Melbourne delight heightens Meydan interest
Longines sponsors full card of seven races as season shifts gear
Following the excitement of the Breeders’ Cup and Melbourne Cup, the racing spotlight shifts to the UAE’s much-loved Meydan Racecourse, which hosts its second meeting of the season today.
The stunning success of Godolphin’s Cross Counter in Melbourne’s iconic race on Tuesday will undoubtedly have helped heighten the interest of local racing fans as the season picks up.
Sponsored entirely by Meydan’s Pillar Partner Longines, the seven-race card features several interesting contests headed by the Longines Ladies Master Collection maiden over a mile.
The second two-year contest at Meydan in as many weeks is the perfect start to an evening, which looks competitive and full of depth in the quality of the runners.
The first of these juvenile races was won by Walking Thunder representing the newly formed Phoenix Ladies Syndicate, who once again look to have strong claims with Superior, who, like Walking Thunder, is trained by Ahmad Bin Harmarsh and ridden by Connor Beasley.
A son of Majesticperfection, Superior is a half-brother to four winners and boasts the same partnership of trainer Bin Harmash and Beasley. Looking ahead to the race, Phoenix Ladies Syndicate principal Pamela Cordina said: “We could not have hoped for a better start as owners and it was all very exciting, but we were pretty confident as our trainer said (Walking Thunder) was working well.
“He is similarly bullish about Superior, so fingers crossed [that] lightning can strike twice.”
Among the opposition is Luxor Temple, who is trained by Ali Rashid Al Rayhi for Phoenix Thoroughbreds, under whose umbrella the Ladies Syndicate operates
Sandeep Jadhav, enjoying his first season as a full trainer at Fazz Stables, sent out unraced Lahmoom for Alqemmah Racing Team. Xavier Ziani takes the ride.
Jadhav is also represented by Majed Ali Al Marzooqui’s $100,000 (Dh367,200) Ocala sale purchase, Emdad. Royston Ffrench gets the call up.
Reigning champion trainer Doug Watson saddles Martial Art, a juvenile colt by Jimmy Creed who sold at Keeneland last year for $120,000.