• Hunter’s Light cruises to Dubai Millennium Stakes victory

The Group 2 Balanchine Stakes went to France last night as Cladocera landed her second win of the 2015 Dubai World Cup Carnival at Meydan Racecourse.

In doing so, she became the third Cape Verdi winner, (1600m turf), to follow up in this 1800m turf feature but she has a lot to live up to. Sun Classique won the two contests in 2008 before landing the Dubai Sheema Classic on Dubai World Cup night whileSajjhaaachieved the same feat in 2013 before winning the Group 1 Jebel Hatta on Super Saturday and the Dubai Duty Free on the big night.

Ridden by Christophe Soumillon for Alain De Royer-Dupre, she was held up well off a decent early gallop before being asked to close as the runners turned for home. She was clearly goingwellbut Soumillon chose to take his time before shaking the reins about 100m out and settling the race in a matter of strides.

“We were drawn nine so the tactics were pretty much decided for me,” said Soumillon. “They went a reasonable gallop which has helped her settle nicely and the only brief moment of worry I had was when forced a bit wide in the straight.

“She has a lovely turn of foot as we saw there and is going to improve with age and racing.”

That was on the turf, as was the main feature race, the 2000m Listed Dubai Millennium Stakes, named after Sheikh Mohammed’s favourite horse and, fittingly, Godolphin’s trainer, Saeed bin Suroor saddled the winner.

Hunter’s Light was the horse in question, providing Godolphin a fourth consecutive win in the race and a third for Bin Suroor. A Group One winner in both Europe and the UAE, Hunter’s Light had been freshened up before making a winning reappearance, three weeks ago, in a handicap, also over 2000m on turf.

“He has retained all his ability,” said Doyle. “I wish they had gone a bit quicker tonight as he travels so strongly but I was always pretty confident. He picked up nicely at the top of the straight and ran on well.

“The whole team will have to sit down and discuss future plans as he has plenty of options.”

Hunter’s Light broke the track record in the process.

The meeting opened with the 1400m Group 2 Bani Yas on dirt, the only Purebred Arabian race on the card and turned into a procession byManark, trained by Erwan Charpy for HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum and ridden by the owner’s retained jockey, Paul Hanagan.

TM Super Bird set a good gallop with Hanagan’s mount, quite keen early on, not far behind. Once the jockey asked for his challenge,Manarkresponded immediately, bounding clear and crossed the line more than nine lengths clear.

“The horse had some decent form in England and would have needed his first UAE run at Abu Dhabi,” said Hanagan. “He has trained well on the dirt and working well, so we were hopeful of a bigrunbut he has exceeded expectations.”

UK-based trainer, Tony Carroll must have suffered a nasty feeling of déjà vu 300m from home in the 1000m turf handicap when his Caspian Prince, who made a blistering start and had led all the way, was challenged byHototo.

Seven weeks ago, on the opening night, Carroll’s charge tried to make all over the same course and distance, only to be denied close home byHototo(and then losing second toFityaan).

However, history was not to repeat itself and, despite drifting across the track under Richard Hughes, he was actually running away from his oldrival atthe end.

“I was keen toutilisehis early speed, of which he has plenty, and wanted to be on the far side, away from thecentrewhere they raced mainly last week. He has a lot of naturalspeedand was quick in the early stages, but then had another burst which had most of the others struggling.

“The trainer was pretty confident and has been proved correct.”

Headed on the line in a 1900m dirt handicap last week, the Doug Watson-trainedLaylmade no mistake this time, landing a 1600m dirt handicap in a course record in the style of a progressive horse.

Winner of a domestic 1900m dirt handicap on his local debut, this was only his third start in the UAE and tenth in total. Given a confident ride by Pat Dobbs,Layleased to the front about 300m from home and always looked likely to hold off the one remaining challenge, that ofGiftorm.

“He is a nice horse, we have always thought so,” said Watson. “We have been able to qualify him for the Dubai World Cup Carnival and he has produced two big runs.

“We would like to think he still has more to offer.”

Dobbs added: “I probably went too soon the last time, he thought he had done enough and basically pulled himself up.”

The combination are enjoying a prolific domestic season, as well as an excellent Dubai World Cup Carnival, and completed a double with the victory of Storm Belt in a 2000m dirt handicap.

A beaming Watson said: “This is another horse we have always held in the highest regard and he actually won his first two outings for us at Sharjah. It has been a great season and the Dubai World Cup Carnival is going really well.”

The meeting concluded with a 1400m turf handicap, won by Dark Emerald recording his second 2015 success for trainer, Brendan Powell and jockey Richard Mullen.

Cladocera and Richard Mullen claim G2 Balanchine success in the Dubai World Cup Carnival at Meydan Racecourse.
 

Credit: Dubai Racing // Andrew Watkins

HUNTER’S LIGHT SHINES IN DUBAI MILLENNIUM

Posted 19 February 2015, 18:17 GMT

Hunter’s Light continued his bright start to the year at Meydan, UAE, with an easy win in record time in the Listed Dubai Millennium Stakes Sponsored By Meydan Sobha over a mile and a quarter on turf on Thursday, February 19.

Hunter’s Light (Saeed bin Suroor/James Doyle) cruised to an impressive victory in the 10-furlong Listed Dubai Millennium Stakes Sponsored By Meydan Sobha at Meydan, UAE, on Thursday, February 19.

fonte:Godolphin

GOING: DIRT: FAST; TURF: GOOD.

Meydan: #Cladocera impressionante nelle Balanchine Stakes, obiettivo Duty Free! Hunter’s Light record in Listed

 

 

 

Non poteva perdere. La settima puntata del Carnival a Meydan ci ha regalato 2 corse sopra standard, in una di queste la francese Cladocera (Oasis Dream) si è fatta beffe delle 3 libbre di sovraccarico imputatele dopo la vittoria nel Cape Verdi G2, ed ha prontamente bissato nelle Balanchine Stakes G2 (VIDEO CORSA QUI) nonostante l’extra furlong, producendo una brusca accelerazione recuperando metri dalle retrovie all’esterno di tutti. La cavalla allenata da Alain de Royer Dupre ha impressionato con in sella Cristophe Soumillon e vinto comodamente nei confronti di Anahita (Turtle Bowl) e Zurigha (Cape Cross), già strabattute l’ultima volta. Cladocera è una “german bred” allevata e di proprietà dall’Haras de la Perelle che ha cominciato la carriera in Francia senza troppi acuti e non piazzandosi nel Prix Chloe e nel Prix de Lieurey G3, ma arrivando seconda in Listed sul polytrack di Kempton alle spalle del buon Sloane Avenue. Da li la trasferta a Meydan dove in 2 uscite ha strabiliato. Chi lo sa, magari verrà buona per il Lydia Tesio G1 se non riuscirà a vincere al massimo livello da qui in avanti. In patria, comunque, aveva vinto il Prix des Lilas Lr a Longchamp. 

 

Ad ogni modo il suo allenatore ha messo in cantiere per lei una partecipazione nel Dubai Duty Free G1, come tentativo molto duro ma a questo punto possibile per una cavalla progredita tantissimo e che Monsieur Alain ha descritto come performer di G1! Poco più tardi, nella serata di Meydan, abbiamo visto un altro cavallo in formissima come Hunter’s Light (Dubawi), anche lui imbattuto nella stagione in due uscite, che ha vinto in maniera superba in onore di suo nonno paterno le Dubai Millennium Stakes Lr (VIDEO CORSA QUI) sui 2000 metri. Sotto la spinta di James Doyle, il portacolori Godolphin, giunto a 7 anni e con un trascorso vittorioso a Capannelle nel Premio Roma G1 del 2012, ha fatto vedere che ha ancora energia da spendere strapazzando chiunque abbia provato ad attaccarlo, sia all’interno che all’esterno, ed emergendo nettamente all’epilogo realizzando il record della corsa in 2m 0.67s (fast by 1.33s), battendo quello di Await The Dawn in 2m 01,54s. Nel dettaglio ha battuto il Sudafricano Umgiyo(Danehill Dancer) di una lunghezza e mezza con Mr Pommeroy (Linngari) ad altre 4 lunghezze di distanza dal secondo. Per Hunter’s Light è la nona vittoria a livello di Stakes a cui vanno aggiunti i piazzamenti nel terzo round del Al Maktoum Challenge R3 G1 ed il piazzamento nel secondo round dello stesso Al Maktoum Challenge G2 lo scorso anno. Per Dubawi, che è a sua volta un figlio di Dubai Millennium a cui era intitolata la corsa, è il 19 vincitore di Gruppo. 

 

PUBBLICATO DA GABRIELE CANDI A VENERDÌ, FEBBRAIO 20, 2015