GHAIYYATH ROMPS IN DUBAI MILLENNIUM

22 Feb 2020 13:29


 

Thursday’s seven-race Dubai World Cup Carnival card, the eighth of 2020, was worth $1,355,000 and lived up to its billing as one of the most highly anticipated race days thus far this season. The evening was topped by four Group stakes and included three highly competitive handicaps, while also providing numerous clues toward the world’s richest race day, Dubai World Cup on March 28.

DUBAI MILLENNIUM (GROUP 3)

$200,000 | 2000m (turf)

Living up to his rating of 126, the highest in the UAE, Godolphin’s Ghaiyyath made short work of his five opponents in the $200,000 Dubai Millennium (G3), easily taking command early and never allowing his talented opposition within six lengths of him after the first furlong. Reeling off 400m sectionals of 26.69, 49.69, 1:13.06 and 1:36.44, he came into the lane with a commanding lead over Group 1 winner Royal Meeting and defending champ Spotify. The son of Irish 2000 Guineas (G1) and Irish 1000 Guineas (G1) winners Dubawi and Nighttime finished up in a canter under the line in 2:00.33—a new stakes and track record for the 2000m on turf. The final winning margin was 8½ lengths, with Spotify, under James Doyle, running on well for second and Norwegian Derby winner Privilegiado returning to good form in third under Dane O’Neill. . Certain Lad, Desert Encounter and Royal Meeting completed the order of finish.

A 14-length winner in similar fashion two races back of the Grosser Preis von Baden (G1) in September and unplaced when last seen in the prestigious Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1) in October, the Charlie Appleby trainee will now run in five weeks in the $6 million Longines Dubai Sheema Classic (G1).

Winner: GHAIYYATH

Pedigree: Dubawi – Nighttime (Galileo)

Owner: Godolphin

Trainer: Charlie Appleby

Jockey: William Buick

Official Time: 2:00.33 (New Stakes and Track Record)

Previous Track Record: 2:00.67 – Hunter’s Light, 2016; Certain Lad, 2020

Previous Stakes Record (Meydan): 2:00.67 – Hunter’s Light, 2016

Margin of Victory: 8½ Lengths

William Buick, Jockey, GHAIYYATH (1st)—“He’s a very energetic horse and was a little bit fresh today. He puts a lot into everything he does. It was an exercise where we hoped to produce and he did it well. He’s a hugely talented horse and like Charlie mentioned, he’s going to get a nice rest until World Cup night now.”

Charlie Appleby, Trainer, GHAIYYATH (1st)—“I’m delighted. We’ve all seen what this horse can do, especially coming up his first start, there. The reason we’ve come here instead of going down the classic Sheema Classic route of running in the (Group 3) Dubai City of Gold (on Super Saturday, March 7) is that this gives us two more weeks. The plan was to just let him float into (the race) from his outside post and once he was on the lead, we would let him roll along. We’ve seen on numerous occasions what he can do when he’s left to his own devices like that. Hopefully we can just freshen him up now and aim toward the Sheema Classic. Knowing the nature of the beast, (free-running on the lead) is what you want to see. The main thing we all know in this game is just getting these horses to breathe. In the Arc, it was soft ground, but unfortunately he got hustled there and they went a strong gallop that day. He just could never get into a nice rhythm. Like any athlete, once you get them into a good rhythm where they’re breathing, they have the engine, which allows them to show their full potential.

“Ideally, you say you’ll have a wait and go straight (to the Sheema, in lieu of running today), but here in Dubai, he’s a bit more tricky than in the UK. We have stiffer gallops in the UK, where he we train on a flat track. He won’t want too much more galloping, because the more he does, the keener he gets. Hopefully now, with a run under his belt, we can just ease off on him and let him float into World Cup night and have a crack at the Sheema Classic.”



FINAL FIELD ANNOUNCED FOR HOLLYWOODBETS DURBAN JULY

Hollywoodbets DURBAN JULY (Grade 1)  Open to all Horses WFA: 3yrs-2kgs No Apprentice / Female Sex Allowance  1  1  Oriental Charm     60  127  A  Juan Paul v’d Merwe  James Crawford  2  2  Madison Valley     54  …

Read more >>

Distant Winter scores in USA

The Drakenstein Stud bred and owned Distant Winter recently made a winning debut in North America. Now in the care of Graham Motion, the What A Winter daughter powered home, under Jorge Ruiz to claim an …

Read more >>

Langerman glory for Danon Platina

Mauritzfontein’s inform stallion Danon Platina had a day to remember at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday. The Japanese champion was responsible for a pair of eye catching two-year-old winners on Saturday with his son Absolutely Yes landing …

Read more >>

Champion Isivunguvungu worked three furlongs in 38.8 seconds at Fair Hill on Friday.

The gelding breezed over the turf surface on June 13th. Equus Champion Sprinter of 2022-2023, Isivunguvungu has not raced since finishing tenth in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint back on April 5th.  Trained by Graham Motion, …

Read more >>

ST MARK’S BASILICA OFF THE MARK

Champion St Mark’s Basilica was supplied with his first winner on Monday when Rogue Supremacy impressed on debut at Wetherby. The  David O’Meara-trained colt was sent off a warm favourite and duly obliged by two and …

Read more >>

KYPRIOS RETIRED

Owners Coolmore have announced the retirement of star stayer and winner of more than £2.6 million of prize money, Kyprios.  The seven-year-old trained by Aidan O’Brien had been odds on to land a historic third …

Read more >>

© All rights reserved Action Racing Online - ARO