Godolphin bid for Balanchine with six entries at Dubai World Cup Carnival meeting

Pennsylvania Derby winner Hot Red Charlie headlines Al Maktoum Challenge

William Buick on Hot Rod Charlie wins the Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 at Meydan on February 4. Photo: DHRIC

After dominating the last two weekends of the Dubai World Cup Carnival, Godolphin have trained their sights on the reclaiming the Group 2 Balanchine at this Friday's meet.

The highlight of the night is the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 for both the Purebred Arabians (Group 1) and for the thoroughbreds (Group 2), but Godolphin's focus is on the Balanchine with six entries in the 1,800-metre turf contest for fillies and mares.

A Godolphin horse has won the Balanchine for the past four years. Charlie Appleby has a pair in the race with Creative Flair, the choice of William Buick, and Wedding Dance with James Doyle in the saddle.

Creative Flair formed part of a hugely successful group of runners for Appleby in North America last year, taking third in the Group 3 Saratoga Oaks and fourth in the Jockey Club Oaks.

The Dubawi filly started 2021 with several good performances in Europe, winning a Newbury Listed race before going down by a head and a nose in the Group 3 Prix Chloe at Chantilly.

“Creative Flair has enjoyed a nice break since running out in America,” Appleby told godolphin.com.

“Her preparation has gone well and, if she reproduces the best of her European form, it will make her a big player.

“Wedding Dance has definitely come forward from the Cape Verdi [finishing third behind French raider Pevensey Bay and Ascot Bass], when it looked as though a step up to this trip could potentially produce more improvement.”

Saeed bin Suroor has a quartet led by the Frankie Dettori-ridden Soft Whisper, last year's UAE 1000 Guineas winner, along with Dubai Love, Stunning Beauty and Last Look.

“We have been disappointed with Soft Whisper so far this season in Dubai,” Bin Suroor said.

“She looks to have improved slightly since her first outing of the year but doesn’t show a great deal in the mornings.

“It’s the same situation with Dubai Love, Stunning Beauty and Last Look, who don’t appear to be at the level of form they have shown before. This looks the right race for all four in terms of distance and opposition, but I’m hoping for better efforts this time.”

Godolphin have entered in only three of the six races for the thoroughbreds, three in the Listed Jumeirah Classic and four in the Al Bastakiya Trial.

The Al Maktoum Round 2 looks a wide open race with 12 runners entered, including the American trainer Doug O’Neill’s pair Go On (Dettori) and Hot Rod Charlie (Buick), winner of the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby in September.

Assistant trainer Leandro Mora was bullish of Hot Red Charlie’s chances in the 1,900-metre contest on dirt.

“His last piece of work was amazing when he went out alone as we did not want to set him alight,” he said.

“The long stretch at Meydan should really suit him and William Buick was very happy when he sat on him.”

The local challenge is led by Bhupat Seemar with stable jockey, Tadhg O’Shea partnering Kafoo, who lost his unbeaten record after a pair of victories on his first two starts.

He was far from disgraced when third in the 1,600m Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1 on the opening night of the Carnival in his last start three weeks ago.

“Kafoo has drawn best of our three runners and has done nothing wrong in his three races,” Seemar said.

“He will have learned a lot from stepping up in class when third in the first round and has worked very well since.”