Fashion Friday

Godolphin's Opera Ballo (Ghaiyyath) earned his first Group 1 badge in the Jebel Hatta at Meydan on Friday. The consistent colt gave William Buick his third win on the night. Four-time Group 1 winner Nations Pride (Teofilo) cut out fractions while shadowed by Wathnan Racing's Silawi (Dubawi) for much of this contest. The well-regarded eventual winner stayed in midpack from the jump, but was keen to do more behind his first three rivals. On the bend, Godolphin second-stringer Nations Pride lengthened his advantage, but came back to the field entering...

Fashion Friday at Meydan features a nine-race card, eight of them for Thoroughbreds, and the crowning jewel is the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge, which grants the victor an entry in the $12-million G1 Dubai World Cup on March 28. The 2026 edition features the past two winners in Walk Of Stars (Dubawi) and Kabirkhan (California Chrome), who are both trained by Bhupat Seemar. "Walk Of Stars had a lot of weight to give away first time out, against horses who were race fit," Seemar said of the gelding's fourth in...

Friday, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, post time: 20:25, AL MAKTOUM CHALLENGE-G1, AED3,680,000, 4yo/up & SH 3yo, 1900m Field: Walk Of Stars (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Imperial Emperor (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Heart of Honor (GB) (Honor A. P.), Tumbarumba (Oscar Performance), Artorious (Arrogate), Remorse (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Kabirkhan (Calilfornia Chrome), Killer Collect (Collected), Masmak (Vino Rosso). TDN Analysis: Walk Of Stars held Imperial Emperor to second in last year's edition for trainer Bhupat Seemar who saddles six here. Those two both step forward again, while Seemar stablemate Kabirkhan exploded to a 4...

by Heather Anderson & Alan Carasso Something of an unknown commodity when he arrived from Kazakhstan into the Dubai yard of Doug Watson a little over a year ago, Kabirkhan (California Chrome) announced his arrival on the world racing scene with a barnstorming victory in the 2024 G1 Al Maktoum Challenge (1900m) at Meydan. The flashy chestnut, who bears a striking resemblance to his G1 Dubai World Cup-winning sire, returns for the first time since disappointing in last year's $12-million feature and squares off against an internationally flavoured group. Sent...

Just two races after her half-brother Mysterious Night (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) won the G2 Al Fahidi Fort, Godolphin's STAR OF MYSTERY (GB) (f, 3, Kodiac {GB}--Mistrusting {Ire}, by Shamardal) picked up strongly in the closing stages to take the AED850,000 G2 Blue Point Sprint Presented by Longines by 1 3/4 lengths. Ponntos (Ire) (Power {GB}) ran second, with Tajalla (Ire) (Kessaar {Ire}) a neck back in third. The race was delayed for several minutes when both Tajalla and Thunder Of Niagara (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) broke through the...

by Alan Carasso & Heather Anderson Trainer Chad Summers knows the nooks and crannies of Meydan, having saddled Mind Your Biscuits (Posse) to victories in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen in 2017 and again in 2018. With Dubai World Cup just a couple of months down the road, the horseman is back in the Emirates for Friday's newly upgraded G1 Al Maktoum Challenge-R2 and is in with a big chance in the form of RRR Racing's Clapton (Brethren). The Florida-bred 5-year-old was acquired privately by these connections last summer and...

Juddmonte's Laurel River (Into Mischief), last seen running out a 3 3/4-length winner of the GII Pat O'Brien S. in August 2022 for Bob Baffert, has been entered for the G3 Al Shindagha Sprint (1200m) and the G3 Firebreak S. (1600m) on 'Fashion Friday' at Meydan Racecourse Jan. 26. "Everything seems to be fine, we've gotten nothing but good reports from over there," said Garrett O'Rourke, general manager of Juddmonte USA, who confirmed that the 6-year-old stallion will take part in the shorter of the two races Friday evening. An...

The full 2023-2024 programme for the Dubai racing season at Meydan Racecourse has been released. Running from Nov. 10 until Mar. 8, the season includes 14 meetings and precedes the $30.5-million Dubai World Cup meeting on Mar. 30. In addition, the prize-money has been increased by 27%, with the minimum per race now AED165,000. The Festive Friday card will contain six stakes races, among them the G2 Al Maktoum Mile at Meydan on Dec. 22. There is also Fashion Friday on Jan. 26, with nine black-type races on tap led...

Purses will rise 27% during the 2023-2024 Dubai racing season at Meydan Racecourse, the Dubai Racing Club (DRC) announced earlier this week. The new minimum purse of AED165,000 will be for non-stakes races, while all Group 1 races will be increased to a purse of at least AED1 million. The prize-money of $30.5 million on Dubai World Cup night will remain unchanged. In addition, all Meydan cards will feature nine races except for the first two. Other changes revealed by the DRC include two new feature race nights: Festive Friday...