Algeria likely went straight into the $12 million Dubai (G1) World Championship with a resounding win on February 3 in Round 2 of the Al Maktoum (G2) Challenge at Meydan Racecourse.
ALGIERS won easily in Round 2 of Al Maktoum Challenge in Meydan. Is Shamardal’s son a legitimate threat in the Dubai World Cup? pic.twitter.com/JyiVoRfhEs
– TVG (@TVG) February 3, 2023
The race was the highlight of the middle session of the Dubai World Cup Carnival and Algiers, a 6-year-old Shamardal gelding, is the highlight of the race.
Despite being caught a bit wide for the duration, James Doyle overtook Algiers with nothing but confidence and as he quickly took the lead to head home, the race was quickly over too. Algiers shoots away from speed Bendoog and won six lengths with a score of 1:56.08. Bendog holds second place with regret the third day.
Algiers answered a question about his ability to handle the dirt track with an early win in Round 1 of the Al Maktoum Challenge (G2) during the Carnival. In Round 2, he answered the distance question at 1,900 meters (about 1 3/16 miles), eliminating the thought of targeting the Godolphin Mile (G2) in the World Cup program instead of the 2,000. meters (about 1 1/4 miles) World Cup.
“This is the best we’ve had in the UAE,” said Doyle, who has ridden three winners on the card. “He’s shown there he can hit the distance so this opens up options, whether it’s Saudi (Saudi Cup (G1) $20 million) or here or whatever. where.”
🗣 “That’s pretty good, isn’t it?” 😂
Algiers takes on Meydan at home, scoring consecutive wins for @gainsboroughHQ & @the_doyler with a smooth victory in Al Maktoum R2 Challenge presented by Emaar#DWCCarnival | #DWC23 | #RacingDubai pic.twitter.com/iI6A0iUxw7
– Dubai Racing Club (@RacingDubai) February 3, 2023
Simon Crisford, who coaches the winner with his son, Ed, said Hamdan owner Sultan Ali Alsabousi will make the choice of targeting, adding: “After that effort, obviously they were I will promote the World Cup.”
With The Moonlight (left) rallying late to win Cape Verdi
It’s Godolphin 1-2 in Cape Verdi (G2), 1,600 meters (about 1 mile) above mares and mares grass. With moonlight under the direction of William Buick, expertly assembled during the period to keep up with his steady pacing buddy White moonlight in the last 50 meters and won 3/4 of the length. Despite its relatively low margins, With The Moonlight looks to be outperforming when it’s about to be laid off for 5 months.
“It was a great place for her to start again,” Buick said. “She will come for that.”
With The Moonlight, a 4-year-old child Frankel dirty, giving coach Charlie Appleby plenty of future options. Her 3-year-old campaign mainly took place in New York, where she finished second in the Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1T), won the Saratoga Oaks Invitational Stakes (G3T) and placed second in the Lake Placid Stakes (G2T).
Appleby said to expect With The Moonlight to lead another New York invasion this summer after she wraps up her Dubai business at Balanchine Stakes (G2) on February 24.
“Then she’ll take a little break and go back to America,” he said. “We’re hoping to have a little girl or two join her there.”
It was an even closer finish in the Singspiel Stakes (G2), 1,800 meters (about 1 1/8 mile) on the pitch and Doyle once again got the job done, warming up. Brave Prince house first, a short head first Alfareeq . That establishes Valiant Prince, a 5-year-old child dubawi gelding, as a Godolphin candidate for the Dubai Turf (G1) on the big night.
The Brave Prince (left) stands up to defeat Alfareeq in Singspiel Stakes
Alfareeq took the lead for the first time as the pitch stretched just to watch Valiant Prince relentlessly close the gap in the final 100 metres. Doyle said he trusts Valiant Prince to successfully make his Meydan record 4 to 4.
“He likes it here,” Doyle said. “He’s always matured. It’s a step in the right direction.”
During the inaugural team event that night, coach Bhupat Seemar added another arrow or two to his sprinting arrow when Tuz went home with an easy three-distance victory at the Al Shindagha Sprint (G3). With Jose Da Silva in the iron, 6-year-old boy Taurus gelding has far outstripped the frequently occurring, always prominent port 1 and brought things to an early halt during extended runtimes. He completed 1,200 meters (about six feathers) at a scale of 1:10.72.
isolation Last seen in Churchill Downs And Racecourse Saratoga, slightly missed the break but rushed to compete and kept the second place. Another Seemar fee, Freedom fighter , finished third while starting for the first time in 11 months. Thus, Tuz and Freedom Fighter join another 9-year-old Seemar’s horse Sightstown gelation Switzerland as a candidate for the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) on the night of the World Cup.
“He has the speed to burn,” Seemar said of Tuz. “It could be Super Saturday (for his next race) or Golden Shaheen. We’ll see how the Swiss perform.”
Coach Doug Watson said Isolate is “just a little tired” but is likely a contender for Mahab Al Shimaal (G3) on Super Saturday.
I Will Stand Taller , the first runner of coach Doug O’Neill in California during this year’s Carnival, finished sixth in Al Shindagha with William Buick on board. O’Neill has two other runners on the card—sand screening who finished last in Singspiel, and Get Goldie back who finished 11th after racing prominently in the final race of the night.
This is the second year in a row that O’Neill has sent horses for the first weeks of the Carnival. He was rewarded in 2022 with four winners, including Get Back Goldie.
Next: Masquerade Day on 10 February featuring UAE 2000 Guineas (G3) at 1,600 meters above dirt track and Blue Point Sprint (G2) at 1,000 meters (about five feathers) ) On the field.
