Even the third-string steeplechasers trained by Willie Mullins are stars.
On Saturday at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, Nick Rockett ($71.40) won the Grade 1 Grand National Steeplechase, beating stablemate I Am Maximus, who won the 2024 running.
Mullins swept the top three positions in the 34-runner field when 44-1 Grangeclere West finished third. He is the first person to achieve the milestone in the famous race, first run in 1839.
The world saw on Saturday why Danon Decile was Japan’s champion 3-year-old male of 2024.
In his first appearance outside of Japan, Danon Decile won the Group 1 Sheema Classic at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, catching deep stretch leader, and 8-5 favorite, Calandagan in the final sixteenth.
Danon Decile, who paid $21.60 in American pools, won the $6 million Sheema Classic by 1 1/4 lengths to give Japanese-based runners a third win on the Dubai World Cup program. Earlier, Admire Daytona won the Group 2 U.A.E. Derby and Soul Rush won the Group 1 Dubai Turf.
In his first start away from the Far East, the Japanese 7-year-old Soul Rush caught the heavily favored Romantic Warrior in the last stride to win the Group 1 Dubai Turf at 1 1/8 miles at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai on Saturday.
Romantic Warrior, the 1-5 favorite in American pools and widely recognized as one of the world’s finest runners, appeared on his way to win before Soul Rush closed ground steadily through the final sixteenth to win the $5 million Dubai Turf by a nose.
Dark Saffron, a 3-year-old and the third-longest shot in a field of 11, led throughout Saturday’s Group 1 Golden Shaheen for sprinters at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai to win his first stakes against a top-class field.
Straight No Chaser, who won the Eclipse Award as the champion sprinter of 2024, could only finish eighth, beaten nine lengths as the even-money favorite in American pools.
Stefi Magnetica ended a six-race losing streak since June with an upset victory in Saturday’s Group 1 Doncaster Mile at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia, beating a field of 19 that included Moira, who won the Eclipse Award winner as the champion turf female of 2024.
Moira had her first start in the Australia in the $2.51 Doncaster Mile, and first start since a win in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Del Mar last November. Moira finished 14th in the Doncaster Mile, beaten slightly less than five lengths, after racing in 12th early.
Admire Daytona earned a trip to the $5 million Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 3 with an upset win in Saturday’s Grade 2 United Arab Emirates Derby at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai.
Admire Daytona was not nominated to the American Triple Crown earlier this year, but trainer Yukihiro Kato told Meydan publicity that the colt would be sent to Kentucky.
Admire Daytona can be nominated for $6,000 on Monday.
Doug O’Neill has raced more than any American trainer in Dubai, even, for a couple seasons, sending a string of runners to run at Meydan during the winter. O’Neill knows what it takes to win on the Dubai World Cup card, and after pointing Raging Torrent for months to the Godolphin Mile, O’Neill hit a bullseye on Saturday. Going straight to the lead under Frankie Dettori, Raging Torrent swatted away his pace rival, American expat Mufasa, and never came close to facing a homestretch challenge, winning the Group 2, $1 million Godolphin Mile by 3 1/2 lengths.
A poor recent race record aside, I Am Maximus will be favored to win Saturday’s famous Grand National steeplechase at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, for the second consecutive year.
In 2024, I Am Maximus was a co-favorite at 7-1, winning the grueling race at about 4 1/4 miles over 30 fences by 7 1/2 lengths.
In preparation for this year’s race, I Am Maximus was always going to have a light campaign directed by his famous trainer, Willie Mullins, the leading jumps trainer in Ireland.
