Racing Super Stars Headed To Dubai
Richard Fahey-trained Sands of Mali, a brilliant winner of the Gr.1 British Champions Sprint over Harry Angel is now headed to the Dubai World Cup card pointing towards the US$2m Al Quoz Sprint.
New owner Amer Abdulaziz, has indicated that the entire will be aiming for a run in at Royal Ascot in the summer. A run at the DWC Carnival prior to the Al Quoz Sprint has not yet been ruled out, but is unlikely.
Amer Abdulaziz who is the principal for Phoenix Thoroughbreds also have two prime prospects for the Gr.1 Dubai World Cup - Multiple graded stakes winner and Breeders’ Cup Classic Gr.1 alumnus Axelrod and Gr.1 Belmont Stakes runner up Gronkowski are also headed to Dubai to join the yard of Sandeep Jadhav at the end of the month.
A good-looking son of Warrior’s Reward, Axelrod made a brief rally but had to settle for ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, a race in which 2018 Dubai World Cup winner Thunder Snow was third.
Previously, he was second in the Pennsylvania Derby Gr.1 and won both the Indiana Derby Gr.3 and Smarty Jones Gr.3 leading into that effort for trainer Mike McCarthy.
Abdulaziz also expressed excitement about Phoenix’s presence at the DWC Carnival, namely with the likes of dirt-bred Pocket Dynamo, a Gr.2-placed juvenile who exits a ninth in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (Listed), as well as Gr.3-placed 3-year-old Lansky, who appears to be a promising 1200-1600m turf type. Both are trained by Robert Cowell and will remain in his care while based at Meydan.
Credit: Dubai World Cup