Delight in Dubai for Rebel’s Romance
Rebel’s Romance caused a surprise in the Dubai Sheema Classic, in which dual Derby winner Auguste Rodin finished last.
While Charlie Appleby’s six-yearold did win the Breeders’ Cup Turf in 2022, he was well beaten in the corresponding race 12 months ago and looked to be up against it in a field stacked with quality.
Along with Auguste Rodin, who is developing an all-or-nothing reputation, there was Emily Upjohn, Spirit Dancer and Japanese challengers Liberty Island and Stars On Earth.
The pace was pedestrian, set by Aidan O’Brien’s Point Lonsdale, but only William Buick on the eventual winner and Liberty Island were keen to stay close to it.
With half a mile to run, that trio had opened up a sizeable gap on the remainder of the field and when Buick kicked on to take up the running well over a furlong out, the writing was on the wall.
A strong stayer at the trip, Rebel’s Romance, who won the UAE Derby back in 2021, galloped all the way to the line, with Shahryar, Liberty Island and Justin Palace, all from Japan, taking minor honours. Emily Upjohn fared best of the rest just behind but Auguste Rodin offered nothing.
“He’d won a Breeders’ Cup Turf and four Group Ones, yet he was 20/1, which showed just how deep a race it was,” Appleby said. “William told me he had a plan but I told him not to tell me, then I couldn’t roast him if it went wrong!
“We were confident the right thing to do was go forward and heading down the back, I felt confident because I knew the fractions weren’t strong. William knows this track so well and did everything right.”
O’Brien was keen to write off Auguste Rodin’s below-par effort: “It was a bit of a non-event really. The race just developed into halves so we just want to put a line through the race really.
“Ryan [Moore] just said he felt he wasn’t happy where he was or anything. They just never activated at all so it was a bit of a non-event. It was just one of them where it didn’t happen.”
O’Brien had better luck earlier on the card when Tower Of London once again displayed a smart turn of foot to win the Dubai Gold Cup. The four-year-old had come from the back of the pack to win in Saudi Arabia last time out and once again Moore dropped him out at the rear.
“We’re delighted, we felt he would come on from Saudi — all the staff have been very happy with him out here,” said O’Brien.
“Ryan gave him a beautiful ride, he got it spot on. What can you say about him, he’s so cool. He saved ground on him and then dropped him on the line.”