Super Saturday: Preview of Meydan action
Laura Joy looks at the big Meydan head-to-heads on an intriguing Super Saturday card.
SUPER SATURDAY
Where: Meydan, Dubai, UAE
When: 11.30am GB/IRE time
How to watch: Racing TV
It’s hard to believe we’re already talking about Dubai World Cup night but it’s fast approaching meaning Super Saturday is upon us.
We can’t escape the fact the recent creation of so many lucrative international race days has taken some of the gloss away from the Carnival. Having set the visionary trend of putting up immense prize money to attract the best horses, it was only a matter of time until racing jurisdictions with equally deep pockets emulated their efforts.
However, Godolphin, the hosts of this attractive meeting, are breaking records around the globe, thus it follows that the equine heroes due to take part must be some of the best in the world.
Super Saturday tends to be an intriguing mix of the Carnival regulars and the fresh legs getting tuned up for the main event on March 26th. The international flair adds excitement but the real challenge starts when deciding whether the acclimatised Carnival regulars can utilise their edge over the first timers arriving from abroad.
Fit or fresh? Course form or class? We saw last week in the Saudi Cup the potential influence local knowledge can have. There’s no such thing as a two-horse race, but here are few head to heads that should maintain your interest from 11.30am right through to 4.05pm this Saturday.
AL MADHAR vs HUKUM
11.35 - Dubai City Of Gold –1m4f, Group 2
Al Madhar began his career racing in the same colours of short priced favourite Hukum - Shadwell Stable. This one-time G2 Dante Stakes (Derby Trial) also-ran promised much in the early stages of his career.
After winning his first two starts, he failed to score again in 7 subsequent starts for Richard Hannon. Changing hands for 32,000gns last September, his UAE career got off to a rather diminutive beginning.
Since current leading UAE jockey Antonio Fresu took over, he has scored twice in handicap company, the last time most impressively. It’s a big step up in class and at the ratings he hasn’t a squeak, but he’s in good order, looks progressive and has a very formidable local team behind him.
Hukum is a contender with a backstory long enough to write a novel. His trainer Owen Burrows is entering his first season as a public trainer having had the support of the late Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum prior to his sad passing last March.
For Hukum to cross the line in front would surely be an emotive victory for everybody in Dubai, Shadwell and Owen Burrow’s team back in England. Sheikh Hamdan was a most loyal, passionate supporter of racing.
Hukum himself, a four time Group 3 winner, deserves his day in the sun. He has the misfortune of competing in his illustrious brother G1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes winner Baaeed’s shadow. In 12 starts to date, Hukum has never run a bad race. We know he has the class, but can he bring the same level of form outside England? He’s never tried so he’s never failed. If he handles the journey, he should be a class above this field.
MAN OF PROMISE vs ACKLAM EXPRESS
12.45 - Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint – 6f, Group 3
Although technically Charlie Appleby doesn’t have a ‘home’ advantage, his retained owners Godolphin base a sizeable stable in Dubai every winter. Man Of Promise failed to graduate to Group company after an impressive Listed success in 2021 and he bids to right his wrongs this time round.
The difference? On January 28th, he had subsequent scintillating G2 Blue Point Sprint winner Lazuli behind him. Behind Lazuli that day was Man Of Promise’s chief rival Acklam Express. Intriguing form and numerous questions. Man Of Promise was in receipt of 3lbs from his talented rival that day, he’s by Into Mischief whose progeny generally excel on the dirt, and there’s a question mark over his lack of consistency.
Acklam Express hails from the first crop of young sire sensation Mehmas. He put it up to Lazuli on his Meydan debut but fell 1.5 lengths short of his race-fit rival. Bought for €26,000 as a yearling, it would be a heart-warming success were he to score for connections.
An honourable mention must go to an equally refreshing result should €3000 yearling reject A Case Of You take home the £111,111 on offer to the winner. A narrow winner of the G1 Prix de l’Abbaye last October, he will have starkly contrasting conditions here. But racing is a sport built on dreams, and stories like these are the ones that keep everyone going back to the well.
HYPOTHETICAL VS SALUTE THE SOLDIER
1.55 – Al Maktoum Challenge R3 – 1m2f, Group 1
The G1 Al Maktoum Challenge R3 is a Group 1 in name that is lacking a top class G1 star this year. The last horse to follow up from this contest in the Dubai World Cup was Prince Bishop in 2015. However, a race doesn’t need a star to provide us with a captivating contest and there is enough G1 form on offer to generate intrigue.
Salute The Soldier and Hypothetical finished 1-2 in the 2021 renewal. Hypothetical subsequently finished 6th, one place ahead of his rival in the Dubai World Cup, and you'd envisage connections have the same plan in mind.
Salute The Soldier is yet to sparkle this year, but has a much more favourable draw in stall 7 than his old rival who is stuck out in stall 14 of 15. Given the nature of Meydan suiting front runners, this looks a good opportunity for Salute The Soldier to nab the lead from the bell and stay in front.
BARNEY ROY vs LORD GLITTERS
3.30 – Jebel Hatta – 1m1f, Group 1
What Barney Roy lacks in form he makes up in class. This four-time Group 1 winner and 2000 Guineas runner up has travelled the world and collected several of the t-shirts. It’s fair to say he was below his best in two starts last season, and if you believe that then a half-length second to Lord Glitters can be marked up a few pounds.
If this Royal Ascot hero regains the form he showed two years ago, he will put gallant stalwart Lord Glitters up to the test. A phenomenal horse for his connections, Lord Glitters began his ascension to stardom when finishing second to subsequent Champion Stakes winner Addeybb in the Lincoln Handicap back in 2018. He boasts an envious CV with 11 wins and 15 placed efforts from 44 starts. Especially given he has raced exclusively in Stakes company since the 2018 Lincoln. His customary late charge might not suit the Meydan track on paper, but from seven starts at the track he has only disappointed once.
Three of those seven efforts resulted in wins including in this race last year. To add an extra twist, Godolphin's retained rider William Buick has sided with one-time 2000 Guineas winter antepost favourite Zakouski instead of Barney Roy. Zakouski has his work cut out - in four meetings with Lord Glitters, he has only managed to get the better of him on one occasion.
AL TARIQ VS CANVASSED VS FREEDOM FIGHTER
4.05pm – Mahab Al Shimaal – 6f, Group 3
Just half a length separated the Doug Watson trained pair of Al Tariq and Canvassed last time out in G3 company over course and distance with Al Tariq conceding a 2lb Group 3 winning penalty from his penultimate start. We can ignore jockey bookings with the latter owned by jockey Andrea Atzeni's retained owner Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum.
Just a pound separates them on official ratings and RPRs and it might be a case of who is feeling better on the day. Both are veterans, aged 6 and 7 respectively, thus they could be vulnerable to an improver. A son of Violence, Freedom Fighter has finished behind both of them on his first two starts at Meydan. He's only 4 years old, lightly raced and has solid Grade 2 form from his early career in America. His young sire never raced beyond February of his three-year-old season, but himself being by super sire Medaglia d’Oro, Freedom Fighter has a profile that entitles him to be progressive. Partnered by Meydan specialist Tadhg O'Shea, he has the scope to improve. He'll need to if he's going to turn the table on his seasoned rivals.
For those of us who are counting down the days to Doncaster and the Curragh on March 26th, Saturdays like these get the adrenaline pumping. National Hunt purists who claim our flat stars retire too soon should take a look at what’s on offer, perhaps it’s a good time to boost the kitty ahead of the imminent Cheltenham Festival?
It’s hard to believe we’re already talking about Dubai World Cup night but it’s fast approaching meaning Super Saturday is upon us. We can’t escape the fact the recent creation of so many lucrative international race days has taken some of the gloss away from the Carnival. Having set the visionary trend of putting up immense prize money to attract the best horses, it was only a matter of time until racing jurisdictions with equally deep pockets emulated their efforts.
However, Godolphin, the hosts of this attractive meeting, are breaking records around the globe, thus it follows that the equine heroes due to take part must be some of the best in the world.
Super Saturday tends to be an intriguing mix of the Carnival regulars and the fresh legs getting tuned up for the main event on March 26th. The international flair adds excitement but the real challenge starts when deciding whether the acclimatised Carnival regulars can utilise their edge over the first timers arriving from abroad.
Fit or fresh? Course form or class? We saw last week in the Saudi Cup the potential influence course form can have. There’s no such thing as a two-horse race, but here are few head to heads that should maintain your interest from 11.30am right through to 4.05pm this Saturday.
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