DUBAI // Godolphin dominated Thursday's meeting at Nad Al Sheba. The stable's trainer Saeed Bin Suroor and jockey Frankie Dettori won four of the seven races, with their blue colours actually winning each race in which they were represented, highlighted by the victory of Desert Party in the UAE 2000 Guineas. He ran on too strongly for stable companion to give the team a one-two in the mile dirt classic and will probably be aimed towards the UAE Derby.
"He is a nice horse and has done that well," said Dettori. "The Derby is an obvious target but we have a lot of these three-year-olds so we can take our time confirming intentions." They also won the 1,300m turf conditions race for three-year-olds, with Dettori kicking his mount City Style clear over the final two furlongs. That win followed Yamal's success in the mile dirt handicap and Kirklees rounded off the night perfectly by winning the 10-furlong turf handicap.
Mike De Kock may have been out of luck in the feature and with sprinter JJ The Jet Plane, but did manage a double with Johnny Murtagh winning the opening seven-furlong handicap on Warsaw and the 10-furlong handicap on Art of War. Both races were on dirt and both winners wore the colours of Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum. Doug Watson's Force Freeze, ridden by Fernando Jara won the 1100m dirt conditions race.
At Jebel Ali yesterday, Doug Watson's Call Me George came from last to first to win the featured nine-furlong handicap under Robbie Burke, while UAE debutant Amarna impressed many winning the seven- furlong conditions race under apprentice Antioco Murgia. The trainer Dhrub Selvaratnam combined for a double with Alo Pura and For Once. jsullivan@thenational.ae
