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Mystic Guide takes out the Dubai World Cup becoming 13th Group 1 winner for Ghostzapper
13th Group 1 for Ghostzapper
Mystic Guide (4 h ex Music Note by A.P. Indy) produced a devastating turn of foot to win the Dubai World Cup (Gr 1, 2000m) at Meydan on Saturday and in the process handed the Stonestreet Farms-based Ghostzapper (Awesome Again) with his 13th Group / Grade 1 winner. Raced by Godolphin and trained by US-based Michael Stidham, the four-year-old entire came into the race off the back of a victory in the Razorback Handicap (Gr 3, 8.5f) and scooted clear in the closing stages to beat Chuwa Wizard (King Kamehameha) by three and three-quarter lengths, while Magny Cours (Medaglia d’Oro) - who was having his first start on dirt - finished another length and a quarter away in third. The four-year-old entire is out of multiple Grade 1 winner Music Note (A.P.Indy) and she is herself a half-sister to dual Grade 1 winner Musical Chimes (In Excess). Ghostzapper stands for a fee of US$85,000.
Mishriff shines in Dubai Sheema Classic
Mishriff (4 c Make Believe - Contradict by Raven's Pass) capped off a brilliant night at Meydan for co-trainers John and Thady Gosden when he landed the Dubai Sheema Classic (Gr 1, 2410m) on Saturday. Last seen winning the world’s most valuable race Saudi Cup (1800m), the four-year-old son of Make Believe (Makfi) came out on top of a blanket finish to beat Japanese raider Chrono Genesis (Bago) by a neck, while fellow Japanese raider Loves Only You (Deep Impact) was the same distance away in third. His owner, Prince A A Faisal, not only raced Mishriff’s sire Makfi (Dubawi) but also owned and bred his dam Contradict (Raven’s Pass), his second dam Group 3 winner Acts Of Grace (Bahri) and his third dam is Prix de Diane (Gr 1, 2100m) winner Rafha (Kris) - the dam of Invincible Spirit (Green Desert).
Lord North wins Dubai Turf
The John and Thady Gosden-trained Lord North (5 g Dubawi - Najoum by Giant's Causeway) signalled he was in for another big year on the track when he produced a emphatic performance to win the Dubai Turf (Gr 1, 1800m) at Meydan. A winner of last year’s Ascot Prince of Wales's Stakes (Gr 1, 1m2f), the four-year-old son of Dubawi (Dubai Millennium) added a second Group to his burgeoning record when he surged clear impressively to beat Vin De Garde (Deep Impact) by three lengths. Lord North was bred by Godolphin and he has now won seven of his 13 starts. Lord North is one of 44 top-flight winners for Dubawi, who is standing for a fee of £250,000 at Darley’s Banstead Manor base in Newmarket.
First top-flight winner Fed Biz
There was a sad postscript to the Golden Shaheen (Gr 1, 1200m) at Meydan on Saturday, when the Carlos A David-trained Zendan (5 h ex You Laughin by Sharp Humor) broke down after he passed the line in front. In winning the race, the five-year-old horse handed Highfield Stock Farm-based sire Fed Biz (Giant’s Causeway) his first top-flight winner. Fed Biz, who has sired ten stakes winners in total, stood at WinStar Farm, before being sold to the Canadian-based stud earlier this year.
First Group 1 winner for Kiss The Kid
The Brendan Walsh-trained Extravagant Kid (8 g ex Pretty Extravagant by With Distinction) landed the Al Quoz Sprint (Gr 1, 1200m) at Meydan on Saturday and in the process became the first top-flight winner for his sire Kiss The Kid (Lemon Drop Kid). Kiss The Kid has sired 22 winners in total and he died last year.
199 for Dubawi
Darley’s superstar stallion Dubawi (Dubai Millennium) was handed his 199th stakes winner on Saturday when the Charlie Appleby-trained Rebel's Romance (3 g ex Minidress by Street Cry) landed the UAE Derby (Gr 2, 1900m) at Meydan. The three-year-old gelding was last seen surrendering her unbeaten record, having won his first three starts and he broke through at stakes level when he beat Panadol (Flatter) by five and a half lengths. Dubawi’s stakes winners are headed 44 Group 1 winners and he is represented in Australia by his sire sons Akeed Mofeed and Too Darn Hot, while it was announced last week that another son in Ghaiyyath will shuttle to Darley Kelvinside in the Hunter Valley.
Fourth stakes win for Secret Ambition
Secret Ambition (8 h Exceed And Excel - Inner Secret by Singspiel) added a fourth stakes victory to his record when he landed the Godolphin Mile (Gr 2, 1600m) at Meydan on Saturday. The son of former reverse shuttler Exceed And Excel (Danehill) was last seen winning the Firebreak Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m) and he surged clear to beat Golden Goal (Dark Angel) by six lengths. The eight-year-old entire is one of 182 stakes winners for Exceed And Excel and he shuttled to the northern hemisphere for 16 seasons but did not return for the 2021 season.
Subjectivist resumes with a victory in the Dubai Gold Cup
After signing off his three-year-old career with a brilliant win in the Prix Royal Oak (Gr 1, 3100m) at Longchamp, the Mark Johnston-trained Subjectivist (4 h Teofilo - Reckoning by Danehill Dancer) opened his account as a four-year-old with an impressive win in the Dubai Gold Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) at Meydan on Saturday. The four-year-old son of Teofilo (Galileo) is out of stakes-placed Danehill Dancer (Danehill) mare Reckoning making him a three-quarters brother to Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed Sir Ron Priestley (Australia). Teofilo shuttled to Australia for seven seasons and his 21 Group 1 winners including Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m)-winning pair Cross Counter and Twilight Payment.