Very Special back for more in Cape Verdi

Very Special aims for a third G2 success at Meydan, UAE, as she returns from a break in the Cape Verdi (20.50hrs local time) on week four of the Dubai World Cup Carnival this Thursday, January 26. 

The Saeed bin Suroor-trained mare powered to a three-length success in the mile turf contest 12 months ago before following up with another impressive victory in the G2 Balanchine a furlong further the following month. 

She went on to finish a close sixth in the nine-furlong G1 Dubai Turf on Dubai World Cup night, the only time she has finished out of the first three in nine starts, and ran an excellent race on her latest outing when taking second in the mile G1 Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket in July. 

Saeed bin Suroor commented: “Very Special is a very tough mare. She won twice out in Dubai last year before running well at G1 level, including at Newmarket on her latest start. 

“She has been working nicely and I am looking for another good effort from her.”

The five-year-old daughter of Lope De Vega is ridden by Jim Crowley for the first time and will break from stall one in the field of 10, with UK G3 winners Opal Tiara, Realtra and Muffri’ha set to provide the main opposition. 

Saeed bin Suroor and Jim Crowley also team up with Promising Run in Thursday’s other G2 race, the Al Rashidiya (19.40hrs) over nine furlongs on turf. 

The four-year-old filly was runner-up on dirt twice at last year’s Dubai World Cup Carnival, including in the Listed UAE 1000 Guineas, and comfortably took the G3 Istanbul Trophy over a mile on turf at Veliefendi, Turkey, in September. 

Promising Run is drawn four of eight and her rivals include Listed Singspiel Stakes winner Light The Lights and last year’s G1 Jebel Hatta runner-up Farrier. 

Saeed bin Suroor added: “Promising Run tries really hard in her races. She had done well out here and I have been very pleased with her condition. 

“Dropping back to nine furlongs will not be a problem and I hope she can run well.”

Four Godolphin runners in the seven-furlong UAE 2000 Guineas Trial (20.15hrs local time) on dirt include Best Solution (Saeed bin Suroor/Andrea Atzeni). The Kodiac colt decisively won the mile G3 Autumn Stakes at Newmarket before taking second in the 10-furlong G1 Criterium de Saint Cloud in France at the end of October. 

He is joined by six-furlong turf winner Top Score (Saeed bin Suroor/Adrie De Vries) plus the Charlie Appleby-trained pair of Van Der Decken (Dane O’Neill) and Fly At Dawn (Mickael Barzalona), who were first and second over the course and distance on December 29. 

Godolphin is also represented throughout the card with Doncaster handicap winners Prize Money (Saeed bin Suroor/Christophe Soumillon) and Gold Trail (Charlie Appleby/Adam Kirby) going for the 12-furlong Aabar Properties Handicap (19.05hrs) on turf.