3 minute read
Trainer Charlie Appleby and jockey William Buick joined forces to land a super Saturday double in Dubai, as Al Suhail and Global Storm both eased to comfortable successes on the Meydan track.
Six-year-old Al Suhail had been off the track since winning the Al Fahidi Fort in January, but he showed his rivals a clean pair of heels when sprinting clear to land the Ras Al Khorby by an emphatic four-length margin.
Settling in behind the pace-setters early on, Al Suhail found a perfect split in the straight and when Buick gave the signal, the 4/6 favourite shot away under hands and heels riding to win in a new course record time for the seven furlongs.
Appleby told www.godolphin.com: "We were obviously delighted with Al Suhail, who has put up another good performance to break his own track record.
"We will most likely bring him back to the UK and look at the nice seven-furlong races in Europe over the summer."
Global Storm (100/30) led home a one-two for Appleby in the Dubai City Of Gold.
The trainer was forced to rule out likely favourite Rebel's Romance with a late setback, but Global Storm stepped into the breach with a cosy triumph in the hands of Buick.
Global Storm was in command turning for home in the 12-furlong heat and while stablemate and 2/1 favourite Kemari tried to challenge in the straight, the winner kept finding for pressure and eventually came home two and a half lengths to the good.
Appleby said: "Global Storm has been working with Rebel's Romance and the one thing I took from the result was that if Rebel's Romance had been in there, it would have been an easy race for him.
"Global Storm is a solid campaigner out here – he ran well in this race last year behind Hukum – and it was a race that we thought could set up well for him. William gave him a lovely ride on the front end and was able to dictate.
"Realistically, I do not see him being here on Dubai World Cup night. As solid as he is, we know we will be taking on a different kettle of fish on Dubai World Cup night. He will go back to England with that Group Two penalty, which will make him a bit trickier to place."
George Boughey got on the Super Saturday scoresheet with Al Dasim (4/1 favourite), who registered his third Meydan win in the Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint.
Winner of two three-year-old conditions events at the Carnival, Al Dasim was ridden with confidence by Mickael Barzalona in the six-furlong Group Three contest.
Content to track the early pace, he switched out to challenge with two furlongs to run and Al Dasim really asserted his authority inside the distance, winning by two and a quarter lengths.
Barzalona said: "It was a big question mark today against the older horses, we were unlucky to have a bad draw but he just put his head down and tried his best. He deserved it.
"He had to perform today, but now he can go ahead for the Al Quoz Sprint and we'll see against the best horses in the world."
All eyes were on Real World as he returned to action in the Group One Jebel Hatta, but Saeed bin Suroor's charge never looked like taking a hand in the finish.
Roger Varian's El Drama race prominently throughout in the nine-furlong heat but he had no reply to the late thrust of Alfareeq (25/1), who sprung a surprise and grabbed the glory for a second successive year by a neck under Dane O'Neill.
The James Doyle-ridden Discovery Island (11/2) won the Burj Nahaar, while the rider was just denied aboard Bendoog in the Al Maktoum Challenge R3, as last year's victor Salute The Soldier (11/4) swooped late to take the Group One honours.
Go Soldier Go (6/1) won the Al Bastakiya and the closing Mahab Al Shimaal marked a double for Barzalona as he steered Sound Money (5/1) to victory.
