Super Saturday Tees Up Dubai World Cup Night Showdowns

Imperial Emperor  staked his case for a spot in the Dubai World Cup (G1) with an emphatic victory in the Al Maktoum Classic (G2) on Super Saturday March 1 at Meydan Racecourse.

The result was a triumph for trainer Bhupat Seemar, who now has three live contenders for the big race. But it poses a dilemma for jockey Tadhg O'Shea, who has ridden all of them.

"It's a good position to be in," O'Shea admitted as he returned Imperial Emperor to the winner's enclosure.

Imperial Emperor, a 5-year-old Dubawi  gelding owned by Deva Racing, wasn't in such a good position through the first half of the Al Maktoum Classic. Starting from the outside gate in a field of 15, O'Shea steered him toward the rail but still was caught wide as Korea's Global Hit  set the pace.

Imperial Emperor ranged up alongside that rival early in the stretch run and quickly left him and the rest behind, drawing off to win by 8 1/2 lengths. Artorius , a Juddmonte homebred by Arrogate and yet another trained by Seemar, edged Global Hit for third.

Imperial Emperor, formerly trained by Charlie Appleby, now is 3-for-4 at the 2024-25 Dubai Carnival for Seemar, whose World Cup contenders also include last year's winner, Laurel River , and Walk of Stars , who defeated Imperial Emperor by 2 3/4 lengths before finishing 12th in the Saudi Cup (G1).

O'Shea has been a regular partner for both Laurel River, including in the 2024 World Cup, and Walk Of Stars. He called Laurel River "the big boy" of the team. 

Godolphin Dominant in Turf Features

While Seemar is cutting a swath through Dubai's top dirt features, Godolphin horses trained by Charlie Appleby continued to dominate on the grass, capturing four of the Super Saturday races.

Nations Pride  worked to the lead at midstraight in the Singspiel Stakes (G2T) and held well to score by 1 1/4 lengths over a stubborn Holloway Boy . Godolphin's other entry, First Conquest , slightly missed the break and was bottled up through much of the 1,800 meters (about 1 1/8 miles). He made up some ground late but could only manage a third-place finish.

The outcome was a turnaround for 6-year-old Nations Pride, a Teofilo  horse. After winning the Arlington Million Stakes (G1T) at Colonial Downs Aug. 11, he was 10th in the Bahrain International Trophy (G2) Nov. 15 and ninth in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (G1T) at Gulfstream Park Jan. 25.

Nations Pride earned a "win and you're in" spot in the Dubai Turf (G1T) on World Cup night where he likely will face Hong Kong's Romantic Warrior , who set the course record in winning the Jebel Hatta (G1T) Jan. 24 before his dramatic second behind Forever Young  in the Saudi Cup Feb. 22.

"Hopefully there might be a bit of improvement to come and we'll look towards World Cup night and the Dubai Turf," Appleby said. "But if Romantic Warrior turns up, we're all running for place money!"

It was a Godolphin 1-2 in the Dubai City of Gold (G2T), a prep for the always-tough Dubai Sheema Classic (G1T). Silver Knott , who won three of five starts last season in the United States, charged right to the front and was never in trouble, winning off by two lengths under Buick.

Passion And Glory  was a good second for the home team.

Godolphin also has reigning and two-time Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) champion Rebel's Romance  primed for a repeat bid in the Sheema Classic and Buick was cautious about comparing that one to Silver Knott. Rebel's Romance, he said, "is a legend. Silver Knott is a solid horse. He'll have to take a stand."

Mountain Breeze  breezed to the easiest of wins in the opening Thoroughbred race on the program, the Jumeirah One Thousand Guineas. The Godolphin homebred daughter of Lope de Vega   tracked the pace in third, moved through smoothly when a wide gap appeared early in the straight and ran on to win by 3 3/4 lengths.

The victory was her second at the Carnival, following a 6 1/4-length score in the Mawj Stakes, a non-black-type event, Jan. 31. She was stakes-placed in England in mid-2024 before shipping to Canada for the Natalma Stakes (G1T) at Woodbine, where she finished eighth as the odds-on favorite.

"She's improved a bit over the winter," said jockey Buick. "If she continues to improve, she'll take us some nice places."

For all of that, Godolphin's most impressive victory of the night came in the finale as Buick guided Ruling Court  to a six-length victory in the Jumeirah Two Thousand Guineas. A €2.3 million (approx. US$2.48 million) purchase at the Arqana May Breeze Up Sale 10 months earlier, the Justify   colt rallied boldly into the stretch, passed most of the field and won in a hand ride, eased up in the late going.

"He was superb," Buick said. "I couldn't have asked for a better effort."

Ruling Court won easily at first asking at Sandown in July of 2024, then was third in the Acomb Stakes (G3) behind the highly regarded Coolmore colt The Lion In Winter  and Wimbledon Hawkeye . The latter went on to win the Royal Lodge Stakes (G2) at Newmarket.

Godolphin did not have an entry in the Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint (G3T), which left it to hot favorite West Acre  to land an impressive score. The progressive 3-year-old wore down pacesetting Ponntos  to get home first by three-quarters of a length. The Mehmas  gelding earned a "win and you're in" spot in the Al Quoz Sprint (G1T) on World Cup night, going an additional 200 meters beyond the 1,000 meters (about five furlongs) of the Nad Al Sheba.

Winning rider Callum Shepherd said Ponntos "put up a good fight. But we'll be ready in five weeks time ... I fancy he'll be even better at six furlongs."

Trained by George Scott, West Acre had two wins and a second on all-weather tracks to open his account in late 2024. He finished second in his Dubai debut Jan. 10, then won the Blue Point Sprint (G2T) on Fashion Friday two weeks later, making him a solid favorite for the Nad Al Sheba.

Tuz Set for Golden Shaheen Defense

Back on the Meydan dirt, Tuz  destroyed 11 rivals in the Mahab Al Shimaal (G3), a 1,200-meter prep for the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1), which he won in 2024 by 6 1/2 lengths. It was his fifth straight win and sets up another World Cup night challenge for the team of Seemar and O'Shea.

"He's a machine of a horse that every jockey wants," O'Shea said. "Now we have five weeks to sharpen him up."

Bred in Kentucky by Calumet Farm, Tuz was purchased for just $7,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale by Oracle Bloodstock, agent, from the Mill Ridge Sales consignment. Since, the now 8-year-old son of Oxbow   has earned a 10-3-4 record, including six group wins, in 23 starts and more than $2 million in earnings for owner Dakki Stable.

The Burj Nahaar (G3), a qualifier for the Godolphin Mile (G2) on World Cup night, featured a hot early pace with relative outsider Fort Payne  along to pick up the pieces by one length over Oasis Boy .

Fort Payne, trained in France, finished seventh in his seasonal debut at Meydan Jan. 24. Normally a turf competitor, the 7-year-old seemed to have no issue handling the kickback from the Meydan dirt course.