Mythical Magic among four seeking G2 Al Fahidi Fort prize
Trainer Charlie Appleby says Mythical Magic has enjoyed a nice break since Royal Ascot and a repeat performance of his run in this race last year is going to put him bang there again.
Mythical Magic (Charlie Appleby/William Buick) was second in the seven-furlong turf highlight 12 months ago before returning to Meydan the following month to post a dominant victory in the G2 Zabeel Mile.
The five-year-old son of Iffraaj makes his first start since finishing down the field in the mile G1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, UK, in June.
Glorious Journey (Appleby/James Doyle) also gets his five-year-old campaign underway after coming home ninth in the G1 Prix de la Foret over seven furlongs at Longchamp, France, in October.
The son of Dubawi has enjoyed Pattern-race success every season for the past three years and quickened strongly to take the G2 Hungerford Stakes over seven furlongs at Newbury in August.
Royal Meeting (Saeed Bin Suroor/Christophe Soumillon) rounded off an unbeaten juvenile season in 2018 with victory in the seven-furlong G1 Criterium International at Chantilly, France.
The Invincible Spirit colt has been restricted to two subsequent outings, both in Australia last season, including a staying-on third in the G3 Moonga Stakes at Caulfield.
The quartet of Al Fahidi Fort challengers is completed by six-year-old Mubtasim (Appleby/Brett Doyle), a course and distance winner at last year’s Dubai World Cup Carnival who also scored in a seven-furlong handicap on his latest start at Newmarket’s Craven Meeting in April.
Appleby said: “Mythical Magic has enjoyed a nice break since Royal Ascot and a repeat performance of his run in this race last year is going to put him bang there again. He likes racing around Meydan and has conditions to suit.
“Glorious Journey should also be very competitive if he runs up to his best form. He has done well for a break and has enjoyed wintering out in Dubai. He is a horse who likes to come with a run in his races, so a turning track like Meydan should suit. Mubtasim has winning course and distance form and scored well at Newmarket in the spring. He needs to step up to be competitive at this level but a small field could play to his strengths.”
Suroor said: “We were disappointed with Royal Meeting on his two starts in Australia but he is doing very well in Dubai. Seven furlongs will suit and he has been doing some very good work in the mornings. I am looking forward to seeing how he gets on, so we can hopefully look at some more nice races in the future.”
Thursday’s card also features the mile Listed UAE 1,000 Guineas for three-year-old fillies, in which Final Song (Suroor/ Soumillon) looks to follow up an impressive win in the seven-furlong trial for the dirt Classic on week one of the Carnival.
She is joined by Dubai Love (Suroor/Pat Cosgrave), who finished well to take fourth in the trial, while Charlie Appleby is represented by Chasing Dreams (Buick) and Silent Wave (Doyle), who both try dirt for the first time after finishing mid-field in the six-furlong Dubai Trophy on Jan.9.
Suroor said: “Final Song won the trial nicely and has been doing well since. I have been happy with her preparation and she is in good form. It will be her first start over a mile and I hope she stays the trip, although it depends on how much pace there is in the race.
“Dubai Love will be suited by the step up to a mile. She was staying on in the trial and I have been happy with her.”
Appleby said: “We are putting a line through Chasing Dream’s run in the Dubai Trophy as she didn’t enjoy the rain-softened ground. She has a couple of question marks in terms of racing on the dirt and stepping up to a mile, although you would think that she might appreciate racing over this trip based on her last couple of runs.
“Silent Wave stayed on nicely in the Dubai Trophy on ground that was softer than ideal – she didn’t like racing on good to soft at Ascot last year either. She has done all her best work towards the end of her races, so we are confident that the step up in distance will suit, but the surface is a big unknown.”
Further three-year-old action is provided by the Al Bastakiya Trial over an extended nine furlongs on dirt, in which Suroor sends out four runners.
First View (Pat Cosgrave), Lost In Time (Christophe Soumillon) and Laser Show (Kevin Stott) re-oppose after unplaced efforts in the UAE 2,000 Guineas Trial on week two of the Carnival, while Princess Bride (Marc Monaghan) switches to dirt following three promising turf outings in the UK.
Godolphin is well represented in the opening 12-furlong turf handicap, with unexposed four-year-old Court Poet (William Buick), 2018 Listed Meydan Classic winner Zaman (James Doyle) and G2 Prix d’Harcourt fourth Lucius Tiberius (Brett Doyle) lining up for Charlie Appleby.
In the same contest, Suroor sends out Gifts Of Gold (Soumillon), who was third in the Listed Dubai Racing Club Classic on Thursday, 2 January, and the hat-trick seeking Dubai Future (Harry Bentley).
Dubai Icon (Suroor/ Soumillon) went down by a length in total when fifth over an extended nine-furlongs at the first fixture of this year’s Carnival and the four-year-old goes again in another dirt handicap over half a furlong shorter.
He is joined by turf Listed winner Zorion (Appleby/ Buick) who makes his dirt debut.
