The inaugural Dubai International Racing Carnival Sale, to be conducted by Tattersalls and the Dubai Racing Club on March 4-5 at Nad Al Sheba, has a total of 131 racing-age horses cataloged.
The auction incorporates Dubai's annual Emirates Racing Authority horses-in-training sale, previously held in May, and also will feature Racing Carnival graduates. The graduates' session is open to all horses eligible to race during the festival, which runs from Jan. 17 to March 6 this year.
Sacred Kingdom reaffirmed his position as the world's best sprinter at Sha Tin on Sunday with a convincing 1 1/2-length victory over his arch rival Absolute Champion in the $577,000 Chairman's Sprint Prize, the second leg of Hong Kong's Champion Sprint Series.
Under Gerald Mosse, Sacred Kingdom outkicked Absolute Champion from the quarter pole, covering the six furlongs in 1:08.60 on good ground as the 1-5 favorite.
n what is probably the world's most heated head-to-head Thoroughbred rivalry, Sacred Kingdom and Absolute Champion, the two highest-rated sprinters in the world, will clash for the fourth time in recent months in the $577,000 Chairman's Sprint Prize at Sha Tin on Sunday.
Cocoa Beach turned the tables on Fiesta Lady in an intramural battle otherwise known as the UAE 1000 Guineas at Nad Al Sheba Thursday night.
The Chilean-bred Cocoa Beach corralled Fiesta Lady, her Argentine-bred stablemate, just inside the furlong pole and ran off with the $250,000 listed event by 5 1/4 widening lengths. It was another 11 lengths back to an uncompetitive Love of Dubai in third.
Lucky Find continued his progress toward the Dubai World Cup with a decisive 2 1/4-length victory in Round 2 of the $200,000 Maktoum Challenge at Nad Al Sheba on Thursday night.
The South African-bred Lucky Find had little difficulty overhauling the pacesetting Kandidate to win the Group 3 contest, clocking 1:49.06 for the 1 1/8 miles on a fast dirt track. Kandidate was a clear second, seven lengths in front of Imperial Star in third. West Virginia, making his first start since October 2006, was last of 12.
Fiesta Lady should once again get the better of her Saeed bin Suroor-trained stablemate Cocoa Beach as they renew their rivalry in the $250,000 UAE 1000 Guineas at Nad Al Sheba on Friday night.
The Argentine-bred Fiesta Lady, representing Godolphin, was an impressive 3 1/4-length winner over the ex-Chilean Cocoa Beach in a seven-furlong allowance on Jan. 17. Fiesta Lady should appreciate the added furlong of the Guineas more than her rival, who will carry the colors of Sheikh Mohammed's wife, Princess Haya of Jordan.
As Dubai awaits the imminent arrival of Curlin, winner of the Breeders' Cup Classic and early favorite for the Dubai World Cup, 12 pretenders to the throne of best dirt horse on the planet will line up at Nad Al Sheba Thursday night for Round 2 of the Group 3, $200,000 Maktoum Challenge.