African Story Tries Super Saturday Challenge

Six-time Dubai World Cup winning trainer Saeed bin Suroor will give African Story another try on Meydan's new dirt main track March 7 on Super Saturday in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 (UAE-I).

 

Super Saturday is the preview for the Dubai World Cup night, with eight races serving as the final preps for the $30 million, nine-race card, which is anchored by the $10 million Dubai World Cup (UAE-I) three weeks later on March 28. 

 

The Al Maktoum Challenge, one of two group I races on Super Saturday, is the final leg of a three-race prep series for the Dubai World Cup. Godolphin's 2014 Emirates Airline Dubai World Cup (UAE-I) winner African Story is the highest-rated runner among 10 entrants for the 2,000-meter (about 1 1/4-mile) contest run at the World Cup distance. 

 

An 8-year-old son of Pivotal, African Story finished eighth to stablemate Prince Bishop in last year's Round 3 of the Al Maktoum Challenge on the then all-weather surface before capturing the Dubai World Cup by 2 3/4 lengths at odds of 17-1 in North American pari-mutuel pools. He did not start again for more than 10 months when on Feb. 5 he could manage only seventh in Round 2 of this year's Al Maktoum Challenge in his first try on dirt. 

 

African Story will be ridden by James Doyle in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3.  

 

Bin Suroor also will send out Sheikh Hamdan's Prince Bishop, who will try to improve from his head second to Frankyfourfingers in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2, which he also won last year. William Buick has the call on the son of Dubawi who was ninth in last year's Dubai World Cup and is the second-highest rated horse for Round 3.

 

Sheikh Hamdan's Frankyfourfingers, a 5-year-old son of Sunday Break, reopposes Saturday with Mickael Barzalona aboard for trainer Salem bin Ghadayer, who also entered two-time U.S. stakes winner Long River. That 5-year-old son of A.P. Indy was third to Belmont Stakes (gr. I) winner Tonalist in last year' Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I) at Belmont Park and subsequently was third at Keeneland in the Hagyard Fayette Stakes (gr. III) Oct. 25 in his most recent effort. Richard Hughes gets the call. 

 

Twelve runners are entered for the Jebel Hatta (UAE-I) Saturday, headed by last year's winner Vercingetorix. Trained by Mike de Kock for Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Maktoum, the South African group I winner was subsequently second, beaten 6 1/4 lengths by Just a Way in the Dubai Duty Free (UAE-I) on the Dubai World Cup undercard. Just a Way was deemed the world's best racehorse of 2014 off that performance.

 

The Jebel Hatta, run at 1,800 meters (about 1 1/8 miles), is a prep for the Dubai Duty Free, which has been renamed the Dubai Turf (UAE-I), because of a sponsorship change.  

 

Vercingetorix, a 6-year-old son of Silvano, comes in off a two-length triumph in the Al Rashidiya (UAE-II) Jan. 29. French champion Christophe Soumillon has the mount.

 

Also entered is Godolphin's European group I winner Hunter's Light, a 7-year-old son of Dubawi who has won both starts this season, including the Dubai Millennium Stakes Feb. 19. James Doyle gets the return call. 

 

The Super Saturday undercard also features the Meydan Sprint (UAE-III), a prep for the Al Quoz Sprint (UAE-I) on World Cup night. Multiple group I winner Sole Power will try to go one better from his runner-up finish last year for Irish trainer Eddie Lynam. The 8-year-old son of Kyllachy also was second in the 2014 Al Quoz Sprint  before reeling off a three straight wins that included the King's Stand (Eng-I) at Royal Ascot and Coolmore Nunthorpe (Eng-I) at York.

 

An intriguing entry is de Kock's South African champion sprinter Via Africa, a three-time group I winner in her native country who will meet an expected full field of 16 in her Dubai debut. 

 

The listed Al Bastakiya, the second leg of the United Arab Emirates Triple Crown that culminates World Cup night with the UAE Derby (UAE-II), attracted seven entrants, including unbeaten Uruguyan Horse of the Year and Triple Crown victor Sir Fever, now a member of the Godolphin string trained by Charlie Appleby. The son of Texas Fever is perfect in 10 career starts.

  

Also on Super Saturday is the Mahab Al Shimaal (UAE-III), a prep for the Dubai Golden Shaheen (UAE-I); the Burj Nahaar (UAE-III), a prep for the Godolphin Mile (UAE-II); and the Dubai City of Gold (UAE-II), a prep of the Dubai Sheema Classic (UAE-I).