Rare Rhythm leads five-strong Dubai Gold Cup team

Impressive Nad Al Sheba Trophy victor Rare Rhythm spearheads five Godolphin contenders for the G2 Dubai Gold Cup over two miles on Dubai World Cup Night, Saturday, 31 March, at Meydan, UAE. 

Rare Rhythm (Charlie Appleby/William Buick) completed a hat-trick of victories when readily beating top-class Vazirabad in the G3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy over 14 furlongs at Meydan on 1 March. 

The six-year-old son of Dubawi had previously taken a Listed race over the same distance at York, UK, in July and stayed on strongly to capture the 12-furlong Duke of Edinburgh Handicap at Royal Ascot in June. 

Frontiersman (Charlie Appleby/James Doyle) was runner-up in last season’s G1 Coronation Cup, run over a mile and a half at Epsom Downs, UK, in June and the five-year-old Dubawi horse stayed on gamely to go down by head to stable companion Hawkbill in the G2 Dubai City Of Gold Sponsored By Emirates SkyCargo over 12 furlongs at Meydan on 10 March. 

Gold Star (Saeed bin Suroor/Jim Crowley) came home third in the Dubai City Of Gold Sponsored By Emirates SkyCargo and the four-year-old has enjoyed a fruitful 2018 Dubai World Cup Carnival over 12 furlongs, headed by a handicap victory at the start of February. 

Nad Al Sheba Trophy fifth Red Galileo (Saeed bin Suroor/Gerald Mosse), a seven-year-old son of Dubawi, was edged out when finishing a close third in a pulsating finish to a two-mile handicap at Meydan on 15 February. 

The Godolphin contingent is completed by the five-year-old Dubawi mare Natural Scenery (Saeed bin Suroor/Pat Cosgrave), who came home fourth in the Nad Al Sheba Trophy and took third in the valuable 14-furlong Ebor Heritage Handicap at York, UK, in August. 

A field of 16 for the Dubai Gold Cup includes Vazirabad, a multiple G1 winner who has won this race the last two years, plus Big Orange, successful in the G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot in 2017. 

Charlie Appleby commented: “I was delighted with Rare Rhythm’s win in the Nad Al Sheba Trophy and he appears to have come out of the race in good order.

“There is a bit of a question mark as to whether he will stay the two-mile trip, but he travelled very well last time so we are hopeful that he will get the extra distance. 

“Rare Rhythm is a horse I have always liked, but we have had to take our time with him. 

“Frontiersman produced a great run in the Dubai City Of Gold, when he really knuckled down in the closing stages when just beaten by Hawkbill.

“We ran him over two miles at Wolverhampton in January, but he was too fresh on that occasion and it wasn’t his true running.

“If he can get a nice run round, with an even tempo, we will get to see if this horse can be a Cup horse for the future. He likes fast ground.”

Saeed bin Suroor said: “Gold Star is stepping up in distance, but the way he has run his races over a mile and a half shows that he needs a trip. He looks like a stayer in his work and we wanted to give him a chance over two miles. 

“He has been working well and heads into this race in good condition. He has learned with every race at the Carnival this year and I am looking forward to seeing whether he can get this trip, with a view to running him in some of the top European staying races. 

“Red Galileo won over a mile and six furlongs at Meydan last year, which looks like his best distance, and it depends on the pace in the race as to whether he can stay the two miles. If they go a nice pace, he should be fine. 

“Natural Scenery hasn’t shown a great deal for so far this year, but she is a tough filly and I am hoping for a better performance over two miles.”