Royal Fleet gives Godolphin’s Charlie Appleby fifth Dubai Millennium Stakes

Nations Pride completes double for the trainer on penultimate week of Dubai World Cup Carnival

James Doyle on Royal Fleet, far side white cap, pips Andrea Atzeni on Star Safari in the Group 3 Dubai Millennium Stakes at Meydan on Friday, February 25, 2022. Photo: DHRIC

Godolphin bagged the feature Group 3 Millennium Stakes and the Jumeirah Derby prizes on the penultimate week of the Dubai World Cup Carnival at Meydan on Friday.

Royal Fleet under James Doyle led the first two home for the Dubai racing operation to give Charlie Appleby a fifth successive Dubai Millennium Stakes and the jockey-trainer were back in the winner’s enclosure 35 minutes later with Nation’s Pride taking the Jumeirah Derby.

Star Safari, bidding to become the first dual winner of the Dubai Millennium Stakes, hit the front just past the 300-metre pole, but Doyle’s mount responded to take the win on the line.

A homebred four-year-old Dubawi gelding, it was Royal Fleet's first win at Meydan and a fifth career success in eight appearances.

“He is a young, improving horse who has been progressing all year and everything fell into place tonight,” Doyle said.

“I thought the extra 200m would suit and it did. He has had to battle in fairness when Star Safari came to him but he is definitely getting more professional with experience and racing.”

Doyle enjoyed a smooth success aboard Nations Pride, a conditions race for three year olds.

The pair swept past Frankie Dettori aboard stable companion New kingdom entering the final 300m and the race was soon settled.

A homebred Teofilio colt, Nations Pride was winning for the third time in succession from only four starts.

“We know he stays well so this looked the right race for him and he has done it in pleasing style,” Appleby said.

“He was pretty fresh so it was pleasing and we will probably take him back to England and look at a Derby trial.”

Doyle completed a treble on the night having steered Bhupat Seemar’s Summer Is Tomorrow in the opening contest of the six-race card.

“This horse just has plenty of natural speed as he has shown again today,” Seemar said. “James rode him perfectly from the front and that was a very pleasing effort.”

Seemar got his second win when Antonio Fresu brought home Law Of Peace from last to first in the concluding dirt handicap.

Fresu was also completing a double after steering Doug O’Neill’s Notre Dame to take the 1,200m dirt sprint.

The 1,200m turf handicap was an absolute thriller with the first four home finishing within nostrils of one another. Batwan and Mickael Barzalona eventually came out on top for Nicolas Caullery.

“We are hoping to run him in the Al Quoz Sprint but we will have to see how the handicapper reacts but we will not run him next week on Super Saturday,” Caullery said.

Results:

6pm: Al Karama Stakes – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Dirt) 1,400m

Winner: Summer Is Tomorrow, James Doyle (jockey), Bhupat Seemar (trainer)

6.35pm: Lincoln Nautilus – Handicap (TB) $75,000 (Turf) 1,200m

Winner: Batwan, Mickael Barzalona, Nicolas Caullery

7.10pm: Lincoln Aviator – Handicap (TB) $75,000 (D) 1,200m

Winner: Notre Dame, Antonio Fresu, Doug O’Neill

7.45pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (T) 2,000m

Winner: Royal Fleet, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby

8.20pm: Jumeirah Derby – Conditions (TB) $200,000 (T) 2,000m

Winner: Nations Pride, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby

8.55pm: Lincoln Navigator – Handicap (TB) $75,000 (D) 1,600m

Winner: Law Of Peace, Antonio Fresu, Bhupat Seemar