Capezzano canters to Dubai World Cup Carnival Super Saturday success at Meydan

Ridden by Mickael Barzalona, Capezzano stole the show from the returning Thunder Snow in devastating fashion by strolling to victory by nearly ten lengths.

Super Saturday proved just that also for trainer Charlie Appleby as he landed a trio of winners, whilst Doug Watson also saddled a double.

The proverbial dress rehearsal for the world’s richest race day, the $35 million Dubai World Cup card on Saturday 30 March, contained seven races worth $2.65 million, including two Group 1 affairs, a Group 2, a trio of Group 3 contests and a wide-open Listed event. Each of the seven is a course and distance copy of a Dubai World Cup card feature and is sponsored by pillar partner Emirates.

Godolphin’s Thunder Snow, the reigning Dubai World Cup champion, was the initial star attraction for the featured Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 but it was turned into something of a procession by Capezzano who was sent straight to the front by Barzalona and was never headed.

Thunder Snow, second in this race last year to North America before landing the Dubai World Cup, seemingly loomed as a big danger entering the straight under Christophe Soumillon, but as their challenge faltered, Barzalona and Capezzano shot clear. Owned by Sultan Ali, he fended off a stiff challenge from the race favourite and sauntered home in style winning by a massive nine and half lengths. The Simon Foster-trained South Korean horse Dolkong with French jockey Olivier Doleuze finished third.

Capezzano arrived having won both his previous outings this year, highlighted by his impressive 14-length win last out at Meydan over 1600 metre, but was winning over a classic distance for the first time.
“He’s an honest horse. Even when he won over a mile, he ran an amazing race,” Ghadayer said.

“We thought why not try him over 10 furlongs. If you go back, when he was three and ran in the Al Bastakiya and there were (also) signs in his pedigree. This horse really is amazing when he decides to run. His problem is he’s a little bit tricky of a horse and he needs to keep calm and relax. He has a big future.”

Barzalona added “He does it very well. I wasn’t very confident about the longer trip, but Salem told me to try it. I made a strong effort to lead the race and I was lucky (because) he was breathing well in the (middle) of the race. Just before I asked him to go, the last three furlongs, he really picked up nicely.”

The evening’s other Group 1 was the Jebel Hatta for those aspiring to compete in the $6 million Dubai Turf in three weeks. The race turned into another example of why Godolphin’s Dream Castle is arguably the top turf horse in the UAE, by landing his third consecutive win over the 1800 metre trip of the Dubai Turf.

Under Christophe Soumillon, the son of Frankel tracked Wootton and jockey William Buick before running down that pair with authority and hitting the line a length and quarter to the good for trainer Saeed bin Suroor

The Appleby-trained Wootton was nearly three lengths clear of yard-mate First Contact, who made the running, in third with under Barzalona.

The meeting commenced with one of the Group Three races, the $350,000 Mahab Al Shimaal run over 1200 metre on the dirt and it was the late-closing Drafted who ran on strongly to take the lead close to home with Pat Dobbs in the saddle for Doug Watson.

Lavaspin, I Kirk and Switzerland set a ferocious early pace with the talented Switzerland holding on longer than his fellow front runners. Fawzi Nass-trained longshot Nine Below Zero, under the guidance of jockey Adrie de Vries, led briefly with 100 yards to run to finish second, whilst the David Marnane-trained Tato Key, ridden by Shane Foley, was a good third with only two necks separating the top three,

Watson had to wait until the fourth race of the evening, the Group Three $350,000 Burj Nahaar sponsored by Emirates Holidays to make it a double as Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Muntazah provided him with a second winner on the card and second consecutive victory in the race.

The race is over the same 1600 metre on dirt as the Godolphin Mile, a race in which Muntazah was second to Heavy Metal last March. Breaking from the rail, jockey Jim Crowley left nothing to chance and made the running. He reached out beautifully turning for home and defeated his opponents in some style, finishing in front by 10 lengths and breaking the three-year-old track record of One Man Band, another Watson trainee. The final time was 1:34.99 – the first time ever to break the 1:35 mark (zero run-up to the pole).

The six-year-old had made his dirt debut when runner-up in the 2018 Godolphin Mile and was winning on the surface for a second time since victorious in the Firebreak over the same 1600 metre course last month. Heavy Metal missed the break badly, but rallied to a respectable fourth-place finish, just behind Turkish invader Good Curry, who was second under Halis Karatas and Musawaat, under Adrie de Vries, who was fourth in last year’s Godolphin Mile.

Either side of Watson’s double, Appleby landed a quick-fire pair of winners of his own to start his treble, the first coming thanks to Divine Image in the Al Bastakiya.

The race, the $300,000 middle leg of the UAE Triple Crown, is run over 1900 metres on the dirt and restricted to three-year-olds, and this renewal was won comprehensively by Godolphin’s UAE Oaks heroine who stalked and pounced on her male rivals with ease in the final 400 metres. The winning margin of seven and a quarter lengths under Brett Doyle was as dominant as it sounds, proving far too good for her 13 rivals, which also included two other fillies.

Superior, under Connor Beasley, was second, while Manguzi was third under Fernando Jara, second and third separated by one length.

The first turf race of the night, the Group Three $350,000 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint, also went to Appleby as Blue Point impressed again and added to the tally of Godolphin and William Buick.

Denied the opportunity to take his chance when the hot favourite for the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint on Dubai World Cup night last year, having been withdrawn at the start on veterinary advice, the 5-year-old won the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot in June and was far too good on this occasion for his ten rivals.

Although not the quickest away, he was settled in midfield by Buick before being pulled to the nearside at the halfway point. He then quickened in style to hit the front just after and sprinted clear with ease to win in impressive style by three lengths, from the only one to challenge, Watson’s Ekhtiyaar under Jim Crowley. Mazzini ran on for third under de Vries.

Buick used all his experience to navigate Old Persian away from the congested field in just enough time to provide Appleby and Godolphin with the hat trick on the card in the Dubai City of Gold

They beat bin Suroor’s Racing History (with Christophe Soumillon aboard) by a short head in the Grade Two contest run over 2410 metres on turf.

Having tracked the leaders for much of the race, Buick was suddenly short of room early in the straight and forced bide his time as the race unfolded around him. However, once in the clear, Buick found a willing partner in the 4-year-old Dubawi colt who was a Royal Ascot winner last year.

Grade 1 winner Desert Encounter in third was another three lengths back from the front two, but a neck in front of Melbourne Cup-placed Prince of Arran.
The next action at Meydan Racecourse in the UAE is next Thursday, 14 March, with the latest Racing at Meydan meeting, ahead of the hugely-anticipated Dubai World Cup meeting on Saturday 30 March.