Dubai: Lord Glitters rebounds with win in Singspiel Stakes

The 2021 Dubai World Cup Carnival began Thursday night at Meydan with several encouraging performances, none more so than the one from Lord Glitters, who turned back the clock blasting to a three-length victory in the Group 2 Singspiel Stakes over 1,800 meters.

Eight-year-old Lord Glitters flew into Dubai to finish an excellent third in the 2019 Dubai Turf, won by the great Almond Eye, but this winter he is based in the emirate for trainer David O’Meara. Lord Glitters hadn’t won a race since he captured the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes over a straight mile in June 2019 and appeared during his 2020 campaign to have lost a step.

Maybe he did, but that was not apparent Thursday as Lord Glitters rallied from well behind a strong pace that did benefit him, roaring to a three-length win over the well-regarded Zakouski.

“He did things so quickly; I thought I had a long way to make up, but halfway through the straight I was sure to win,” said jockey Adrie de Vries, who rode Lord Glitter for the first time.

Lord Glitters need only maintain his form over the next two months to earn a return berth in the Dubai Turf, run over the same trip as the Singspiel.

Military Law won the featured Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1 over 1,600 meters on dirt, but though he crossed the line 1 1/4 lengths better than runner-up Thegreatcollection, the second-place finisher ran at least as well as the winner. While Military Law snagged a cozy spot just behind pacesetting Cappezano and found room between horses when he needed it a quarter-mile from the finish, Thegreatcollection endured a very rough trip. He had to be steadied on at least one occasion and was caught extremely wide around the turn, running on gamely to nip Salute the Soldier for place. As for the winner, he’s 6-year-old Dubawi gelding trained by Musabbah al Mheiri since a second-place finish last March in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2, an obvious short-term goal this winter. Mheiri deemed his charge a better horse this year than last and believes he’ll earn a spot in the World Cup field.

Switzerland, fairly well known to American racing fans for his time with trainers Chad Brown and Steve Asmussen, posted an upset in the Group 3 Dubawi Stakes, a 1,200-meter dirt race leading toward the Golden Shaheen on the World Cup card. Racing for the first time since March, and racing for the first time as a gelding, Switzerland blew past the leaders in midstretch and won the Dubawi by 1 1/4 lengths over Waady. Trainer Sateesh Seemar now has won the Dubawi seven times in the last eight years, including four renewals with Reynaldothewizard.

Frankie Dettori, meanwhile, is hanging his tack in Dubai through the Super Saturday card in early March (sure to return for the World Cup program) and notched two winners Thursday. Land of Legends scored smartly for Godolphin in the Group 2 Al Fahidi Fort, followed by Equilateral’s win in the 1,000-meter Dubai Dash.

The Carnival resumes Thursday.