Dubai: Matterhorn returns in Firebreak Stakes; Naval Crown tops UAE 2000 Guineas
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
The Firebreak Stakes and the UAE 2000 Guineas headline a quiet Thursday of the Dubai World Cup Carnival on Feb. 4 at Meydan Racecourse.
Both races will be contested at 1,600 meters, about one mile, around one turn on dirt, and both drew short fields. The Group 3, $125,000 Firebreak, a lead-in to the March 27 Godolphin Mile, got six entrants, as did the UAE 2000 Guineas, a prep stepping-stone to the UAE Derby on the Dubai World Cup card.
Matterhorn tops the official Firebreak ratings at 113 and finished third in this race’s 2020 renewal before returning last March to capture the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 over 2,000 meters. That race was Matterhorn’s most recent, though he could easily return ready to roll for trainer Salem bin Ghadayer, who has found plenty of high-level Meydan success the last few seasons and currently tops the UAE trainer standings with 23 winners.
Secret Ambition finished second, in front of Matterhorn, in the 2020 Firebreak and already has gotten in two runs during this UAE racing season, finishing second in a listed 1,600-meter Meydan dirt stakes in December and second again Jan. 22 in the Group 3 Jebel Ali Mile, where he broke from post 12.
Bin Ghadayer sends out a second runner, Hypothetical, who was a well-beaten fourth behind Secret Ambition last month at Jebel Ali. Hypothetical is just a 4-year-old with room to improve and brings a measure of early speed.
Eight-year-old Kimbear is a season or two past his peak, while Oasis Charm tries dirt for the first time. Trancaferro makes his first start outside his native Uruguay.
On ratings, Naval Crown is supposed to dominate the UAE 2000 Guineas, won seven of the past 12 years by Naval Crown’s owner, Godolphin. Naval Crown, trained by Charlie Appleby, twice finished third in Group 3 stakes last season in France while racing over 1,400 and 1,600 meters, and he’s by Dubawi, a European sire whose offspring often are capable on dirt. Naval Crown hasn’t yet raced on anything other than turf, but he if can handles dirt at all, he wins.
Meshakel, Zhou Storm, and Mouheeb bring modest credentials but can contend if the favorite fails to adapt to the surface switch.
First post for the six-race card is 9:30 a.m. Eastern. You can catch all the action at DRFBets.com.