Records crumble at Meydan ahead of Dubai WC

dubai — Two turf records fell in the Dubai World Cup Carnival on Thursday night as Championship, Ertijaal and Zarak prepped for Dubai World Cup day in breathtaking style.

Meydan Racecourse staged four high-class Group races in the Dubai World Cup Carnival on Thursday, headlined by the 1600m Group 2 Zabeel Mile in which Championship won going away in a course record time.

Winner of the 1400m Group 2 Al Fahidi Fort, four weeks ago, the Ahmad bin Harmash-trained Championship was penalised for that success but, under stable jockey, Colm O’Donoghue, stormed clear 300m out and was never going to be caught.

Only six went to post for the Group 2 Balanchine Sponsored by CitizenK, an 1800m turf feature restricted to fillies and mares. Yet it still produced a good finish with Opal Tiara, trained in England by Mick Channon, digging deep to thwart the late challenge of Via Firenze, representing France.

On the straight 1000m turf sprint course, the Group 3 Meydan Sprint sponsored by Friday was turned into a procession by Ertijaal, trained by Ali Rashid Al Rayhi and the mount of Jim Crowley, riding for his main employer, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance.

Not only did they prove far too good for their ten rivals, they also set a new record for the course and distance despite, seemingly, never being asked a serious question by a clearly impressed jockey.

Zarak was the most comfortable of winners in the closing Group 3 2000m Dubawi Stakes under Christophe Soumillon.

Trained by Alain De RoyerDupre the four year-old son of Dubawi was said to not be fully fit prior to the race and his handler was yet to set a firm course for the winner.

The penultimate race, a 1600m dirt handicap, The InsideOut, was won in style by the Salem bin Ghadayer-trained Heavy Metal.