Dubai: Rebel's Romance lands 21st career win in Dubai City of Gold
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Rebel’s Romance scored a measured 1 1/2-length victory, the 21st of his epic career, in the Dubai City of Gold Stakes on Super Saturday at Meydan Racecourse.
The performance puts Rebel’s Romance on target to make his fourth start in the $6 million Sheema Classic, where he was seventh in 2023, first in 2024, and fourth a year ago. Rebel’s Romance, an 8-year-old trained for Godolphin by Charlie Appleby, twice has won the Breeders’ Cup Turf and finished second in North America’s most important grass race this past November.
William Buick rode Rebel’s Romance, who broke from the rail in the 1 1/2-mile City of Gold and stalked the pace while stuck to the fence for much of his trip. After passing the halfway point on the far turn, Buick found room to get his mount off the rail and out into the clear, and turning for home, Rebel’s Romance inhaled the pacesetter without being asked. Fort George, who would finish more than seven lengths clear of third, made a run at the mighty odds-on favorite but Rebel’s Romance never had an anxious moment, Buick leaving plenty in the tank for the March 28 Sheema Classic.
While Rebel’s Romance looked much like his best self, 9-year-old Tuz did not, struggling home fifth in the Mahab Al Shimaal as El Naseeb rolled to a win. Tuz won the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen on the 2024 Dubai World Cup card but will not factor in this year’s renewal unless he can improve five or six lengths.
Co-trainers Simon and Ed Crisford unleashed two sharp stakes winners on the card, including Meydaan, who romped to a 5 1/4-length tally in the Group 2, $463,000 Al Maktoum Classic, an especially noteworthy showing since Meydaan was making his dirt debut. Five-year-old Meydaan, by Frankel out of Nezwah, by Dubawi, brought solid turf credentials to his 18th start but probably hit a career peak in the 1 1/4-mile Al Maktoum Classic. William Buick rode the winner, who was gelded after his 2024 season and steadily improved through his 2025 campaign.
The Crisfords and jockey Ryan Moore also won the Singspiel Stakes, a 1 1/8-mile turf prep for the $5 million Dubai Turf, with Quddwah, a 6-year-old Kingman horse who is a Group 3 winner in Europe. Quddwah, making his third start this winter in the United Arab Emirates, stalked the pace from second in the Singspiel, going clear in upper stretch and hitting an even higher gear when belatedly changing leads at the furlong grounds. Quddwah won off by 2 1/2 lengths over Dividend and might at least make a minor dent in the Dubai Turf with a comparable showing.
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