Featured G3 Dubai Millennium Stakes stays with Godolphin and Royal Fleet
There was an international flavour to the final Friday of the Dubai World Cup Carnival as Batwan swooped for France and Notre Dame picked up another win for America.
Of the 12 countries represented on the seventh night of Carnival action at Meydan Racecourse, three of them emerged with wins, led by Batwan’s success in the Lincoln Nautilus Handicap, over 1200metres on turf. Trained in France by Nicolas Caullery, the seven-year-old extended his trainer’s already excellent record in Dubai to four wins from 16 runners with a narrow success over Jadwal. Already a winner over this course and distance last month, Batwan again arrived late on the scene under Mickael Barzalona, winning by a short-head.
“He’s got some class – he’s been placed in Group races in France”, said the rider. “It’s very satisfying when you get the gap and the horse does the rest for you.”
Team Caullery confirmed that Batwan would not run on Super Saturday next week, and might therefore be finished for this season in Dubai.
Notre Dame could well return next week, however, after the Doug O’Neill-trained gelding gave his handler the fourth success of a remarkable Carnival. Ridden by Antonio Fresu, he overcame a slow start and was soon controlling the Lincoln Aviator Handicap, over 1200metres on dirt. The eventual winning margin was two lengths from the Bhupat Seemar-trained Behavioural Bias.
“I managed to get him out and I sat two deep and the horse was just fighting all the way”, said Fresu. “He started hanging a little bit but everything was under control.”
The night’s feature was the Group 3 Dubai Millennium Stakes, over 2000metres on turf, in which Charlie Appleby’s Star Safari was defending his title. With Andrea Atzeni replacing the isolating William Buick, he went close but was outbattled by stablemate Royal Fleet, who gained a first Group success by a short head under James Doyle.
“I did feel that once he got in front he took his foot off the gas,” said the winning rider. “But I liked the way he responded when Star Safari joined him.
“He’s going to be a nice campaigner back home as he’s pretty versatile when it comes to ground and can go anywhere from a mile to ten furlongs.”
Appleby and Doyle completed a quick double together when Nations Pride landed the Jumeirah Derby (Presented by Al Tayer Motors) which was the richest race on the card, worth $200,000.
Run over 2000metres on turf, it attracted eight three-year-old but the son of Teofilo was far too good for his rivals, shooting clear in the straight and beating the running-on Sed Maarib by three and a quarter lengths.
“He did very well considering it was only his fourth run and he’d had a long time between runs,” said Doyle. “He was quite a handful going down to the start but this will settle him nicely.”
Appleby, who also trained third home New Kingdom, indicated that the Listed Newmarket Stakes, at Newmarket in May, could be a viable target for Nations Pride.
On a day of doubles, Fresu also completed one of his own, guiding Law Of Peace to a last to first victory in the closing Lincoln Navigator Handicap, over 1600metres on dirt. The race initially looked destined to go to the Doug Watson-trained Scabbard who was controlling the race up front, only to be passed by Discovery Island and then Law Of Peace, who took his career wins to three with a length and a half success.
That win was the second on the night for the UAE’s current leading trainer Bhupat Seemar, who earlier took the Al Karama Stakes (Presented by Lincoln Corsair), for three-year-olds over 1400metres on dirt.
Summer Is Tomorrow was a 1200metre winner here in December and dictated matters from the front here under James Doyle, winning, largely uncontested, by eight and quarter lengths from Rawy.