Ed Marnane
Week seven of the 2023 Dubai World Cup Carnival at Meydan on Friday and arguably the weakest night of the international equine jamboree, with the Balanchine Stakes the pick of the action on the seven-race card.
The Group 2 event, over 1800m on turf, for fillies and mares looks a good opportunity for With The Moonlight to give her trainer Charlie Appleby his fifth win in the last six renewals. Owned and bred by Godolphin, she won the Cape Verdi on her seasonal reappearance at Meydan three weeks ago, producing a sharp turn of foot to catch the long-time leader White Moonlight to delight of favourite backers.
The daughter of Frankel, who will appreciate stepping back up in distance, will be hard to beat and can become the sixth Godolphin filly to complete the Cape Verdi-Balanchine double since the race was introduced in 2004.
Appleby, who is operating at strike-rate of 25% at Meydan this season, has booked James Doyle to Tranquil Lady, a half-sister to multiple Group 1 winner State Of Rest. The daughter of Australia was purchased by Godolphin at Tattersalls December Sale and is a smart filly, winning three times for former trainer Joseph O’Brien, including twice at Group 3 level in France and Ireland.
Tranquil Lady, in receipt of 2kg, looks the chief threat to With The Moonlight in a race that lacks strength in depth, and should be dominated by the Appleby pair.
The first running of the Jumeirah Fillies Guineas, Race 4, has attracted nine runners and Saeed bin Suroor-trained Mawj steps up to a mile after narrowly winning the Jumeirah Fillies Classic on her three-year-old debut. By Lope de Vega, she held the late burst of the fast-finishing Dream Of Love getting the verdict in a photo-finish on soft ground.
There are obvious fears Mawj, a filly with plenty of speed, won’t see out the trip, but the quicker ground will be in her favour. Rated 109, she’s a smart filly and was a close third in the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes in September.
Fairy Cross, Godolphin’s second runner, has no stamina concerns and is a major player for the all-conquering Charlie Appleby under William Buick. The superbly bred daughter of Dubawi, out of the Irish 1000 Guineas third and Group 2 winner Devonshire, was one of Appleby’s top juvenile fillies in the UK last year, winning two of her four races.
She showed a likeable attitude to see off Breege and Bright Diamond in the Prestige Stakes, Group 3, her final outing of 2022. She’s unlikely to lack for fitness from an in-form yard and can deny Mawj in a race that Godolphin holds the aces.
Race 6, the Jumeriah Derby, has attracted nine runners and Listed Jumeriah Classic runner-up One Nation clearly sets the standard. Ridden by Mickael Barzalona, he tried to make all under a positive front-running but had no answer when odds-on favourite Naval Power swept past him in the final 100m of the 1800m event.
William Buick, Appleby’s stable jockey, takes over on One Nation and he should go one place better, especially if allowed an uncontested lead.
Highbank, trained by Appleby, made a pleasing comeback on his Meydan debut in the Jumeriah Classic Trail last month. He recovered from a tardy start before running on strongly in the closing stages to finish a close third behind Long Kiss, a performance that caught the eye as his closing sectionals were impressive.
He must improve to reverse from with One Nation on the Jumeriah Classic form, but the sounder surface will suit, and he can’t be overlooked.
Of the others, Shahar is easily the most appealing for Fawzi Nass. By top US sire Gun Runner and half-brother to US champion Lady Eli, he showed promise in maidens before getting off the mark on his handicap debut, over the same distance of the Jumeirah Derby, earlier in the month.
Ridden with confidence, he ran out a comfortable winner and made a mockery of his opening mark of 81 in the hands of Adrie de Vries, who maintains the partnership. Now rated 90, he will have to take another step forward but could easily be up to the task and holds each-way claims in a race few make any appeal.
Colour Up, one of the most improved horses in training in the UAE this winter, can resume winning ways in Race 2, the 1200m handicap on dirt. Trained by Doug Watson, the season’s top trainer, he impressed when winning his maiden here earlier in the campaign.
Winner on his handicap debut at Jebel Ali next time, he lost little in defeat when denied by Rawy, over the same course and distance of today’s race, last month. He narrowly failed to see off the challenge of Salem bin Ghadayer’s colt, having travelled powerfully through the race. The No 9 draw hasn’t been kind for Colour Up, a very unexposed gelding who is making only the fifth run of his career. That said, he’s a progressive horse and has more to offer.
Racing gets underway with a 1400m conditions race on dirt for three-year-olds, a modest race that won’t take much winning.
Doug O’Neill has enjoyed a productive campaign with his three-year-olds in recent weeks, winning the UAE 2000 Guineas with Tall Boy and Ami Please was only denied by Mimi Kakushi in the fillies’ equivalent.
The California-based trainer relies on Ah Jeez, the mount of William Buick. Rated 98, he has won two of his eight races and can boast form at Grade 3 level, all on turf. The switch to dirt is a query but being by Mendelssohn, winner of the 2018 UAE Derby, fuels hope he will handle the conditions. On the official ratings, he clearly is the horse to beat if transferring his US form to Meydan’s main track.
Sharp Army, trained by Ahmad bin Harmash, spearheads the home challenge and holds leading claims for a yard enjoying a good season. Winner of 1200m maiden here (made all) on his racecourse debut in November, he has run well in defeat since and was a creditable third behind Tiger Nation in the UAE 2000 Guineas Trail, his last start on dirt.
He never troubled the impressive Al Dasim when switched to turf in the Dubai Trophy, finishing six lengths behind George Boughey’s exciting young sprinter. Sharp Army will enjoy being back on dirt and drawn in gate three, he should be able to take advantage of his low draw and you can expect Ray Dawson to be positive.
BEST BET
Race 1 No 8 Sharp Army
VALUE BET
Race 6 No 3 Highbank
BEST SWINGER
Race 2 2-Colour Up and 8-Vasari
JACKPOT
(Races 4 to 7)
R36
Leg 1: 5, 7
Leg 2: 1, 8
Leg 3: 3, 6, 7
Leg 4: 2, 6, 12