Just when you think the excitement might subdue, the UAE Derby comes up. The Group two race, run over 1900m for a purse of US$2 million, brings us an eventful race card this year. With 2017 winner Thunder Snow moving on to challenge the big guns in the Dubai World Cup, it’s time to crown a new champion.
We have a variety of horses this year. Five of the nine horses come with a win under their belt and remaining four have been placed in the first three. But only Gold Town and Rayya come into this race with a graded race victory UAE 2000 Guineas and UAE Oaks respectively. Both have defeated some good competition in those races. Rayya defeated the likes of Winter Lightening and Expressiy and Gold Town defeated El Chapo and Last Voyage. Both will be stand chance and have the capacity of winning the trophy.
Japanese horses Taiki Ferveur and Ruggero come with second and third place respectively in the Hyacinth Stakes. They both have the capacity to go that extra mile and they want to prove themselves. The son of Kinshasa no Kiseki has won 1 race of his 3 outing so far. The M. Makiura trained TaikiFerveur is yet to register his first win. What better race than the UAE Derby to start with?
Steven Asmussen will be shipping his Mine That Bird Derby winner Reride. The son of Candy Ride packs a punch and has won 4 out five of his starts.
Aidan O’Brian will set forward his winning trio Mendelssohn, Threeandfourpence and Seahenge. The trio won the 2018 Patton Stakes for O’Brian with all three being placed in the first three in the same order as mentioned. O’Brian talked about his three horses. ForMendelssohn he said “He came out of Dundalk well, and the plan is to run him in the UAE Derby at Meydan next. We’ll learn more about him there, particularly about how well he stays, as he’s a strong traveller and you couldn’t be sure how well he’ll stay. If all goes well there, he’d go on to the Kentucky Derby if he got in there.”
He said for Threeandfourpence,“He ran a very good race at Dundalk. It probably wasn’t ideal to make the running on him and he was green enough, so he should improve from it. We are looking at the UAE Derby at Meydan for him and we are hopeful he’ll stay a mile-and-a-quarter, but we can’t be sure of it until we try him over it.” and for Seahenge he said “He ran a good race at Dundalk and just didn’t help himself by being slowly away. We are looking at going to Dubai with him and while he has an option in England, too. If he is going to go to the Kentucky Derby afterwards then Dubai is probably the better stepping stone for him. We always thought that he’d stay a mile-and-a-quarter and he’s a big rangy horse that should improve with age.”
Another silent killer the Satish Seemar trained Yulong Warrior will also run here. His last win in the listed Al Bastakiya was run on the same course over the same distance and he simply over powered all the other runners there. But it’s a different day and different race this time. He will have to keep his cool and fight till the end if he wants to win. After his last win his rider said “He is a horse we have always really liked and thought would continue improving as he matures,” Mullen said. “He won his maiden well last time, over 1600m but, obviously, this was a stronger race and he has coped with the increase in both class and distance. He has surprised me just how much he had improved from last time but the nice, low, draw has helped him in both his wins. There should still be more to come from him but the UAE Derby will be a stronger race again. Fingers crossed we can get a nice draw in that as well.”
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By Apurva Chavan, Racing Writer, apurva.chavan@secretariatsworld.com