Godolphin give Desert Fire chance to light up Super Saturday at Meydan

While the Saudi Cup has dominated the headlines, there is still a strong line-up for the Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3

Godolphin horse Barney Roy, pictured with jockey William Buick, at Jebel Hatta. Reem Mohammed / The National

The Saudi Cup has taken a bit of the sheen away from the $600,000 (Dh2.2 million) Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3, traditionally the Dubai World Cup Prep, on Super Saturday.

Four local hopefuls – Benbatl, Gronkowski, Capezzano and North America – contested the $20m race across the border, thus leaving eight other local entries to battle it out for the feature prize at Meydan on Saturday.

However, top fare is on offer at the seven-race card meeting with potentially a majority of the horses set to run on the Dubai World Cup undercard going to post.

Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor who sent Benbatl to finish third in the Saudi Cup, lines-up Desert Fire in the feature race. He returns to the track for his first run on the dirt surface following two turf handicap outings at the Dubai World Cup Carnival.

“Desert Fire tries hard in his races, although this will be his first time racing on the dirt,” Bin Suroor told godolphin.com. “He has been working well and won nicely on the All-Weather [in the UK] last season, when he gave weight to a good horse. We wanted to give him a chance on the dirt to see how he gets on.”

Of the eight runners, the two horses of note are Musabah Al Muhairi’s Military Law and Salem bin Ghadayer’s Matterhorn.

Military Law has shown remarkable improvement. The former Godolphin inmate won the Listed Entisar in his second local start from Saltarin Dubai by three lengths with Gronkwoski, last year’s Dubai World Cup runner-up, a further length down in third.

He was more impressive in his most recent start when finishing two lengths behind Benbatl in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2, with Gronkowski more than six lengths behind him in third.

“He’s got plenty of abilities and still improving,” Al Muhairi said of the five-year-old son of one of Godolphin’s leading sires, Dubawi.

“Judging by his last two starts and the morning work, he should run another good race for us.”

Matterhorn created a good impression on his dirt debut at Meydan when taking third spot behind runaway winner Capezzano and Secret Ambition in the Group 2 Firebreak Stakes.

“He trains well and deals very well with the dirt,” Bin Ghadayer said. “For me, he did well over a mile and 10 furlongs in England and his program has always been [focused on] Super Saturday.

“He’s won seven of his nine starts on the All-Weather. I think he will make a big name for himself. He has a lot of quality and class.”

Matterhorn has been a model of consistency when trained by Mark Johnston in the UK. He’s won eight of his 21 career starts and finished either second or third eight times.

Doug Watson’s Quip finished a long way behind Matterhorn in fifth but the dual Grade 2 winner in America is expected to come from that run to challenge for the prize.

Completing the field are Satish Seemar’s pair Saltarin Dubai and Roman Rosso, Ahmad bin Harmash’s New Trails and the UAE-based Bahraini trainer’s Dh500,000 Listed Jebel Ali Stakes winner Mark Of Approval.

The Group 1 Jebel Hatta, the Prep race for Dubai World Cup night’s Group 1 Dubai Turf, has drawn some of the potential challengers including Godolphin trainers Charlie Appleby’s Barney Roy, Spotify and Magic Lily, Bin Suroor’s Dream Castle and Royal Meeting.

“We have been delighted with the way Barney Roy has come out of the Al Rashidiya and he has improved for the run,” Appleby said of his victory in the Group 2 race on his Meydan debut on January 30.

“His preparation has gone well and the only negative is that he is drawn wide in stall 12, but we feel that his class can overcome it. He can hopefully book his ticket in the Group 1 Dubai Turf by winning here.