Super Saturday: Military Law earns Dubai World Cup spot

In 2021 Military Law was denied his chance of Grade 1 Dubai World Cup glory when getting loose before the start and being withdrawn.

Three years on, he gets another opportunity, thanks to victory in the Al Maktoum Classic (G2), the featured race of Saturday's card at Meydan. The race gives guaranteed entry into the $12 million event on March 30th.

The now 9-year-old had a spell with trainer Doug Watson last season but is thriving now back with Musabbeh Al Mheiri, who gave jockey Oscar Chavez the leg up for this dirt contest covering about 1 1/16 miles. The pair turned for home with a narrow advantage over Walk Of Stars and had to be tenacious to hold off that rival and third home Clapton by a length.

“I wasn’t expecting this at all!” said Chavez after his biggest thoroughbred winner in Dubai.

“He jumped a little bit awkward but then he put himself in the race and once he got to the straight he really had momentum and at the 800 (meters, about 1/2 mile) he gave me a big kick and I just let him roll.”

“Winning a race tonight is so fantastic; I’m happy to be on him today and to ride in the World Cup would be something extra.”

Classic dreaming for Cinderella

There was a remarkable display of riding from William Buick who managed to win the Jumeirah Guineas on Cinderella’s Dream – despite no stirrups.

Charlie Appleby’s filly was much the best in the field on paper and showed it in the race, powering to a five and a half-length success over Geologist, although Buick’s unorthodox position made it look a little ungainly.

“She took a hold early and because she’s quite slight my saddle slipped up her neck when I took a pull,” said the jockey. “I was getting a bit unbalanced, so the safest thing to do was to take my feet out. It was a bit of a rodeo show, but we got the job done.

Appleby added: “She’s four from four now and doing little wrong. The filly who won this last year went on to win the Guineas and while I’m not saying she’s good enough to win one, she’s certainly earning the right to run in one.”

Buick and Appleby also took the colts’ 3-year-old turf race, the Jumeirah Classic with Legend Of Time.

It was a third win of the carnival for the Sea The Stars colt, who made smooth progress to take the lead in the straight in the turf race at about 1 1/8 miles and beat stablemate Musical Act by four and three-quarter lengths.

“He’s won the series now and probably 1800 metres (about 1 1/8 miles) is more to his liking,” said Buick. “He’s an exciting horse for the rest of the season. The American turf derby series over there might suit him.”

Appleby collected a treble when Bold Act gave him a sixth win in the Dubai City of Gold (G2).

The 4-year-old was one of three Godolphin runners in the turf race at about 1 1/2 miles and produced a striking turn of foot to beat stablemate Warren Point by two lengths, taking his career tally to eight wins from 14 starts.

“I had a lovely race, the pace was nice and regular,” said winning jockey Mickael Barzalona. “I came to the front very easy, but when he was there he did the minimum, so this was an easy win for him.”

Frost At Dawn earns Al Quoz spot

This has been a good carnival for British trainers and William Knight was the latest to pick up a trophy when his ultra-tough filly Frost At Dawn beat the boys in the Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint (G3).

The 3-year-old was making her fifth start of the carnival and richly deserved the win, having placed three times. This time she reversed form with Star Of Mystery, running hard along the far rail and never being caught, beating the other filly by two and a half lengths.

“I had the luck to have a good draw today, so I just played my card,” said Barzalona after breaking the track record in a time of 55:41 seconds. “It’s the first time I’ve ridden her. She’s fast and I think she would travel even better over six furlongs.”

As part of the Dubai World Cup bonus scheme, Frost At Dawn has now earned a spot in the Al Quoz Sprint (G1), in which she will return to six furlongs.

There was a second European-trained winner on the card when Fort Payne just held on in a thrilling edition of the Ras Al Khor (G3).

Trained by carnival regular Nicolas Caullery, the 6-year-old arrived here via one run on the dirt and one at Abu Dhabi but seemed to like Meydan’s seven-furlong turf course most. Ridden by Adrie De Vries, he had to wait for running room near two furlongs out but once in the clear ran on strongly and won by a neck from Tamborrada.

“I was pushed wide and saw too much daylight at Abu Dhabi last time,” said De Vries of Fort Payne’s second in the Listed President’s Cup. “Today he was in top form, they did a great job with him.”

Caullery, also successful in Dubai with dual winners Golden Wood and Batwan, added: “I’m not sure what we will do with him (Fort Payne) next. We will have a little celebration and then think about it.”

Sparkling double for Seemar

One of the most impressive winners of the day was Laurel River, who ran away with the Burj Nahaar (G3).

The 6-year-old, a recruit from the U.S., was a little disappointing when only seventh on his local debut but bounced back with a vengeance here; cruising into the straight ten lengths clear of his rivals and winning by six and three-quarter lengths from Qareeb.

“He’s a high-class horse and, to be fair to him, he hadn’t run in 18 months when we ran him over six furlongs,” said winning rider Tadhg O’Shea. “We weren’t disappointed the last time, but they’re racehorses and not computers; sometimes they just need a run to get back on their A-Game.

“Hats off to Bhupat and the team and to Juddmonte for keeping the faith with him.”

Seemar celebrated a 1-2-3 and automatic Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) entry later on when Leading Spirit beat stablemates Freedom Fighter and Morning in the Mahab Al Shimaal (G3), over about six furlongs on dirt.

Ridden by Pat Cosgrave, the 8-year-old was third turning in but his sustained run carried him to a length and a half victory, the seventh of his career.

“He’s fantastic and we’ve been very lucky with him this season,” said Mike Kaye, founder of owners Touch Gold Racing. “He’s stayed sound and been very easy to deal with. We took the blinkers off, too, which seemed to work.

“This is our biggest win. We’ve won a Group 3 before but never on Super Saturday.”

The day’s Group 1 was the opening Purebred Arabian Maktoum Challenge Round 3, which produced a compelling battle between winner Sunny Du Loup and runner-up AF Alwajel.

Sunny Du Loup prevailed by a short head, giving second season trainer Hamad Al Marar his first top level win and jockey Connor Beasley his second.

“He was very gutsy and game there today,” said Beasley. “I jumped smart from the gates but then got shuffled back further than ideal. Turning in I had to ask him a little bit more than I expected but every time I asked he kept finding.

“I always felt I was on top, although you can’t be sure when it’s that close.”

Meydan Racecourse stages its final carnival meeting on Friday, March 8th, before the focus switches to the $30.5 million Dubai World Cup card on March 30th.