Here are a few thoughts, in no particular order, from Thursday’s races at Meydan
1. SIYAADAH? Really? How completely shocking was the UAE 1000 Guineas (Listed) win of Siyaadah? In my opinion, it was one of the most surprising performances from a Godolphin horse, racing in Dubai, in years. A maiden win at Redcar was the only mark on the three race career of this filly by Shamardal that stood out, and most racing fans know, maiden wins at Redcar don’t exactly “stand out” anywhere. Perhaps even stranger was that she settled at the back of the pack and was guided out by Ahmed Ajtebi who, we can all admit, NEVER gives up on his horses, and closed past the entire field in 400 meters. I was stunned. Clearly, she loved the Tapeta, and while I cannot convert to “true believer” status just yet, I believe we need to see some of these horses come back to get a better handle on this result.
2. LIZARD’S DESIRE became the first horse to win two races at Meydan with another railsplitting ride from Christophe Soumillon. While it was easy to assume that Lizard’s Desire caught a lucky break on opening night, he had a slightly more difficult trip, still had a good ride, but drew away well.
3. As much as Godolphin said GAYEGO was in need of a run, he still ran into some stretch traffic and kicked on well in the Al Shindagha Sprint (G3). WAR ARTIST, well-beaten in the Hong Kong Sprint (G1), had the jump on the field and took to the Tapeta incredibly well. He is in a grand position to continue moving forward with a shot at the big prizes later in the Carnival and on Dubai World Cup night.
4. How about HALICARNASSUS? This gallant entire made 20 starts in 2009, one of which was a win at the 2009 Dubai International Racing Carnival. After a try on the Tapeta to stretch, he thrived back on grass and defeated a quality field, which included the late-flying, as usual, MOURILYAN. Halicarnassus has spent his career picking and choosing his places to run, and that always gives me pause to take him on top. No pause necessary for DubaiRaceNight.com’s Amelia Baldree, who had Halicarnassus on top to trigger a late double with PAN RIVER in the last race.
5. Speaking of PAN RIVER…what a great run for Turkey. With 20 of 23 races in the placings, including nine wins, Pan River ran clear in the final 100 meters over Lucky Find and looks a good prospect. The win for jockey Selim Kaya was the first in several years riding in Dubai and marks a personal best.
Racing returns with a double-header next week on Thursday and Friday. We will have more here at DubaiRaceNight.com throughout the week.