Walk Of Stars Becomes A 60th Elite-Level Winner for Dubawi in Al Maktoum Challenge

Walk of Stars | Erika Rasmussen/DRC

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Previously better known for his inability to finish off his races,  Walk of Stars (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) seems to have put those bad habits behind him, as he well and truly stamped his authority on Friday's G1 Al Maktoum Challenge at Meydan, leading home a 1-2 finish for the Bhupat Seemar yard and his legendary sire.

Runner-up in last year's G2 Godolphin Mile after looking home free, Walk of Stars was second on seasonal reappearance in the Listed Dubai Creek Mile Nov. 22, but was sent straight into the lead last time and made every yard in romping in by nearly dozen lengths in the Listed The Entisar over course and distance Dec. 20.

Called “a front-runner, but not a runaway” by jockey Tadhg O'Shea, Walk of Stars was ridden forward again and sat in a pace-pressing second to the inside of Saayedd (Malibu Moon) until about midway. Back in front approaching the final 800 metres, the strapping bay was confronted by his stable companion Imperial Emperor (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) for the run into the final three furlongs. Shoulder to shoulder into the Meydan straight, Walk of Stars continued to find on the pointy end and maintained a safe margin to the wire.

“He's a big, powerful galloper,” said O'Shea. “It was a great performance on the night and it's great to get a Group 1 under his belt.”

Seemar, who now has an automatic Dubai World Cup entry for Walk Of Stars, added: “the owners [Athbah Stud] are from Saudi so I imagine they will want to go to the [Feb. 22 G1] Saudi Cup.”

Facteur Cheval (Ire) (Ribchester {Ire}) was a bit tardy from the stalls in this first spin over the dirt and settled just behind mid-division, absorbing plenty of kickback. Strung up in traffic entering the second turn, Facteur Cheval peeled out and around Qareeb (Speightstown) with about 400 metres to run and finished up nicely enough to be third.

Sheikh Ahmed's Gaassid (Mendelssohn) suffered an injury to his right fore about 500 metres from the finish and was transported to the Dubai Equine Hospital for further evaluation.

Pedigree Notes:

Walk of Stars is the 190th worldwide winner for Dubawi at the group/graded level and his 60th top-level scorer. He is the 92nd graded/group winner and 29th Group 1/Grade I winner produced by a daughter of Street Cry (Ire), also the broodmare sire of Jebel Hatta winner Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}).

Walk of Stars is out of a listed-placed daughter of dual Group 2 winner Echoes In Eternity, whose son Whispering Gallery (GB) (Daylami {Ire}) carried Frankie Dettori to victory in the 2011 G3 Dubai Gold Cup over two miles of the Meydan turf course. Third dam Magnificient Style won the G3 Musidora Stakes and went on to produce not only G1 King George and G1 Eclipse Stakes hero Nathaniel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), but also Group 1 winner Playful Act (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), who famously fetched $10.5 million in foal to Kingmambo at the 2007 Keeneland November Sale.

Sound Reflection's last-listed produce is a yearling colt by Palace Pier (GB).

Friday, Meydan, Dubai
AL MAKTOUM CHALLENGE PRESENTED BY LONGINES-G1, AED3,680,000, Meydan, 1-24, 3yo/up, 9 1/2f, 1:56.21, fs.
1–WALK OF STARS (GB), 127, g, 6, by Dubawi (Ire)
                1st Dam: Sound Reflection, by Street Cry (Ire)
                2nd Dam: Echoes In Eternity (Ire), by Spinning World
                3rd Dam: Magnificient Style, by Silver Hawk
1ST GROUP 1 WIN, 1ST GROUP WIN. (AED1,200,000 HRA '23 ERAAPR). O-Athbah Racing; B-Godolphin (GB); T-Bhupat Seemar; J-Tadhg O'Shea. AED2,208,000. Lifetime Record: GSP-Eng, 15-4-4-3, AED3,308,400. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Imperial Emperor (Ire), 127, g, 5, Dubawi (Ire)–Zhukova (Ire), by Fastnet Rock (Aus). 1ST BLACK-TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK-TYPE. (AED300,000 HRA '24 ERAMAR). O-Deva Racing; B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Bhupat Seemar. AED736,000.
3–Facteur Cheval (Ire), 127, g, 6, Ribchester (Ire)–Jawlaat (Ire), by Shamardal. (145,000gns Wlg '19 TATFOA; €120,000 Ylg '20 ARDEAY). O-Team Valor International LLC & Gary Barber; B-McCracken Farms (IRE); T-Jerome Reynier. AED368,000.
Margins: 2 3/4, 4 1/4, 1 1/4.
Also Ran: Qareeb, Local Dynasty (Ire), Generous Tipper, Kabirkhan, Global Hit (Kor), Clapton, Dhahabi (Ire), Saayedd. Also Ran (DNF): Gaassid.

 

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