Bhupat Seemar Saddles Five in Maktoum Challenge

The road to the Dubai World Cup sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1) kicks into high gear Jan. 14 as Meydan Racecourse hosts the first of eight weekly Dubai World Cup Carnival meetings, a global showcase leading into the $30.5 million Dubai World Cup card March 26.

This year takes on added significance, as a pair of top-class American horses—Hot Rod Charlie  and Lone Rock —could aim for the $12 million Dubai World Cup over 1 1/4 miles. Other group 1 stars, including Lord Glitters  and Aero Trem, are already on site, while top-tier names like Hukum , Emaraaty Ana , and A Case of You  are expected in due time.

Friday's seven-race, $890,000 card is highlighted by a pair of group 2 races, including the one-mile Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1, a $250,000 test that will could influence The Saudi Cup (G1), Dubai World Cup, and Godolphin Mile (G2).

The most significant narrative of the UAE season thus far aligns nicely with the featured affair, as five will be saddled by freshman trainer Bhupat Seemar, who has catapulted to the top in the standings after being handed the license for Zabeel Stables in November. Currently, he leads seven-time champion Doug Watson 22-19, as Seemar has been on a roll with five wins Jan. 7.

"It's been a great start and then to have five winners—that's very difficult," Seemar said. "Things really have to fall into place to have that many in one night. Everybody works hard on this team and we got it right that night, but that was yesterday and we have to move forward. Hopefully we can keep working at it and keep getting some good wins on the board.

"It's maybe a little bit more pressure (being trainer of record), but workwise, nothing has really changed for me. I have tried to put in 100% in the last 19 years (as assistant to Satish Seemar), and I'm still doing the same. It's amazing to lead the standings, but we will hopefully keep going with it and the fun begins now. I have a lot of respect for my counterparts, who are good trainers, so it'll be a bit of healthy competition."  

Reigning Godolphin Mile champ Secret Ambition  leads the quintet and will vie for favoritism. The 9-year-old entire has won 11 of 42 starts and drew favorably in stall five of 14. Chief of the old Zabeel guard, he is joined by 8-year-old stablemate Kimbear , who won this affair in a three-nose thriller with Secret Ambition and North America  in 2020.

"I think this is the best-ever Maktoum Challenge (Round 1) and this could have been a Godolphin Mile field," Seemar said. "There are some very good horses in here. Secret Ambition can be very quirky in the gate and I hope he behaves and comes out. If he does that, he has early speed to kill and can really go a good gallop. The form works out for him and he's fit and ready to run. He's nine, but he's healthy.

"Kimbear won this two years ago, but since that race, his form has never been the same and maybe it took a bit too much out of him. He's only had one run for us (previously trained by Doug Watson), but he carried plenty of weight and ran home well, which is very encouraging. He's drawn in the carpark in 11, but I'm hoping for a good showing."

With the long summers off, it is not uncommon to see 8- and 9-year-olds running at the top level in Dubai, but that does not preclude Zabeel's younger trio from disrespecting their elders.

Al Rashid Stables' lightly raced 5-year-old Imperial Empire, brother to group 1 winner and reluctant Breeders' Cup storyline Albahr , won a pair of seven-furlong handicaps on this surface to remain perfect from two dirt tries.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's American import Avant Garde  will have his first start for Seemar after a lucrative one-way journey for previous connections in March, selling privately the same week he finished third in the Godolphin Mile. He was previously trained by Gustavo Delgado in Florida, prepping for Dubai with a second in the WinStar Gulfstream Park Mile Stakes (G2).

Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum's intriguing Kafoo, a 4-year-old $250,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase in 2019 and son of champions Curlin   and Blind Luck , was originally trained in California by Bob Baffert, for whom he never raced. He is perfect in two career starts, both for Seemar, and defeated multiple group 3 performer Prince Eiji  last out.

Seemar said: "Imperial Empire has been very good to us, has a good draw and obviously a good jockey in Frankie Dettori—but he'll have to step up in class and stretch out another furlong. Avant Garde is drawn 13, but that might be a blessing, as he's slow out of the gate and comes running late. This is his minimum trip and you'll see the real Avant Garde in the next two rounds over farther. Kafoo is quite exciting, is 2-for-2 and has a good jockey in William Buick on him. He's one of those who lacks a bit of experience, but improved from his first to his second run. He's a talent, but inexperienced and I'm hoping that doesn't catch him out."

The market suggests that the horse to fear may be Fawzi Nass-trained 2021 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 (G1) winner Salute the Soldier , who was fifth in Mystic Guide 's Dubai World Cup three weeks later. The Victorious-owned 7-year-old is—like Secret Ambition—aiming to parlay a top performance on Friday into a Saudi Cup invite. Two years ago, the identical connections of Victorious, Nass and jockey Adrie de Vries upset the inaugural $1 million Neom Turf Cup on The Saudi Cup's undercard when Port Lions wore down Japanese mare Deirdre .

"In the World Cup, he was just over his best form and was just a little bit flat three weeks after running a big race in the third round," de Vries explained. "I don't think it was the competition. He just wasn't a fresh horse anymore.

"I'm pretty happy with draw four and the pace will be coming from my outside with Secret Ambition, who usually likes to lead and I'll try to sit upside or behind him. He's been working really well and we're happy with him, but we know he needed the run last year. We tried to train him a bit harder to get him a little bit more fit with the Saudi Cup in mind after this, but you don't want to push him too far. He's ready for this run and whatever he's going to do tomorrow, he's going to improve."

Watson starts the formidable trio of Godolphin Mile beaten favorite Midnight Sands , Godolphin Mile runner-up Golden Goal,  and Dubai World Cup seventh Thegreatcollection . Stable jockey Pat Dobbs elected for Midnight Sands, who seeks his seventh Meydan victory in his 10th local run, but flopped again upon resurfacing in the Dubai Creek Mile Stakes last month.

"Midnight Sands is a big, heavy horse and that 8 1/2 months was probably the longest layoff he's ever had," Watson said. "He hasn't traveled much in his past two runs, which worries me, but his work on Sunday was really good. I expect him to run well and he has a good draw (post 7) where he can figure out what he wants to do. Golden Goal needed his first run and will definitely improve, while Thegreatcollection always runs his race. He will be right there."

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum's Hypothetical , fourth in the Dubai World Cup and second astern Salute the Soldier in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 (G1) on Super Saturday 2021, will garner considerable market support but will have plenty of company on the front end, including off-form G1-winning stablemate Capezzano  and Thunder Snow 's half-brother Eastern World , who was an eye-catching runner-up in his initial dirt try in the Dubai Creek Mile. Outsiders Marie's Diamond  and Syrtis  complete the field.  

'Tough as Nails' Mnaske Tackles Turf, Godolphin in Cape Verdi

Godolphin looms large, as always, in the $180,000 Cape Verdi Stakes (G2) for fillies and mares on over one mile on turf, but Watson appears to hold a wild card in Al Rashid Stables' 2021 UAE Oaks (G3) winner Mnasek , who makes her first grass start. A daughter of Empire Maker and synthetic-loving grade 2 winner Washington Bridge , she enters off a strong runner-up effort in allowance conditions company on dirt, giving significant weight away to her male rivals.

"We think she's improved and last out she gave a lot of weight away, but still ran a huge race," Watson said. "I think she'll stack up with them. We took her over to the turf at Meydan and worked her with (group-level turf sprinters) Motafaawit  and Ekhtiyaar  and she wasn't losing any ground on them. We're pretty excited and hope it opens some doors for her. She's tough as nails and should go well."

Mnasek tackles Saeed bin Suroor's pair of UAE One Thousand Guiness winner Soft Whisper  and Stunning Beauty, as well as Charlie Appleby-trained Wedding Dance , Sweden's capable Silent Night , France's Pessemona  and Pevensey Bay , Scandinavia's Ascot Brass, and England's Dalanijujo. Soft Whisper and Wedding Dance are expected to vie for favoritism.

Last year's Cape Verdi winner, Althiqa , went on to win the Longines Just a Game Stakes (G1) and Diana Stakes (G1) in New York.

Appleby will hold a strong hand in the 1 1/2-mile Dubai Racing Club Classic, including group 3-winning Longines Dubai Sheema Classic (G1) sixth Star Safari , a three-time Meydan victor, and the relatively unexposed listed winner Wirko , who makes just his fifth start and will likely lead the market. William Buick, fresh off a Breeders' Cup treble, has chosen the latter. They are part of a full field of 16, including Saeed bin Suroor-trained group 3 winner Passion And Glory , who was third last out to subsequent Arc winner Torquator Tasso , and former U.S. runner Irish Freedom , winner of March's Abu Dhabi Championship (G3).

"Star Safari has been a bit disappointing his past few runs, but he's pleased us since he's been out here and we know he has proven form around Meydan, so if he can rekindle any of that, it'll put him in a competitive position," Appleby said. "Wirko has been gelded since his last start and he's trained well over here. He's back on a sounder surface than the soft ground at Chester last time. I think he'll be a competitive horse. Obviously, he's one of the younger models in the race, so hopefully some fresh legs around here will put him in good stead. His last run was disappointing, but we'll put it down to the ground and the plan was always to bring him here."

The remainder of the card includes the wide-open listed Dubai Dash over a straight five furlongs on grass, a pair of 3-year-old conditions events, and the Arabian division of the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1 (G1).

First post is 6 p.m. local time, 9 a.m. ET.