Heavy Metal rocks to impressive win on opening night of 2018 Dubai World Cup Carnival at Meydan

Saddled by Salem bin Ghadayer and ridden by Mickael Barzalona, Heavy Metal was able to take full advantage of his low draw in stall two, going straight to the front and staying there in the 1600 metre race.

The four and a half length victory over multiple Group 1 winner Thunder Snow in second was emphatic as it sounds, with third placed North America trailing a further seven and half lengths back.

The success was a second winner on the card for His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, who was present at the meeting, this after stable companion Frankyfourfingers also proved in a class of his own in the US$135,000 Longines Conquest Classic.
Having made an impressive winning reappearance at Jebel Ali two weeks ago, the winner of the 2015 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 was far too good for his eight rivals on this occasion in the handicap run over the same 1900 metre dirt course and distance as that big race win
With Barzalona again at the helm, Frankyfourfingers also went straight for the front and never looked in any danger, coming in a huge nine and half lengths clear of Storm Belt in second and Alabaster in third.

The meeting opened with the US$60,000 Al Maktoum Challenge R1 (G1, Purebred Arabians), presented by Longines Equestrian Collection, which like its Thoroughbred counterpart was contested over 1600 metre on the dirt.

A champion and multiple Grade 1 winner in America, Paddy’s Day, having his first start for UAE Champion Trainer and U.S. expat Doug Watson, ran out the winner by a neck from Barnamaj to complete a fourth win in the race for the handler. With Pat Dobbs in the saddle, he tracked early leader RB Torch until that one weakened fully 500 metres from home, leaving him in front. He quickened, opening up a sizable advantage before cruising home with no late competition to face in the closing stages.

Godolphin dominated the US$175,000 Singspiel Stakes presented by Longines Ladies Master Collection, which was won by Benbatl.

Run over 1800 metres on turf, the Saeed bin Suroor-trained favourite showed his class and bounded clear under Oisin Murphy, finishing with plenty left and defeating Charlie Appleby-trained banner-mate Emotionless and jockey James Doyle by two and a quarter lengths.

The pair looked set for a real battle at the top of the straight before Murphy’s mount quickened well, putting the race to bed in a few strides. Classy 7-year-old Earnshaw rallied well for third. A third Godolphin horse, Appleby-trained Bay of Poets suffered through a crowded trip and rallied well for sixth under William Buick.

Godolphin also supplied both first and second in the 1400 metre turf handicap, the US$160,000 Longines Moon Phase Master Collection, with Buick weaving through on D’Bai to deny James Doyle on stable companion Bravo Zolo.

Seemingly with nowhere to go with 300 metres to go, Buick was able to find a gap and his mount shot through, quickening impressively to win by a length and a half, breaking the track record in the process.

The first Thoroughbred race, the US$160,000 Longines Ladies La Grande Classique at 1000 metre on the turf, was won for the third consecutive season by track record holder Ertijaal, who is trained by Ali Rashid Al Rayhi for His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

A maximum field of 16 went to post but Ertijaal was never headed under the retained jockey Jim Crowley. They were chased throughout by gallant Irish challenger and eventual runner-up Hit The Bid, but the seven-year-old held on well to win by a length and half, and was more than three lengths clear of Dutch Masterpiece in third.

The meeting concluded with the Longines Gents La Grande Classique, an ultra-competitive 2410 metre turf handicap worth US$160,000 and won with a brilliant ride by European win record holder Soumillon on Golden Wood, who repeated in the race.

The Nicolas Caullery trainee had the edge over a pair of Bin Suroor-trained Godolphin runners in the process. Gold Star, second by a nose, looked like a winner in mid-stretch and stayed on well to lose narrowly, while top-rated Best Solution was another length back in third.

The next racing at Meydan is the second meeting of the 2018 Dubai World Cup Carnival which takes place on 18 January.