One of the highlights of the Dubai World Cup Carnival is the number of returning equine heroes we get to see each year.
This week’s Group 2 Singspiel Stakes – Friday’s official feature – is a great example of this. Leading the charge is the great grey Lord Glitters, back in Dubai for a third year. The nine-year-old, trained in the UK by David O’Meara, won this race last year, also adding the G1 Jebel Hatta, and will be hard to beat again.
One of his main rivals is Godolphin’s Zakouski, running at his third Carnival. His only defeat here came at the hands of Lord Glitters in this race last year, although he lost to the same rival in Bahrain in November. Then we have Freescape, trained by David Marnane in Ireland. The chestnut, easily recognisable thanks to his big white face, is also a Dubai regular and this is his fourth season in the sun. His is a story of perseverance as he’s yet to win in 10 starts at Meydan. Part-owned by restaurateurs the McGettigans family, we can expect some big celebrations if this guy gets to the line first.
Freescape can perhaps take inspiration from Dubai Icon, who took three years and eight races to get his first win here. It was worth the wait, as Saeed Bin Suroor’s six-year-old hacked up by eight and a half lengths last month. A repeat of that effort will make him hard to beat in the Listed Curlin Stakes, a prep for the Dubai World Cup, although he does face a Group 1 winner in Fawzi Nass’ Salute the Soldier, who is on his third Carnival and has four wins here so far.
We see another golden oldie in the Listed Business Bay Challenge, when the eight-year-old D’bai returns for his fourth Carnival. A winner here three times, he will be hard to catch. His rivals include another old-timer in the O’Meara-trained Summerghand, who makes his 62nd career start this week, and sixth in Dubai.
It’s not all about the old boys, however. One of the most exciting younger horses in action is Meraas, who runs in the concluding Group 3 Al-Shindagha Sprint.
An impressive winner on local debut in December, the five-year-old is owned by Maitha Salem Mohammed Belobaida Alsuwaidi, whose family is steeped in racing history. Her grandfather, Mohamed Obaida, owned Sayyedati, winner of the British 1000 Guineas back in 1993, and the family has had recent success with Group 2 winner Dubai Honour and prolific stayer Nayef Road. Just 23, Maitha is as enthusiastic an owner as you could wish to meet and success this week for Meraas could ensure her family’s long tradition with racing continues for many years to come.