By Heather Anderson
The 1600-metre AED700,000 G3 Firebreak Stakes presented by Longines was all about last year's explosive G1 Dubai World Cup hero Laurel River (Into Mischief) until the last jump. Instead, it was the evenly racing G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest victor King Gold (Fr) (Anodin {Ire}) who closed resolutely and claimed the winner's laurels.
Breaking a step slowly, the Bhupat Seemar-trained Juddmonte runner rushed up to challenge for the advantage and soon held the baton while pushed by Meshtri (Medaglia d'Oro) with King Gold near the tail of the field. Laurel River soon distanced himself from his rivals for much of the race and, at one point carried an eight-length lead in upper stretch. His long break from the races and eager efforts hard on the steel wore him down, evident by the final furlong, with a resolute King Gold spoiling the fairytale comeback right on the line. The margin was a short head, with Wathnan Racing's Cagliostro (Upstart), sandwiched in between the top pair, the same distance back in third.
“I was shouting for second and so happy to be second to the world champion and then I couldn't believe it, I won!” said an elated Marine Henry, wife and assistant to trainer Nicolas Caullery, who rides King Gold each day. “He tried the dirt in 2022 and went so well on it so I've been saying since then we should go back on it. Today I was hoping he could be third as he felt so well to me in the morning.
“We will go for the G2 Godolphin Mile now and maybe run on Super Saturday [G3 Burj Nahaar] too.”
Douglas Erskine Crum, chief executive of owners Juddmonte, said of Laurel River, “He's a very fast horse and he was very brave there, maybe a little too enthusiastic. We'll go to the Saudi Cup–see you in Riyadh!”
After claiming the Prix Maurice de Gheest in August of 2023, the grey lost his way a bit last year, but did manage to take the G3 Prix de la Porte Maillot over 1400 metres at ParisLongchamp in June. His 2024 finale three starts later was a 13th-place finish in the G1 Prix de la Foret in very soft going in October before failing to sell as a 180,000gns buy-back out of the Tattersalls Online November Sale last autumn.
Pedigree Notes
King Gold is one of nine stakes winners and six group scorers for group winner and GI Breeders' Cup Mile runner-up Anodin. The son of Anabaa was also second in the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois and the G1 Prix d'Ispahan and third in the G1 Prix du Moulin and G1 Queen Anne Stakes. Broodmare sire Kingsalsa, a group winner by Kingmambo who placed four times at the top table, is responsible for two stakes winners out of his daughters.
The durable King Gold is the second foal out of the unraced Miss Gandelia (Fr) (Kingsalsa), herself a half-sister to listed winner and group-placed Queen America (Fr) (American Post {GB}), as well as a full to Queensalsa (Fr) (Kingsalsa), who filled the frame three times at group level. The last-named mare is the dam of the Listed Prix Isonomy heroine and G3 Prix de la Grotte third Whip And Win (Fr) (Whipper) and the granddam of stakes winner Pas De Soucis (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}), who was third in the GIII Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf Stakes.
Friday, Meydan, Dubai
FIREBREAK STAKES PRESENTED BY LONGINES-G3, AED700,000, Meydan, 1-26, 3yo/up, 8f, 1:36.70, fs.
1–KING GOLD (FR), 127, h, 8, by Anodin (Ire)
1st Dam: Miss Gandelia (Fr), by Kingsalsa
2nd Dam: Gandelia (Fr), by Ganges
3rd Dam: Nadelia (Fr), by Nadjar (Fr)
(180,000gns RNA '24 TATNOV). O-Mme Christian Wingtans (FR); B-Mme Raymonde Wingtans. T-Nicolas Caullery; J-Adrie de Vries. AED420,000. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Fr, GSP-Ger, 44-10-3-7, AED2,398,917. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Laurel River, 129, h, 7, Into Mischief–Calm Water, by Empire Maker. O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-Bhupat Seemar. AED140,000.
3–Cagliostro, 126, h, 5, Upstart–A Rosefor Isabelle, by Hard Spun. ($385,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR). O-Wathnan Racing; B-Lance Colwell & Janice Clark (FL); T-Hamad Al Jehani. AED70,000.
Margins: SHD, SHD, 3HF.
Also Ran: Artorius, Crown Estate (GB), Made In Dubai, Al Jaddaf (GB), Meshtri, Sound Money, Al Tariq (Fr). Click for the ERA chart & video.
Dubai World Cup hero Laurel River chinned on his comeback at Meydan by King Gold 👇🏻 @RacingDubai pic.twitter.com/o4e2A5ZXbM
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) January 24, 2025
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