The grand finale of Meydan Racecourse’s Winter Carnival, the 2021 Dubai World Cup racecard sees the Dubai World Cup celebrating its 25th running. As is often the case on these big race weekends, some Australian pages could have major updates by the time the horses cross the finish line in the World Cup to conclude the evening.
Ef Troop relation takes shot in Godolphin Mile
From the family of Spirit Of Boom’s multiple stakes winner and Group 2-placed Ef Troop comes Rodaini (USA) (Exchange Rate {USA}) in the G2 Godolphin Mile. The 7-year-old gelding’s dam Blessings Count (USA) (Pulpit {USA}) is a half-sister to the grandam of Ef Troop. That mare – Private Indy (USA) (A.P. Indy {USA}) – had her first Australian-bred foal in 2003 with her youngest a 2-year-old filly named Vrilya (Amber Grey {Ire}) in training with Darryl Hansen. Ef Troop has three younger full siblings in addition to a yearling Capitalist half-brother, a weanling Lonhro half-brother with dam Limealicious bred to Newgate Farm’s first-season sire Brutal (NZ) in 2020.
Blown By Wind (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) sees fellow Dubai World Cup night runner Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) under his second dam along with US Grade 1 runner Out For A Spin (USA) (Hard Spun {USA}). Out For A Spin’s multiple stakes winning half-sister Sweet Victory (USA) (Blame {USA}) spent her breeding career in Australia after she was purchased by Boomer Bloodstock for US$400,000 (AU$526,073) at the 2016 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. That mare died in December but produced a 2-year-old filly by All Too Hard and a weanling colt by Dundeel (NZ) with both still in the country.
Exceed And Excel’s experienced Secret Ambition (GB) is back for his third Dubai World Cup night appearance in the Godolphin Mile. The entire’s dam is a half-sister to Slovakia (USA) (Danzig {USA}), a mare who was an Australian resident from 2006 to 2016, producing the Australian Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed Hussonet (USA) gelding Tatra.
Third to Space Blues (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in Saudi Arabia last-out, Urban Icon (GB) (Cityscape {GB}) made the short trip to Dubai for this run. The 5-year-old’s grandam is a half-sister to G1 Caulfield Cup fourth Blue Monday (GB) (Darshaan {GB}) and Australian stakes winner Rugged Cross (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) while Urban Icon himself is a half-brother to a two-time winner by Foxwedge.
Red Verdon among Dubai Gold Cup entries
Frequent Australian visitor Red Verdon (USA) (Lemon Drop Kid {USA}) is another of the Saudi Cup Day runners to head to Meydan. Finishing fourth to Gifts Of Gold (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), this is just the latest stop on his world tour. The multiple Group winner is from the family of multiple Hong Kong runners with his Choisir dam a half-sister to Peak Power (Ire) (Be My Native {USA}), who also ran in Australia with his grandam a half-sister to Hong Kong Group 3 winner River Verdon (GB) (Be My Native {USA}).
Finishing 10th to Gifts Of Gold last month, Mekong (GB) stayed in the Middle East and will be going 200 metres farther than he did in the Saudi Arabia marathon when racing over 3200 metres on the Meydan turf. The gelding is out of a half-sister to Australian runner Warringah (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) with their half-sister Hi Calypso (GB) (In The Wings {GB}) producing the recently retired Australian stakes winner Evangelist (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}).
Group 1 winner Royal Marine (GB) (Raven’s Pass {USA}) didn’t fare too well in his first two Meydan starts of the year, but the Godophin homebred is hoping the third time is the charm. A three-quarter brother to G3 Queen Elizabeth second and G1 Melbourne Cup runner Secret Number (GB) (Raven’s Pass {USA}), he has multiple connections to Australia. Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed Tatra (Hussonet {USA}) is out of another half-sister to Royal Marine’s dam. Tatra’s branch of the family could see a few big updates on Saturday with Royal Marine’s Exceed And Excel half-brother in the G2 Godolphin Mile.
Space Blues hopes to keep streak alive in Al Quoz Sprint
Out of a half-sister to one-time Australian runner and New Zealand broodmare Desert Imp (GB) (Green Desert {USA}) is Space Blues (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who hopes to keep his five-race winning streak intact in this race. Still an active broodmare at 19, Desert Imp was bred to Swiss Ace last season. The pair also hail from the family of multiple Australian stakes-placed runner Alexander Of Hales (USA) (Danehill {USA}).
US-based True Valour (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) finds Australia Group 1 winner Pasta Post (NZ) (Postponed {USA}) and New Zealand Group 3 winner Don Domingo (NZ) (Don Eduardo {NZ}) among multiple Australasian stakes performers under his third dam with his grandam seeing multiple Northern Hemisphere-bred sisters make their way south. A multiple Graded stakes winner himself, True Valour’s page includes stakes winners on nearly every continent.
Artorius family set for update in UAE Derby
Out of a Perfect Soul (Ire) half-sister to top American sire Munnings (USA) is the Charles Fipke homebred Speight’spercomete (USA) (Speightstown {USA}). The maiden 3-year-old colt comes from a long line of stakes horses with this year’s Group 1 Blue Diamond winner Artorius (Flying Artie), Australian Group 1 winner Delectation (Shamardal {USA}), and Australian Group 2 winner Honor In War (USA) (Lord At War {Arg}) all named on his page.
Godolphin sends out Soft Whisper (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) to take on males again after finishing fifth in the on US$1.5 million (AU$1,972,776) Saudi Derby. She is out of a half-sister to the dams of Listed Ballarat Cup winner Pilote D’Essai (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and G2 Chairman’s H. placer Peribsen (Ire) (Lonhro). Her page also includes Australian Group 3 winner Lunar Rise (Starcraft), stakes winner Crafty (Manhattan Rain), and stakes-placed King Of The Dance (Animal Kingdom {USA}) with all from an Australian branch of the family.
Murillo half-brother set to shine in Dubai Golden Shaheen
Second in the Saudi Sprint last out, Murillo’s (USA) (Scat Daddy {USA}) half-brother Matera Sky (USA) (Speightstown {USA}) hopes to go one better in the Dubai Golden Shaheen. Murillo won back-to-back races at the end of 2020 is currently spelling for Danny O’Brien and Yulong Investments after transferring from the Snowden yard before those victories.
It could be a good day for Petroleuse (Ire) (Habitat {USA}) with the mare seeing great-grandson Canvassed (Ire) (Shamardal {USA}) lineup in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen one race after great-granddaughter Soft Whisper (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) runs in the G2 UAE Derby. This family includes Listed Ballarat Cup winner Pilote D’Essai, G2 Chairman’s H. placer Peribsen (Ire) (Lonhro), Australian Group 3 winner Lunar Rise, and stakes winner Crafty among a long line of stakes horses.
Al Suhail searches for first Group win in Dubai Turf
Listed Moonee Valley Night Cup winner Starcaster (GB) (Dansili {GB}) sees half-brother Al Suhail (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) lineup in the G1 Dubai Turf to try and become his dam’s second Group winner from three starters alongside Group 2 winner Telecaster (GB) (New Approach {Ire}). All three runners are the only named foals out of dual Oaks runner-up Shirocco Star (GB) (Shirocco {Ger}).
The Australian based-foals of the late Sweet Victory (USA) (Blame {USA}) could see their relatives in the Meydan winner’s enclosure with Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) one of two running on the Meydan card. Imported to Australia in early 2017, the Boomer Bloodstock-purchase Sweet Victory has a 2-year-old filly by All Too Hard and produced a Dundeel (NZ) colt last August.
Also in the field is Helmet’s stakes winner Eqtiraan (Ire) and Iffraaj's (GB) Group 2 winner Land Of Legends (Ire).
Dubai Sheema Classic full of Australian connections
A winner of the local prep here on “Super Saturday”, Walton Street (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) comes into the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic on a three-race win streak. He is out of the Australian-bred Group 2 winner Brom Felinity (Encosta De Lago), who is the dam of four winners with two coming in Australia and two abroad. Brom Felinity is a sister to four winners, including Group 1 winner Delago Brom. Their dam, Group 2 winner Brompton Cross, also finds Australian Group 2 winner My Poppette (Snippetson) and New Zealand Group 2 winner Neo (NZ) (One Cool Cat {USA}) under her daughters’ names.
A full sister to G1 Dubai Turf winner and Arrowfield Stud shuttle stallion Real Steel (Jpn), Loves Only You (Deep Impact {Jpn}) is looking for her second career Group 1 victory here. The mare is a great-granddaughter to the legendary Miesque (USA) (Nureyev {USA}), who is also the grandam of G3 JRA Cup winner and active Australian racehorse Captain Cook (GB) (Dubawi {Ire})
Saudi Cup winner Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) returns to the turf for the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic after getting his first dirt win last month. A win here could improve the pages of a few Australian relatives with dam Contradict (GB) (Raven’s Pass {USA}) a daughter of Group winner and Australian resident Acts Of Grace (USA) (Bahri {USA}), from the family of Pride Of Dubai. Acts Of Grace was imported to Australia in 2016 and has two named foals – a 3-year-old Pride Of Dubai filly named Miss Balooshi and a 2-year-old So You Think (NZ) gelding names Caboteur. The mare gave birth to a Pride Of Dubai filly in 2020.
G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase winner Mogul (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) has risen to become the best racehorse out of Shastye (Ire) (Danehill {USA}), who has been a top producer in the sales ring and on the track. The dam of last year’s Tattersalls October Yearling Sale topper, the mare is also the dam of five stakes winners, including two Group 1 winners. Two of Shastye’s runners have moved to Australia, with both Maurus (GB) (Medicean {GB}) and Sir Isaac Newton (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) ending their careers here.
A half-brother to Irish champion Silwana (Fr) (Peintre Celebre {USA}), Simsir (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) is one of four stakes performers for his dam Simawa (Ire) (Anabaa USA}), who is a half-sister to Sinndar (Ire) (Grand Lodge {USA}). Simsir’s second dam is also a strong producer of producers with one of her daughters the grandam of the Sam Kavanagh’s recent Parramatta Cup second and Group 1-placed Sikandarabad (Ire) (Dr. Fong {Ire}).
Sepoy son looks to pull off Dubai World Cup victory
Winning the local prep race for the G1 Dubai World Cup, Sepoy’s Salute The Soldier (Ger) is out of the unraced Street Cry (Ire) mare Street Fire (Ire). The 6-year-old gelding is a half-brother to Saudi Arabia champion Pyrexia (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}) with his dam producing five winners from seven to race. Street Fire has an unraced Iffraaj (GB) 3-year-old filly named Fire Dancing (GB) born on Northern Hemisphere time and a yearling filly by the same stallion.
From the family of Australian Group 1 winner It’s Somewhat (USA) (Dynaformer {USA}) is Group 3 winner Great Scot (GB) (Requinto {Ire}). The 5-year-old gelding has won four of his last six races and comes into this race after finishing third to Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) in the Saudi Cup in February.
Also among the runners with current or former Australian sires is Magny Cours (USA), by Medaglia D’Oro (USA).
