Dubai World Cup Races, Track Notes for March 24

Among the annals of horses named specifically to star at this meeting, Meydaan is right up there with the likes of 2000 Dubai World Cup winner Dubai Millennium. It would have seemed improbable that Meydaan could potentially emerge as a Dubai World Cup contender, though, after a disappointing Melbourne Cup campaign to end his season. Two runs on turf over 2800m seemed to suggest the Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum-owned Meydaan would be heading for the G2 Dubai Gold Cup over 3200m instead, if not the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic at 2410m. Instead, trainers Simon and Ed Crisford opted for a surprise switch to dirt for the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge, coupled with a drop back to 2000m. It was a masterstroke that saw Meydaan race right away in the Super Saturday feature for a five and a quarter length triumph. Three horses Meydaan defeated - Walk Of Stars (second), Tap Leader (third) and Heart Of Honor (seventh) - will line up against him once again in the Dubai World Cup. "It was a big transition from turf to dirt and we went for it, Sheikh Ahmed was very keen for us to try something new with him," said Ed Crisford. "He goes really well on that dirt track, he won on Super Saturday in really good style. The World Cup is going to be a super tough race, you've got the best dirt horse in the world in Forever Young and it's going to be no easy feat to beat that horse. "Meydaan is fit and well though and he's coming off the back of a big win so I think he can run a really decent race in the World Cup." Thirty years ago, trainer Doug Watson was inside the veterinary room at Nad Al Sheba, cheering on American champion Cigar to win the inaugural Dubai World Cup. This year, Watson sends out 2024 Russian Derby winner Tap Leader in a quest to win his first World Cup after training for almost 25 years in Dubai. Tap Leader won at the course and distance at his first Meydan appearance in January before finishing third to Meydaan last time out and Watson believes that the five-year-old may be the best 2000m horse to have come out of his Red Stables operation. "Really, we all love this horse," Watson said. "He's genuine, he tries hard, he just needs a little bit of a better trip than he had in the Maktoum Classic. If he has a clean trip, we're looking forward to maybe securing a nice cheque for him. And who knows? If you're not in, you can't win. We'll dream a little bit for another few days. "I just wish the rain would stop and we could train them properly, but I think everybody here is going to be in the same boat. We got his work in on Saturday and he worked extremely well, we're very happy with him. He's a lovely horse, in fact he's probably the best mile and a quarter (2000m) horse I've ever had here. We've had some good milers, but he's a real nice horse and he tries hard." Standing in the way of both Meydaan and Tap Leader is last year's winner Hit Show, who is aiming to join Thunder Snow as a back-to-back winner of the US$12 million feature. "We're equally as excited coming in this year," said Case Clay, racing manager for owners Wathnan Racing. "He's coming in off a really nice win in the Mineshaft at Fair Grounds last month. He's in very good form and he travelled well. He's against some top horses, yet again, but he's coming into the race in very good order." Also returning is Yoshito Yahagi's Forever Young, who can become the highest-earning thoroughbred of all time if he wins on Saturday. Jockey Ryusei Sakai jumped on his back for an easy canter on Tuesday morning ahead of his final piece of work on Wednesday. "He did one and a half laps on the dirt track again this morning," Sakai said. "It was my first time back on him since the Saudi Cup. He is in good form, and we will breeze him tomorrow morning." $6,000,000 Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic Simon and Ed Crisford-trained West Wind Blows may not have a Group 1 win to his name, but he has finished ahead of some top-class horses in his time: the world's highest earner Romantic Warrior, Melbourne Cup winner Gold Trip and globetrotters Dubai Honour and Addeybb among them. Still, it will take a remarkable effort for the seven-year-old to claim his first success at the highest level. His rivals this time include the world's best racehorse of 2025 Calandagan, G1 Breeders' Cup Turf hero Ethical Diamond and G1 Hong Kong Vase victor Giavellotto, as well as his last-start Listed Abu Dhabi Championship conqueror Royal Power. "He's a real high quality horse on his day, he was third in an Eclipse, second in a Caulfield Cup and a Hardwicke," said Ed Crisford. "He was off all of 2024 and most of last year, he's just come back and he's been improving with each run since his time off. "It's going to be a really tough race but we expect him to improve again and hopefully he can pick up some nice prizemoney." Giavellotto returns for his fourth attempt at the Dubai World Cup meeting and his second at the Sheema, having finished fifth behind Danon Decile and Calandagan last year. "He walks around like he owns the place," said Andrew Morris, head lad for trainer Marco Botti. "It was pretty quiet this morning, but he knows the place. Can't fault him at all." $5,000,000 Group 1 Dubai Turf Few horses are as popular in Japan as Gaia Force, the ghostly grey with a slew of Group 1 placings to his name but no top-flight success. Haruki Sugiyama-trained Gaia Force finished second in both of Japan's open-age Group 1 races at 1600m last year, the G1 Mile Championship and G1 Yasuda Kinen, behind Jantar Mantar. He was second in the 2024 G1 February Stakes on dirt, also at 1600m, behind Peptide Nile, while he finished fourth to Romantic Warrior (2024) and Songline (2023) in the Yasuda Kinen as well. Hopes are high that Gaia Force may finally get his first Group 1 win in the Dubai Turf with Ryusei Sakai taking his first ride on the seven-year-old. Trackwatchers are even more enthusiastic after a solid hit-out on turf on Tuesday morning under Sakai. "It was a five-furlong breeze on the turf and my first time ever aboard him," Sakai said. "I asked him for a response turning into the home straight and he reacted very well." The prospect of rain this week has been a common concern among trainers and connections ahead of Saturday's meeting. One horse who will perform no matter the track, though, is Quddwah. Victorious in both the G2 Zabeel Mile at 1600m and the G2 Singspiel Stakes over 1800m this campaign, his best form in 2025 came on soft tracks in France. "He's a high class horse and he goes into the Dubai Turf in really good form," said co-trainer Ed Crisford. "He loves the Meydan track, he is really suited to the style of racing here in Dubai. It will be tough against Ombudsman, he was the best mile-and-a-quarter (2000m) horse in Europe last year, but Ryan (Moore) has now had a feel of him last start and so hopefully it is just a repeat here." Quddwah's owner, Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is double-handed in the Dubai Turf with Michael Costa-trained Elnajmm also set to line up in his yellow and black colours. Elnajmm has won twice over 1400m this year. His sole outing over the Meydan 1800m saw him finish seventh to Nations Pride in last year's Singspiel Stakes, although he won a three-horse maiden at the trip at Lingfield in 2023. Costa says he is not worried about Elnajmm stepping up to 1800m once more. "Not at all," he said. "He wasn't the same horse last year as he has been this year, we got him quite late and we were behind the eight ball with him. The original aim this season was that we would stretch him to a mile, the new Abu Dhabi race (the Abu Dhabi Gold Cup) would have been a perfect spot for him, but the boss (Sheikh Ahmed) already had two runners in the race. "Instead, we elected to keep hold of him and all of his work suggests that he will eat up the extra ground." $2,000,000 Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen Among those returning to the Dubai Golden Shaheen this year is Doug Watson's stalwart Colour Up. The eight-year-old hasn't won since taking the Listed Jebel Ali Sprint in February, 2024, and has finished 14th and fifth in the Shaheen the last two years. However, despite the fact he hasn't won in more than two years, Watson believes he is entering in better form this year having finished fourth to El Nasseeb in the G3 Mahab Al Shimaal four weeks ago. "He's a marvel, he always gives you 100 per cent," Watson said. "He was only beaten a couple of lengths last year and he seems a little bit better this year. He just doesn't quite get that last half furlong, but he's done well. "We ran him back quick when he got back here (from Saudi Arabia, where he ran ninth in the G2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint last month) and he ran a super race. We've now had four weeks to come back to this race and he's done really well. This year, he's held his coat all year which can sometimes change on him, so he's great in himself. "We are aware that he will have to run the race of his life to win, but hopefully he can get another place in for (owner) Sayed (Hashish)." Watson will also have Cats By Five, twice a handicap winner at the track and trip earlier this year before a last-start sixth in the Mahab Al Shimaal. "Cats By Five, his two wins were what we expected out of him when we bought him," Watson said. "He came back the last time and after a huge win, I think it was four and a half lengths, maybe he just regressed a little bit. He didn't break as well and he pulled up a little bit tender the next day, although the day after that he was fine. So I'm not convinced he went into that 100 per cent or that he came out of it right. "He's had a really good four weeks since then and hopefully he can run a big race. He's got the ability, if he can get a good draw and if he breaks well this time he could run really well." Like Cats By Five, Midland Money was sourced from the United States. However, the former Bob Baffert trainee makes his debut for Michael Costa having finished second last start in the G1 Malibu Stakes over 1400m at Santa Anita in late December. Costa admits it has been a race against time to get Midland Money to the Dubai Golden Shaheen - ideally, the young trainer would have loved to get him to the G2 Godolphin Mile over 1600m - but he knows that new owner Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has an exciting prospect on his hands. "He's such a nice animal and we've only had him for a little bit of time," Costa said. "In an ideal world, we know as a trainer what sort of work we want to get into a horse and, with his recoveries and what we're seeing on his data, it would have been ideal to get a few more weeks with him. "If we'd had a bit more time, I'd have loved to get him to the Godolphin Mile. But look, I think the ability of this horse will carry him a long way. His most recent piece of work was lovely, just lovely. He's got all the ability in the world and I'm sure he'll show his hand on World Cup night. "We'll pop the blinkers back on him and if there's a hot pace, I'm sure he'll be strong. It's a different game here compared to the US so I think he's pretty dynamic and we'll just have to see how we draw and how Ray Dawson gets him out of the gates." Dubai Sheema Classic: High Achiever Nicknamed 'Chicken' A Group 1 winner who has run at the top level eight times and at the Dubai World Cup meeting on three previous occasions, Giavellotto is a high-class performer by anyone's standards. It's somewhat bizarre, then, to learn that the Marco Botti-trained seven-year-old goes by the nickname 'chicken.' Why? No-one, it seems, can remember. "It's just a name that Andrew [Morris, Head Lad] gave him," says Lucie Botti, but Morris says, "he's always been called that, ever since he was a youngster." The origins of the chicken nickname may have to remain a mystery, but it's testament to Giavellotto's durability that he makes his fourth World Cup night start on Saturday. First up came two goes at the G2 Gold Cup, finishing ninth and fifth, in 2023 and 2024, before a revelatory drop in trip and a fifth in the G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic last year. Prior to that was his career highlight, a superb win in the 2024 G1 Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin. For Morris, who has ridden Giavellotto since he was three, that was the pinnacle of his career so far. "We are very proud of him - he's just been a superstar," he says. "The highlight was when he won the Hong Kong Vase and when he was second last year. He tried but just didn't quite get there - it would have been a fairytale if he had. "He's been unlucky too, especially here. In the Gold Cup in 2024 his rein came undone, and he still wasn't beaten very far. Then last year Oisin [Murphy, jockey] said he was too far back, but he still ran to a high level of form." Morris and Giavellotto have a seamless partnership, but the rider says he's not as easy a ride as he appears. "Now and again he has a bit of a wobble but he's basically very straightforward if you leave him alone. He's his own man. "As he's got older he's got easier but as a youngster he was a handful. He travels so well because he likes the one-to-one attention. "He's soft. He thinks he's Mr Tough Guy but really he likes the attention. He loves people." Another omnipresent on Giavellotto's many travels is Lucie Botti, who makes no attempt to hide her love for the son of Mastercraftsman. "Giavellotto has been a very special horse for us," she says. "To come back to Dubai for the fourth time, to travel internationally and perform at this level year after year - and now at seven - says everything about his class, his soundness, and his attitude." The Botti team are no strangers to big-race success, having struck at the top level in the US and in Europe. However, a Dubai World Cup day winner has eluded them so far. "We've had some strong results here, third in the Sheema Classic, second in the Dubai Turf, second in the Gold Cup, and twice third in the Dubai World Cup, so to keep coming back and being competitive is something we're very proud of," says Botti. "Nights like this are always a privilege, and winning one of these races would be exceptional. For me, Dubai feels like a second home, so to finally add that one missing result would be incredibly special." They might have the World's Best Horse Calandagan to beat, but Giavellotto is no chicken - despite his nickname. $1,500,000 Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint Last year's Al Quoz Sprint sixth Marbaan drops back to 1200m for the first time since after three runs at 1400m this year. Michael Costa-trained Marbaan entered last year having won the G2 Al Fahidi Fort and the G3 Ras Al Khor over 1400m, but he has not raced this year since finishing sixth to stablemate Elnajmm in the Al Fahidi Fort in January. "He's a horse that is working better than the form suggests," Costa said. "He's had wide gates, he doesn't go a yard on wet tracks and he struck one in December - he still finished third which was much better than his previous performances on a wet track. I think he's going better than last year, his track performance just doesn't show it. The big hope for us is that we don't get too much rain Saturday night, if it's too wet we will possibly pull out. "He was right there in the mix last year, he just got galloped on badly in the run unfortunately." Simon and Ed Crisford's Cover Up has had six starts at Meydan over two seasons but this will be his first appearance on Dubai World Cup night. Winner of the G2 Blue Point Sprint over 1000m two starts ago, he finished third upon stepping up to 1200m in the G3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint last time out. "He's a really good sprinter and he ran well on Super Saturday," said Ed Crisford. "I think that five furlongs (1000m) is his best trip but six furlongs (1200m) is still within his reach. On his work, I'm sure he'll give a really good account of himself on World Cup night." $1,000,000 Group 2 UAE Derby Local outfit RRR Racing, the operation of Ajman ruler Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, had one of their biggest moments when Switzerland won the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen in 2022. They will look to break new ground when homebred Rammaas - a daughter of their 2018 UAE Derby runner-up Rayya - steps out for trainer Bhupat Seemar in this year's UAE Derby. Rammaas, a maiden winner at Gulfstream Park in Florida in August, was down the track at his Dubai debut in the G3 UAE 2000 Guineas behind Six Speed. However, he improved dramatically to win the Al Wasl Classic at Jebel Ali last time out over 1600m. "We believe that he was born to be a two-turn horse, being by Speightstown out of Rayya," RRR Racing manager Muammer Ameen said. "We ran him in the Guineas after only five days of quarantine, the trainer (Seemar) didn't want to run him but I said to just give him the run. We knew, coming out of that, we didn't want to go straight to the Al Bastakiya as he was still in the acclimatisation stage. "He came around quickly though and as soon as we saw that he was ready to go, we decided to go to the Classic at Jebel Ali. We wanted to give him a tougher race as, in the Derby, you have to have early speed, stamina and a good turn of foot. He showed all that there." Trainer Daisuke Takayanagi was on hand to watch Wonder Dean undertake quicker work on the Meydan dirt. "Katsuma Sameshima breezed him over five furlongs this morning on the dirt track," Takayanagi said. "He has physically improved from the Saudi Derby. It was quick ground and he moved very well." $1,000,000 Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup While Meydaan has dropped drastically in trip this preparation, his stablemate Fairy Glen is heading in the opposite direction. Winner of the G2 Balanchine for fillies and mares over 1800m last month, the Simon and Ed Crisford-prepared Fairy Glen steps up to two miles - or 3200m - for the first time. However, most of her form has been between 2400m and 2800m, meaning it is not as much of a leap as it may immediately appear. "We brought her out to run her over longer trips, but the week of the Balanchine, we look at the race and thought, no, we'll run her there," Ed Crisford said. "She won really well under Mickael Barzalona. We think that she's held her form since the Balanchine and I expect her to run a really big race. Hopefully, she's got a big year ahead of her." Epic Poet had a quiet day after a gallop yesterday, just trotting up to the training track and back under trainer David O'Meara's travelling foreman Charlotte Mulhall. "He galloped yesterday on the grass, so we just gave him an easy day today," said Mulhall. "He's feeling really good and we couldn't be happier with him." $1,000,000 Group 2 Godolphin Mile Trainer Bhupat Seemar saddles up half the field, but among those taking him on are father-son trainers Simon and Ed Crisford. They send out Telemark, a two-time handicap winner at Meydan who finished a 10-length fourth to Seemar's Commissioner King last time out in the G3 Burj Nahar. "He's taken to the dirt really well," said Ed Crisford. "He has an awkward draw but if he can somehow get a good trip, he can run a decent race." RRR Racing is represented by Seemar-trained World Record, a Grade 2 winner and Grade 1 placegetter in the United States. He finished last at his Emirati debut in the G3 Mahab Al Shimaal over 1200m. "He's acclimatised well," said racing manager Muammer Ameen. "Things didn't go in his favour in the Mahab Al Shimaal, he jumped and he'd never faced the kickback before in his life. He used to lead from wire to wire and as soon as he got kickback in his face, he really couldn't handle it. He was also short of fitness too. "We've got Jose Ortiz on him and we will instruct him to be very positive, if you see him in front he'll be tough to beat."