel. “I didn’t even tell [wife and fellow trainer] Elise [Jeanne].
“I was quite confident when I saw this race as 2000m is what he needs.”
Expert Choice provided trainer Julio Olascoaga with his second winner in as many weeks when running out the decisive winner of the opening Mina Rashid Handicap, over 1600m on turf. Ridden by Jim Crowley, the four-year-old was good value for a length and a quarter win over Spanish raider El Bosnia.
“I’m two from two on him, and he’s a horse who takes a little bit of knowing,” said Crowley, who was also successful on the gelding at Abu Dhabi in December. “Everything panned out for him today and I probably got to the front sooner than ideal, really.
“He’s probably got more ability than he shows, so it’s nice to get another win out of him.”
The final race, the Jebel Ali Port Handicap over 1200m on dirt, went to a rapidly improving sprinter in Smart System, who overcame a rise in grade to win his second race in a row for trainer Ali Al Badwawi and jockey Connor Beasley.
Meydan Racecourse is back in action on Saturday, 1 March, when the big Emirates Super Saturday meeting provides more Dubai World Cup day clues.
