All to play for on Super Saturday at Meydan
As we inch closer to a landmark Dubai World Cup, ‘Super Saturday’ will provide quite a few markers ahead of the big night that plays out at the end of this month.
The flagship event will be celebrating its 25th running on March 27 and Super Saturday, dubbed the dress rehearsal for the World Cup, at the Meydan Racecourse on Saturday night, will give horse connections, points to ponder over the next few weeks.
All seven races on the card almost mirror the course and distances on World Cup night and acts as the ideal prep for the showpiece.
Two Group 1 contests, three Group 3 races and one Group 2 affair make up the card with all holding its own. But, the main highlight or the centrepiece, undoubtedly, is the Al Maktoum Challenge.
It will mark the third and final round of the Challenge and the Group 1 contest, contested over 10-furlongs and on dirt, is the same as the $12 million Dubai World Cup. And it has drawn a field of 11 with reigning UAE Champion Trainer Satish Seemar sending out four on the night, while Emirati handler Salem bin Ghadayer has a triumvirate of runners.
Bin Ghadayer saddles Firnas, Hypothetical and Tailor’s Row and was delighted to report that all three were raring to go.
“All three are in good form and have been running well, but this is, obviously, a tough race. We hope they all run well and can give a good account of themselves,” said bin Ghadayer, who is eyeing a third successive win after Capezzano and Matterhorn had triumphed in 2019 and 2020 respectively.
Bahraini trainer Fawzi Nass and jockey Adrie de Vries will be looking to notch back-to-back victories after Salute The Soldier had won Round 2 of the Challenge, last month.
“That was a new trip last time and he stayed well, suggesting the extra 200m will not be an issue,” reckoned de Vries.
“He seems in great form and it is exciting to, hopefully, be involved with a genuine Dubai World Cup prospect,” he added of the six-year-old, who had won on Super Saturday last year, in the Group 3 Burj Nahaar.
Godolphin’s Saeed bin Suroor is the most successful trainer with 11 victories in the Challenge, and the Emirati handler, who is also the most successful conditioner with nine Dubai World Cup triumphs, saddles Dubai Mirage.
The mount of famed Italian jockey Frankie Dettori, the four-year-old Dubawi colt will be making his dirt debut following eight starts on turf and one on the all-weather surface.
Bin Suroor felt it would be a tough contest since it will be Dubai Mirage’s first run on dirt, but said that he deserved an opportunity after winning on the all-weather surface last year and placing second twice at Meydan this year.
“Dubai Mirage has run well on the turf so far this season, finishing second on both occasions, and we wanted to give him a chance on the dirt,” said bin Suroor. “This will be a very tough race, but he has been going nicely at home,” added the 54-year-old.
The evening begins with the Al Bastakiya, over 1800 metres, on dirt, and is a prep for the Group 2 UAE Derby. That will be followed by the Group 2 Dubai City of Gold, across 2410 metres and on turf, a prep for the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic.
Next is the Group 3 Mahab Al Shimaal, which is for the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen, while the prep for the Group 2 Godolphin Mile is the Group 3 Burj Nahaar. The Group 1 Jebel Hatta is the prep for the Group 1 Dubai Turf, while the Group 3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint is the prep for the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint.