Ethical Diamond beats Rebel's Romance at the Breeders' Cup

Ethical Diamond pleases in his work ahead of the Dubai Sheema Classic

By Sporting Life

Horse Racing

Mon March 23, 2026 · 2h ago

Breeders' Cup winner Ethical Diamond was among those to work on the Meydan track ahead of Dubai World Cup Night on Saturday.

It's been quite a ride for the H O S Syndicate, owners of Ethical Diamond among others.

Bought for 320,000 gns after winning a 12 furlong maiden at Limerick, Ethical Diamond was sent to Willie Mullins and struggled in his first season over hurdles, albeit he contested a pair of Grade 1s despite a short-priced defeat on debut.

Better came back on the level with a near miss at Leopardstown and a good fourth at Royal Ascot and it is on the level that he has continued to impress despite enjoying a more successful second season over hurdles.

Ethical Diamond made a successful return to Royal Ascot, followed up in the Sky Bet Ebor and then made history when winning the Breeders' Cup Turf to provide Mullins with a winner from his first runner at the meeting.

Mullins is now plotting another audacious bid as Ethical Diamond prepares to take on Calandagan in the Longines Dubai Sheema Classic on Saturday and both horses were among those who worked on the track on Monday.

Mullins has only had one Dubai World Cup night runner in Simenon who finished last in the 2014 Dubai Gold Cup but Ethical Diamond is reported to be in good form ahead of his attempt to improve on that record.

“He’s very good, he’s eaten up every night and he’s thriving since he’s got here,” Mullins’ travelling foreman T J Comerford told dubairacingclub.com.

“He’s in great form. He’s a very easy horse to do anything with, he’s well-mannered and we are really happy with him.

“I was there for the Breeders’ Cup, it was a great day. I didn’t know what to expect but it’s Willie Mullins, you can never put anything past him.”

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Fantastic Light, St Nicholas Abbey and Rebel’s Romance, among others, have won both the Dubai Sheema Classic and the Breeders’ Cup Turf but no one has landed the Sheema Classic five months after the Breeders' Cup Turf.

It is a similar story with the Japan Cup leading into the Sheema Classic but Calandagan is a hot favourite to correct that.

Jeremy Lobel has been a regular partner for Calandagan in his travels and is happy with his charge following the recent arrival in Dubai.

“Calandagan was hand-walked on Sunday and today I rode him, though we remained in quarantine, so we were just walking and trotting," he said.

“He was very calm this morning and he’s become a lot more mature with age. His first few days here 12 months ago he was a bit nervous and on his toes but with all the travelling he’s done since then, and he’s much better now.

“The plan is for him to do a hack canter on the main dirt track tomorrow with Rayevka, who worked on the turf today. I think we’ll just keep him ticking over in the days up until the race because he did a really good piece of work just before he left Chantilly.”

Sky Bet make Calandagan their 1/3 favourite for the Longines Dubai Sheema Classic with Ethical Diamond next at 10/3.

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