Dubai Turf

An already stiff Japanese challenge for the Dubai World Cup programme at Meydan on March 30 was further fortified on Wednesday when it was announced that the Mikio Matsunaga-trained duo of Matenro Sky (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}), upset winner of the G2 Nakayama Kinen, and the three-year-old colt Ballon d'Or (Jpn) (New Year's Day) have accepted invitations to the G1 Dubai Turf and G2 UAE Derby, respectively. Netkeiba was first to report the news. The five-year-old Matenro Sky broke through at the stakes level in the Listed Rigel S. going a...

Seven times has Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) gone to post over the 2000 metres at Sha Tin Racecourse and on six of those occasions, he has proved victorious, more times than not in convincing fashion. His lone blemish over the course and distance came in the 2023 G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup, when he was run down close home by multiple Horse of the Year Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) as the odds-on pop, but barring something unforeseen, Romantic Warrior should be righting that wrong against 10 others...

Defending G1 Dubai World Cup winner Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) features among 868 individual horses from 19 countries nominated to run at the $30.5-million Dubai World Cup meeting on Saturday, March 30. In total, more than 1,400 entries have been received across the nine races and Ushba Tesoro is one of 200 from Japan as he tries to become only the second dual winner of the $12-million Dubai World Cup (Sponsored by Emirates Airline) after Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}) in 2018 and 2019. Incidentally, Thunder Snow also won...

Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) might not be the most talented horse his breed-shaping sire has ever produced, but few can claim to have shown the same longevity as John and Thady Gosden's stable stalwart, the star name among 22 entries for the G3 BetUK Winter Derby at Southwell on Saturday, February 24. Successful on his sole two-year-old start at Redcar in October 2018, HH Sheikh Zayed bin Mohammed Racing's Lord North embarks on his seventh year in training at Clarehaven Stables with relatively few miles on the clock for...

A World Cup meeting needs world-class runners plus a global spread of results. This much and more was delivered by the 27th Dubai World Cup and supporting races at Meydan on Saturday. With 26 runners on the night, it was always a given that Japan would feature prominently and, in an exhibition of excellence that we are now becoming accustomed to, they led all comers, just as they had in Riyadh last month. The performance of Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) alone was pretty dramatic, coming from tailed off to...

"What a star," exclaimed Frankie Dettori as he returned to the winner's circle aboard Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who reaffirmed his love affair with Meydan with an historic third win in the $5-million G1 Dubai Turf Sponsorsed By DP World. The John and Thady Gosden-trained gelding, who races in the colours of Sheikh Mohammed's son Sheikh Zayed's racing banner, launched his attack under Dettori with just over a furlong left to run, coming wide down the home straight from way off the pace to relegate fellow late challenger Danon...

WinStar Farm, Commonwealth Thoroughbreds and Zedan Racing's defending G1 Dubai World Cup champion Country Grammer (Tonalist) tops a dozen North American entries for the Dubai World Cup program at Meydan Racecourse Saturday, Mar. 25. The prospective fields were revealed overnight by the Dubai Racing Club. The 6-year-old is one of 13 in the field for the $12-million centerpiece of the meeting, including no fewer than eight runners from Japan topped by Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), who registered a half-length defeat of Country Grammer in the G1 Saudi Cup last...

It was billed as a clash of the titans, with Hong Kong's three highest-rated gallopers squaring off for the first time in the G1 Stewards' Cup Sunday at Sha Tin. It certainly did not disappoint. Those who may have thought Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro)'s defeat at the hooves of California Spangle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) in last month's G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile signaled the beginning of the end or a changing of the guard were reminded in no uncertain terms that the 7-year-old retains all of his zest for...

Just days after his son Equinox (Jpn) was named both champion of his generation and Horse of the Year in Japan, Kitasan Black (Jpn) could well have another player on this year's Classics trail in the form of Sol Oriens (Jpn), who took his record to two-from-two with a convincing victory in Sunday's G3 Keisei Hai at Nakayama. The slight second choice in the wagering behind Seven Magician (Jpn) (Just a Way {Jpn}), the Shadai homebred was void of early speed and raced with about three rivals behind into the...

Although he beat just three home in the G1 Saudi Cup a fortnight ago, trainer Saeed bin Suroor said Real World (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) could still stay on the dirt for the G1 Dubai World Cup on Mar. 26. Godolphin's 5-year-old came alive in Britain last summer, winning the Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot followed by three straight black-type races culminating in the G2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein in October, and he kicked off his campaign with victory in the G2 Zabeel Mile at Meydan on Jan. 28. Real...

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher joined the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland Tuesday fresh off of a pair of seven-figure wins at Gulfstream and amid one of the hottest streaks of his training life. Sitting down with Joe Bianca, Bill Finley and Jon Green as the Green Group Guest of the Week, Pletcher talked about Life Is Good's dazzling win in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. and what's next for the superstar son of Into Mischief, a planned Dubai trip for MGISW turfer Colonel Liam (Liam's...

Saturday's $12-million G1 Dubai World Cup may lack the star power of past renewals, but with 14 runners signed on from six countries for the race's 25th renewal it is nonetheless a fascinating event that has the potential to crown a new headliner, the most obvious being Godolphin's American shipper Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper). Trained by Michael Stidham, Mystic Guide broke his maiden by five lengths at second asking last March, and despite the American Triple Crown being re-arranged by the Covid-19 pandemic connections took a patient approach. Mystic Guide picked...