DUBAI (February 20, 2020)—Thursday’s seven-race Dubai World Cup Carnival card, the eighth of 2020, was worth $1,355,000 and lived up to its billing as one of the most highly anticipated race days thus far this season. The evening was topped by four Group stakes and included three highly competitive handicaps, while also providing numerous clues toward the world’s richest race day, Dubai World Cup on March 28.
DUBAI MILLENNIUM (GROUP 3)
$200,000 | 2000m (turf)
Living up to his rating of 126, the highest in the UAE, Godolphin’s Ghaiyyath made short work of his five opponents in the $200,000 Dubai Millennium (G3), easily taking command early and never allowing his talented opposition within six lengths of him after the first furlong. Reeling off 400m sectionals of 26.69, 49.69, 1:13.06 and 1:36.44, he came into the lane with a commanding lead over Group 1 winner Royal Meeting and defending champ Spotify. The son of Irish 2000 Guineas (G1) and Irish 1000 Guineas (G1) winners Dubawi and Nighttime finished up in a canter under the line in 2:00.33—a new stakes and track record for the 2000m on turf. The final winning margin was 8½ lengths, with Spotify, under James Doyle, running on well for second and Norwegian Derby winner Privilegiado returning to good form in third under Dane O’Neill. . Certain Lad, Desert Encounter and Royal Meeting completed the order of finish
A 14-length winner in similar fashion two races back of the Grosser Preis von Baden (G1) in September and unplaced when last seen in the prestigious Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1) in October, the Charlie Appleby trainee will now run in five weeks in the $6 million Longines Dubai Sheema Classic (G1).
Winner: GHAIYYATH
Pedigree: Dubawi – Nighttime (Galileo)
Owner: Godolphin
Trainer: Charlie Appleby
Jockey: William Buick
Official Time: 2:00.33 (New Stakes and Track Record)
Previous Track Record: 2:00.67 – Hunter’s Light, 2016; Certain Lad, 2020
Previous Stakes Record (Meydan): 2:00.67 – Hunter’s Light, 2016
Margin of Victory: 8½ Lengths
William Buick, Jockey, GHAIYYATH (1st)—“He’s a very energetic horse and was a little bit fresh today. He puts a lot into everything he does. It was an exercise where we hoped to produce and he did it well. He’s a hugely talented horse and like Charlie mentioned, he’s going to get a nice rest until World Cup night now.”
Charlie Appleby, Trainer, GHAIYYATH (1st)—“I’m delighted. We’ve all seen what this horse can do, especially coming up his first start, there. The reason we’ve come here instead of going down the classic Sheema Classic route of running in the (Group 3) Dubai City of Gold (on Super Saturday, March 7) is that this gives us two more weeks. The plan was to just let him float into (the race) from his outside post and once he was on the lead, we would let him roll along. We’ve seen on numerous occasions what he can do when he’s left to his own devices like that. Hopefully we can just freshen him up now and aim toward the Sheema Classic. Knowing the nature of the beast, (free-running on the lead) is what you want to see. The main thing we all know in this game is just getting these horses to breathe. In the Arc, it was soft ground, but unfortunately he got hustled there and they went a strong gallop that day. He just could never get into a nice rhythm. Like any athlete, once you get them into a good rhythm where they’re breathing, they have the engine, which allows them to show their full potential.
“Ideally, you say you’ll have a wait and go straight (to the Sheema, in lieu of running today), but here in Dubai, he’s a bit more tricky than in the UK. We have stiffer gallops in the UK, where he we train on a flat track. He won’t want too much more galloping, because the more he does, the keener he gets. Hopefully now, with a run under his belt, we can just ease off on him and let him float into World Cup night and have a crack at the Sheema Classic.”
James Doyle, Jockey, SPOTIFY (2nd)—“Spotify ran a good race. He won the race last year, but we were not up against the same opposition in Ghaiyyath tonight. So he finished second tonight, he ran a good race, but not in the same league as the winner.”
Dane O’Neill, Jockey, PRIVILEGIADO (3rd)—“He’ll get farther. His last run was disappointing and everyone was scratching their heads wondering why it was so bad. He found his way back into some form tonight and he’ll get further and that’ll be the key to him. Hopefully he will have a little luck along the way. He got caught a little flat-footed on the turn and I thought that, since his run was so bad the other day, that I couldn’t put him under pressure to keep that position. I let him find his feet and let him finish from there.”
ZABEEL MILE (GROUP 2)
$250,000 | 1600m (turf)
In a thrilling blanket finish, Godolphin’s Charlie Appleby-trained Zakouski proved an exciting type by landing the $250,000 Zabeel Mile (G2) by a neck, his second win of the 2020 DWC Carnival. Tracking behind leaders Salute the Soldier (Adrie de Vries) and stablemate Mythical Magic (William Buick), who set 400m sectionals of 26.55, 50.47 and 1:12.78, jockey James Doyle waited to produce the son of Shamardal until the final furlong, accelerating with Group 1 winner Dream Castle (Christophe Soumillon) to his right and splitting horses to get in the final three strides. The final time was 1:35.93.
Defending winner of the race Mythical Magic, the choice of William Buick over Zakouski, finished second, a neck to the good of Dream Castle, who in turn was a neck ahead of Salute the Soldier. Zainhom, Eqtiraan and Golden Jaguar completed the finish. Winner of a 1600m handicap last month, 4-year-old Zakouski won for the third time from four career starts.
Winner: ZAKOUSKI
Pedigree: Shamardal – O’Giselle (Octagonal)
Owner: Godolphin
Trainer: Charlie Appleby
Jockey: James Doyle
Official Time: 1:35.93
Track Record: 1:34.84 – Magic Lily, 2020
Stakes Record (Meydan): 1:35.19 – Championship, 2017
Margin of Victory: Neck
James Doyle, Jockey, ZAKOUSKI (1st)—“To be honest, not at any stage did I think he would win until probably the final 100m. He seemed to find the ground a bit loose today, but you have to remember that was just his fourth career start and he has beaten three tough customers already proven at this level. He hit the line well and hopefully he’ll have a nice campaign now from here. I think he’ll take a big step forward from today.”
Charlie Appleby, Trainer, ZAKOUSKI (1st)—“We know Mythical Magic had solid form and at home was the better work horse. You just have to go back to Zakouski when he broke his maiden over a good horse at Kempton and has always had ability. It will be interesting to see (if he’ll go farther) and what James says. I’m delighted with the results.”
William Buick, Jockey, MYTHICAL MAGIC (2nd)—“He had a similar race to what he had last year in the race. He’s obviously a year older and he ran very well. It’s just that Mythical Magic had been there and done that and was a safe bet, but I knew (Zakouski) was an improver.”
Christophe Soumillon, Jockey, DREAM CASTLE (3rd)—“He ran really well. Unfortunately, he stumbled at the 300m mark and it cost him probably second place.”
MEYDAN SPRINT (GROUP 2)
$250,000 | 1000m (turf)
Giving HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum win number 900 in the UAE, Doug Watson-trained Waady returned from just one week’s rest to land the Group 2 $250,000 Meydan Sprint over heavily favoured Equilateral. Always involved, the gritty son of Approve followed the swift pace set by G2-winning 11-year-old Caspian Prince (Ben Curtis) before challenging in the final 300m of the straight 1000m dash. Engaged with Equilateral in the final furlong, he outlasted the Juddmonte colour-bearer to win by three-quarters of a length and for the third time this season. The final time was a swift 56.87, with American sprinter-miler Blitzkrieg closing well to finish third under William Buick, 1¼ lengths astern the runner-up. Caspian Prince, Yaalail, Angel Alexander, Poet’s Society, Mazzini and Inverleigh completed the order of finish. Last Thursday, the 8-year-old won a 1000m handicap in a time of 57.24, his ninth victory from 32 lifetime starts.
MEYDAN SPRINT (GROUP 2)
$250,000 | 1000m (turf)
Giving HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum win number 900 in the UAE, Doug Watson-trained Waady returned from just one week’s rest to land the Group 2 $250,000 Meydan Sprint over heavily favoured Equilateral. Always involved, the gritty son of Approve followed the swift pace set by G2-winning 11-year-old Caspian Prince (Ben Curtis) before challenging in the final 300m of the straight 1000m dash. Engaged with Equilateral in the final furlong, he outlasted the Juddmonte colour-bearer to win by three-quarters of a length and for the third time this season. The final time was a swift 56.87, with American sprinter-miler Blitzkrieg closing well to finish third under William Buick, 1¼ lengths astern the runner-up. Caspian Prince, Yaalail, Angel Alexander, Poet’s Society, Mazzini and Inverleigh completed the order of finish. Last Thursday, the 8-year-old won a 1000m handicap in a time of 57.24, his ninth victory from 32 lifetime starts.
Winner: WAADY
Pedigree: Approve – Anne Bonney (Jade Robbery)
Owner: HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Trainer: Doug Watson
Jockey: Jim Crowley
Official Time: :56.87
Track and Stakes Record: :55.90 – Ertijaal, 2017
Margin of Victory: ¾ Length
Jim Crowley, Jockey, WAADY (1st)—“I think he’s improved. It was a better performance than last week. A lot of credit must go to Doug Watson and his team. He’s not an easy horse in the mornings. They’ve done a great job with him to come back a week later and put in a better performance. The key to this horse is that he stays five (furlongs) so well and gallops past the line. It was a job to pull up with him. He just keeps going. He’s come out here and he’s thriving out here. At the age of seven, he’s really found his form.”
Doug Watson, Trainer, WAADY (1st)—“This horse surprised us all season, his third with us and we have changed his preparations and training routine this campaign. Everything has gone well. He has natural speed for 1000m, but we will have to go back up to 1200m now, but he deserves a crack at another big prize.”