Six individual Group 1 winners will clash in this year’s renewal of the Dubai Turf (Sponsored by DP World), with the field led by Hong Kong’s ten-time Group 1 winner Romantic Warrior.
Hoowever, the 2023 Japanese Triple Tiara winner Liberty Island is looking for redemption in Dubai.
The five-year-old mare has won four Group 1 races in Japan restricted to fillies and mares, and finished second behind the mighty Equinox in the 2023 Japan Cup.
Her campaign last year started at Meydan, where she showed her turn of foot from midfield and finished third in a slow running of the Dubai Sheema Classic.
In October 2024, Liberty Island finished a disappointing 13th in the Tenno Sho Autumn, though we can draw a line through that performance as it was after a seven-month layoff.
Her last appearance was in the Hong Kong Cup, where she finished behind local hero Romantic Warrior at Sha Tin. This is her second trip to Dubai, and she is aiming to win for the first time since October 2023.
“We had plenty of time to prepare her after her last start,” her retained jockey, Yuga ‘King’ Kawada, said. “Liberty Island loves the environment in Dubai, perhaps she is too relaxed.”
Her work rider breezed her on Tuesday, and we made sure she is ready for the race.
“The plan for her is to go to Hong Kong again to run in the QE2. We believe 2000m at Sha Tin would suit her. She is in very good form, and I hope she can run her race on Saturday.”