Guineas Winner and Top Arabians Feature as Carnival Rolls On
Mdmar – Dubai
UAE 2000 Guineas winner Mendelssohn Bay (pictured) has kept his owners dreaming of more Meydan success during the long summer months and the three-year-old gets his campaign underway on Friday – the fourth meeting of the Dubai Racing Carnival.
Trained by Bhupat Seemar, the son of Mendelssohn was fourth in the G2 UAE Derby when last seen. The members of Suited & Booted Syndicate are keen to have him back on track when he contests the 1900metre Dubai Island Conditions Stakes, race eight.
“The form is stacking up really well when you look what [UAE Derby winner] Forever Young did in the Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup,” said Paul Ebbs, Managing Owner. “The Derby itself wasn’t the best race for him. He got slightly boxed in and then spooked at a camera going past the winning post the first time.”
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Ebbs is delighted with the physical progress the gelding has made over the summer. “He’s grown out of the Mendelssohn shape and he’s growing into the Curlin shape,” he added. “We hope to see the best from him this year, as the Curlins do get better with age.
“He should be ready to show his true colours first time out.”
Mendelssohn Bay will be ridden by Pat Cosgrave, retained by Ebbs for his syndicate horses, with Zabeel Stable Jockey Tadhg O’Shea on Killer Collect, who looks a big danger having won over a mile on his reappearance three weeks’ ago. Seemar also runs Guns And Glory, the mount of Andrew Slattery, sixth behind Killer Collect last time.
Top Class Arabians Battle for Big Race Honours
The card’s official feature is the AED300,000 G2 Madjani Stakes (Sponsored by Nakheel), for Purebred Arabians over 1900metres. It is an early pointer towards the G1 Dubai Kahayla Classic on Dubai World Cup day.
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Hadi De Carrere has experience of that race, having finished third in it in 2022 and down the field this year, on both occasions when trained by top French handler Thomas Fourcy. The son of multiple G1 winner Nieshan is now with Doug Watson, who is excited about having him in the yard.
“He’s done really well since we got him just after World Cup night,” said the trainer. “He works like a Thoroughbred, so I’m hoping he runs like one!
“This is a good starting point for him. His owner [Khalifa bin Sheail Al Kuwari] wanted to run on the dirt and stay on the dirt. I’m sure he would like to get back to the Kahayla.”
Hadi De Carrere’s 13-strong opposition include the smart RB Yas Sir, who is now in training with three-time UAE Champion Ernst Oertel, and Musabbeh Al Mheiri’s multiple G1 winner Rajeh.
The third race on the card, the 1900metre City Walk Handicap, has 14 runners, including Berkshire Nugget, a new recruit to the stable of Lucie Botti for owner Ahmad Al Shaikh’s Green Team operation.
“He was purchased at the Horses In Training Sale to run on the dirt,” said the trainer. “He’s a solid horse who has done plenty of racing, so we know he is sound, and he has some American pedigree on the dam’s side, so that’s a bonus.”
Berkshire Nugget’s opponents include Al Mheiri’s Aldhaja, third, second and second on his three starts this season, and the filly Kibo Misaki, who broke her maiden at Jebel Ali last time out.
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Imperial Emperor Out to Rule Again
One of the most impressive winners of the season so far is Imperial Emperor, who cruised to a two and a half-length success on his debut for Bhupat Seemar on opening night in November. He went up 6lbs for that win and now shoulders top weight in the Palm Jebel Ali Handicap, race five, over 1600metres.
“Imperial Emperor is in great form,” said Ryan Tongue, Director of owners Deva Racing. “The form of his debut win for us has worked out unbelievably well.
“Bhupat [Seemar] and his team are very happy with him and it’s fantastic to have a horse who is well thought of. We dream of running at the Dubai World Cup meeting in 2025 and fingers crossed ‘Emperor’ can take us there.
If Imperial Emperor is to take the next step to 5 April in his stride he must overcome multiple course winners Al Jaddaf and Thegreatcollection.
One of the card’s most fascinating contests is race seven, the Nad Al Sheba Gardens Conditions event, over 1400metres. Oasis Boy runs here for Watson, who is looking forward to the Argentine-bred colt’s Red Stables debut.
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“He’s trained extremely well since we’ve had him,” said the eight-time UAE Champion Trainer. “He’s had a good few trips over here to Meydan and worked well. He’s rated 100 and he ran in some good races last season, so hopefully he can stay in the good races after this. We’re looking forward to him.”
Oasis Boy, who carries a 1.5kg penalty due to his Southern Hemisphere breeding, faces eight rivals, including Strobe who makes his second start for Simon and Ed Crisford, having previously been trained in the US by Brad Cox.
“He’s got some good form in America,” said co-trainer Ed Crisford of the son of Into Mischief. “He ran a solid race at Kempton back in early November over seven furlongs [1400metres] and I’m sure he’ll keep improving as he hadn’t run for a long time.
“We will learn a lot about him moving forward as he’s having his first run on the dirt at Meydan.”
The first of eight races takes place at 5:30pm and gates open at 4pm.
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The “Mdmar” website for horse and equestrian races is keen to cover and follow all competitions related to horses, from show jumping, Horseracing, speed and endurance races, and purebred Arabian horse beauty shows, which belong to the Arab Gulf countries at home and abroad in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, and the Kingdom of Bahrain.
