Cover image courtesy of Godolphin
Second Group 1 winner for Ghaiyyath
by Heather Anderson, TDN Europe
Godolphin's Opera Ballo (Ire) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}) earned his first Group 1 badge in the Jebel Hatta at Meydan on Friday. The consistent colt gave William Buick his third win on the night.
Four-time Group 1 winner Nations Pride (Teofilo) cut out fractions while shadowed by Wathnan Racing's Silawi (Dubawi) for much of this contest. The well-regarded eventual winner stayed in midpack from the jump, but was keen to do more behind his first three rivals. On the bend, Godolphin second-stringer Nations Pride lengthened his advantage, but came back to the field entering the home stretch. William Buick shifted Opera Ballo off the fence at the quarter-pole and the response was immediate. Handed daylight, the colt stuck his nose in front and soon kicked clear to win by 2.5 lengths. Silawi hung on for second, 1.25 lengths ahead of Holloway Boy, who nipped Nations Pride for third.
Winning for the sixth time in eight starts, Opera Ballo is the first Northern Hemisphere Group 1 winner for Ghaiyyath. The Dubawi stallion already is the sire of G1 Victoria Derby hero Observer. Of his nine stakes winners, Ghaiyyath has five group winners.
The second foal and black-type horse out of Dubai Opera (Invincible Spirit), Opera Ballo was preceeded by Listed Prix Maurice Zilber third Dyptique (Night Of Thunder). This family features G3 Prix des Reservoirs heroine Emily Bronte (Machiavellian) as the second dam. That mare also foaled group winners Earnshaw (Medaglia d'Oro)–also second in the G1 Criterium International–and Lockwood (Invincible Spirit).
Spectacular 64 Group 1 winners for Dubawi
by Alan Carasso, TDN
Twelve months on from having completed a Bhupat Seemar one-two finish, Deva Racing's Imperial Emperor (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) put his stablemate and 2025 winner Walk of Stars (Dubawi) to the sword approaching the final 400 metres of Friday's G1 Al Maktoum Challenge at Meydan and reported home a comfortable winner to punch his ticket to the G1 Dubai World Cup over an extra 100 metres in a couple months' time. In the process, the 6-year-old has become the 64th worldwide elite-level winner for his spectacular sire.
First to make a move towards the front with about 700 metres left to race, Imperial Emperor nosed in front going strongly, with Walk of Stars doing his best to keep pace at the rail. Asked to win his race on the swing for home, Imperial Emperor went through his gears, pinched a break and finished full of running to account for Wathnan Racing's Tumbarumba (Oscar Performance), who also stayed on well for second.
Favoured Heart of Honor (Honor A. P.) found himself at the tail given the strong tempo and was under urging from Saffie Osborne fully 1000 metres from home. Switched out into the clear for the drive, the 4-year-old found his best stride late and outfinished Artorius (Arrogate) for third. Walk of Stars weakened out to fifth in a race that was marred by an apparent injury to the veteran Remorse (Dubawi), who went wrong on the final turn.
Imperial Emperor is one of four winners from as many to race from Zhukova (Fastnet Rock), a dual Group 3 winner in Ireland who defeated males in the GI Man o' War Stakes in New York and was later purchased by Godolphin for 3.7 million guineas (AU$7.7 million) at the 2017 Tattersalls December Mares Sale.
Zhukhova is one of seven winners produced by 2006 G1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Nightime (Galileo), whose four-times Group 1-winning son Ghaiyyath was responsible for Fashion Friday's other top-level scorer Opera Ballo.
Not This Time’s Six Speed wins Guineas
by Alan Carasso, TDN
Brunetti Dugan Stables, Black Type Thoroughbreds, Steve Adkisson and Swinbank Stables' Six Speed (USA) (Not This Time {USA}), last-out winner of the UAE 2000 Guineas Trial, a conditions event over 1400 meters at Meydan on January 2, proved that an extra furlong was no bother whatsoever when striding out a comprehensive winner of Friday's G3 2000 Guineas going the metric mile.
With Jake Ballis's Black Type Thoroughbreds and Reagan Swinbank's Swinbank Stables having bought into the 3-year-old colt this past week and with 20 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby at stake, Six Speed was made the favourite to extend his winning streak to three, but in order to do so, he would need to deal with Godolphin's progressive Devon Island (Practical Joke), two-for-two at the Dubai Racing Carnival.
Very quickly into stride for Mickael Barzalona, Six Speed raced one off the fence and was content to sit second for a time before strolling to the front with more than a half-mile to travel. Going comfortably on the engine with his rider sitting hard against him, he cornered for home still under a tight hold and when asked to extend, put the Guineas to bed within a matter of strides. In the end, he maintained a margin of about four lengths over Devon Island, who just photoed Union Security (Maximum Security) out of second for a U.S.-bred 1-2-3.
With the victory, Six Speed becomes the 69th worldwide stakes winner and 34th group/graded winner for the all-conquering Not This Time, whose daughter Cy Fair–campaigned in partnership by Swinbank to victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint–was runner-up in the 2-year-old filly division at the Eclipse Awards in Florida Thursday evening.
A half-brother to the Canadian stakes-winning Pipit, Six Speed is out of Browse (Medaglia D’Oro) a stakes-placed daughter of graded winner Daydreaming, who is also responsible for Grade 1 winner Imagining (Giant's Causeway). The Grade III-winning third dam Get Lucky, a full-sister to champion Rhythm (who stood in New Zealand) produced Grade 1 winner Girolamo (A.P. Indy), graded winner Accelerator (A.P. Indy) and Supercharger (A.P. Indy), the dam of GI Kentucky Derby hero Super Saver (Maria's Mon) and the graded winners Cyrus Alexander (Medaglia d'Oro) and Brethren (Distorted Humor).
