The Godolphin pair of Steady Pace (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Rouleau (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) finished 1-2 in the UAE 2000 Guineas Trial over 1400 meters at Meydan Jan. 14, and Sheikh Mohammed and his team will certainly be hoping for a repeat performance when that pair face the starter in the main event, the G3 UAE 2000 Guineas, Thursday.
Steady Pace is by far the highest-rated horse in the field–112 compared to Rouleau's 105–and his last-out win franked the form of a busy juvenile campaign largely spent chasing dual Group 1 winner Shalaa (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) around Britain's racecourses. A first-out winner at Ascot in May, Steady Pace finished third in Royal Ascot's Listed Windsor Castle S. in June before hitting the board behind Shalaa in the G2 July S. and G2 Richmond S. He closed out his season with a third behind that rival in the G1 Middle Park S., with Rouleau a further three lengths back in fifth. Just a head separated them in the trial, however, and trainer Charlie Appleby expressed confidence Rouleau would appreciate the added furlong.
“He was staying on strongly in the trial,” said Appleby. “The extra 200 metres should really suit him and we expect a big run.”
Trainer Saeed bin Suroor added of Steady Pace, “Steady Pace won the trial nicely and has been working well since. He showed he handles the dirt and hopefully he will go very close.”
Another interesting proposition is Sheikh Hamdan's $300,000 Keeneland September buy Qurbaan (Speightstown), who went unbeaten in two outings in France last year for trainer Francois Rohaut. He was last seen winning a Chantilly conditions race Sept. 30. Epsom-based trainer Simon Dow will saddle his first-ever UAE runner in Hombre Rojo (Ire) (Intikhab). That Robert Moss colorbearer rides a three-race win streak and is well proven over the distance, having won three-straight all-weather races over a mile at Lingfield. Those last two wins came three days apart, Jan. 9 and 12. Hombre Rojo tries dirt for the first time.
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