Meydan: Super Saturday results do little to clarify Dubai World Cup card picture
Other than Shea Shea’s successful return to action in the Meydan Sprint, and, to a slightly lesser extent, Vercingetorix’s victory in the Jebel Hatta Stakes, the results of the Super Saturday card at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai did little to bring into focus the blurry picture still being projected of the March 29 Dubai World Cup card.
Four weeks after he won the Maktoum Challenge Round 2, Prince Bishop won the evening’s nomimal feature, the Group 1, $400,000 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3. Prince Bishop, trained by Saeed bin Suroor, got a perfect trip under Kieren Fallon on Saturday. The 7-year-old Prince Bishop never has won a Group or Grade 1 race; he finished 10th in the 2011 World Cup, seventh in the 2012 World Cup, and 10th last year in the Sheema Classic on the World Cup program.
South African import Variety Club, an impressive winner last month of his Dubai debut, threw the one-mile main-track division wide open with a flat second-place finish to Shuruq in the Burj Nahaar Stakes, while the City of Gold, a 1 ½- mile turf prep for the Sheema Classic, went to Excellent Result, a 4-year-old contesting his first group stakes race. And to top off the somewhat unsatisfying results, a maiden named Asmar won the Al Bastikiya Stakes for 3-year-olds by six lengths.
Mike de Kock trains both Shea Shea and Vercingetorix. Shea Shea is a known quantity in Dubai, having won the Meydan Sprint and the Al Quoz Sprint, straight-course turf dashes, during the 2013 Winter Carnival. Making his first start since October in England, Shea Shea headed immediately toward the outside fence Saturday under Christophe Soumillon, and after taking the lead about a furlong out, he held on to beat Ahtoug by a head while probably still a race from peak form.
Shea Shea will be formidable making a repeat bid in the Al Quoz, and so might Vercingetorix should he contest the Dubai Duty Free on the World Cup card. Undefeated after six starts now – four in his native South Africa, two this winter in Dubai – Vercingetorix benefitted from a perfect ground-saving, pace-stalking trip under Christophe Soumillon – with an assist from jockey Pat Cosgrave. Cosgrave rode Vercingetorix’s pacesetting stablemate Anaerobio, who kindly made room along the rail for Soumillon after straightening for home. A grand-looking 4-year-old son of Silvano, Vercingetorix won by 1 ¼ lengths over Vancouverite, with Anaerobio third.
Sanshaawes, another de Kock – Soumillon production, lost all sorts of ground in the Maktoum Challenge Round 3 as Prince Bishop skimmed the fence and managed not to get stopped rallying from mid-pack. The recorded margin of 1 ¼ lengths between first and second probably overstates the difference between the two on the day, while huge longshot Surfer’s third-place finish should call into question the race’s overall quality. African Story, favored in North American betting, never got untracked and checked in eighth.
In the Burj Nahaar, the Godolphin filly Shuruq came from mid-division to tag Variety Club in the final furlong, with Variety Club having no obvious excuse other than, perhaps, second-start regression following a good comeback run.
And speaking of comeback runs, Soft Falling Rain, the favorite in the Mahab al Shimaal over six furlongs on Tapeta, apparently needed his on Saturday. Soft Falling Rain broke from post 14, ranged into contention on the turn, but had no late spark, fading to ninth as Hong Kong invader Rich Tapestry beat local veteran Reynaldothewizard by 1 1/4 lengths. The top two could prove competitive in the Golden Shaheen on the World Cup card, while Soft Falling Rain figures to defend his title in the Godolphin Mile.
Asmar went to the front end never looked back in the Al Bastikiya, the first win of his career a convincing one, but the March 29 UAE Derby will be a different kettle of fish, with romping UAE 2000 Guineas winner Long John awaiting, and, one assumes, trainer Aidan O’Brien sending a competitive shipper from Ireland.