Super Saturday's three Group One winners

Peter Ward 12:47 07/03/2015
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  • Back for more: African Story will be looking for a better result than the eighth place he finished in last year in the Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge III.

    The second biggest meeting of the season and the penultimate fixture at Meydan this campaign, Super Saturday promises to live up to the billing with a host of equine stars on show, including all three winners of the featured Group One races on the card from 12 months ago.

    The official highlight, the Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge III, over the same 2,000m dirt course and distance as the world’s richest horse race, the $10 million (Dh36.7m)Dubai World Cup in three weeks’ time, has attracted 11 declarations.

    These include last year’s winner Prince Bishop and African Story, only eighth in this 12 months ago but subsequently successful in the World Cup itself. 

    Both are trained by Saeed bin Suroor who is seeking an 11th victory in the race first run in 1994 with Godolphin trainers seeking to win the race for a 14th occasion (Hilal Ibrahim twice, Mahmood Al Zarooni once). 

    Prince Bishop was second in Al Maktoum Challenge II with African Story well beaten in seventh but, perhaps significantly, stable jockey James Doyle remains loyal to the latter with William Buick again on the stable companion.

    Bin Suroor said: “I was certainly disappointed with African Story but he did not seem to face the kickback early on so hopefully he can get in a good position early on this time.”

    Prince Bishop chased home the Salem bin Ghadayer-trained Frankyfourfingers in the middle round and looks a big threat under Mickael Barzalona. 

    Toolain, trained by Satish Seemar and the Doug Watson pair of Storm Belt and Henry Clay, are all course and distance winners stepping up in class. 

    The race was contested on the synthetic Tapeta surface last year, as was the Group 1 Purebred Arabian equivalent over the same 2,000m, whereas this time the racing is on the new dirt surface. 

    The first three from 12 months ago, headed by the Majed Al Jahouri-trained Raaziq, clash again. 

    He was chased home by Versac PY on that occasion with AF Lafeh third.

    Bin Suroor and South African Mike De Kock are both seeking a fifth win in the concluding Group 1 Jebel Hatta, over the same 1,800m turf trip as the renamed Dubai Turf (was Dubai Duty Free). 

    Hunter’s Light, a dual Group One winner, is Bin Suroor’s sole representative.

    Bin Suroor said: “He has been in great form this season and should run another big race.”

    He faces 11 rivals, of whom no less than six will be saddled by De Kock, headed by last year’s winner Vercingetorix.

    De Kock explained: “For some of these it is their last chance to run at the Carnival unless they excel and gain an invitation for World Cup night.”

    Anyone thinking of attending should note the early start time with the first race scheduled to start at 16:00.

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