Argentine Eye On the Prize and Brazilian Norato finish second; Uruguayan Moonshiner takes third
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (Special for Turf Diario) - The final day of the Meydan International Carnival ended on a positive note for South American horses. Although there were no victories, there were several standout performances, including second-place finishes by the Argentine Eye On the Prize (Il Campione) and the Brazilian Norato(Kentucian), as well as the third-place finish by the Uruguayan Moonwalker (Kodiak Kowboy). All were trained by Antonio Cintra and Julio Olascoaga, who also secured a third-place finish with Markakol (Starspangledbanner).
Additionally, March 14, 2025, will remain a memorable date for Hilal Kobeissi. The British trainer achieved his first international victory when Max Mayhem (New Bay) won decisively in the prestigious Longines Spirit Flyback Handicap.
The 7-year-old horse was competing in his fourth Carnival race, but this time he was clearly superior, sitting at the back of the field in the 2410-meter race. His jockey, Adrie de Vries, showed patience, only asking for effort in the final 400 meters. Max Mayhem responded with an overwhelming surge to win by three and a half lengths over Valdivia(Demarchelier).
"There was a strong pace," said De Vries. "I was a bit concerned when I lost my reference point on the backstretch, but I was quite confident once we turned for home."
The race also marked the return of De Vries after an injury that kept him out of action.
"I had a bad fall a few weeks ago when I got caught up with another horse’s heels," he explained. "It was frustrating to miss some good rides, but I was lucky to return so quickly. Everything seems fine now."
For Kobeissi, based in Newmarket with a still-small stable after running a pre-training center, the victory was of great importance.
"It was a masterclass from De Vries," said Kobeissi. "This is huge for our team, which is young but with big ambitions."
De Vries quickly added another success, guiding Strobe (Into Mischief) to victory in the Longines Master Collection Moon Phase Chronograph Handicap, over 1200 meters on dirt.
The 6-year-old horse from Simon and Ed Crisford was positioned just behind the fast pace set by Sir Harmony(Speightster) and Smart System (The Factor). After taking the lead in the stretch, he had to fight hard to hold off the challenge from Deep Hope (Siyouni), winning by half a length.
"I was always in a good position behind the strong pace," explained De Vries. "I felt the two leaders would give way. Probably, Strobe hit the front too early and relaxed a bit at the end, so I really needed the line."
The Trainer Championship standings remain tight, with Musabbeh Al Mheiri still leading the UAE Trainers’ Championship table. He added another victory to his tally when Al Arbed (Dark Angel) justified his favoritism in the second race, the Longines Mini Dolce Vita Handicap, over 1600 meters, with a determined ride by Danny Tudhope.
Positioned near the front early on, Tudhope launched him into a clear lead on the final turn. However, fatigue began to show in the final meters, and he crossed the line with a one-length advantage over his stablemate Legend Of Cannes(Cairo Prince), while Moonshiner finished third.
"The main question was the distance, but he's been very consistent and deserved to win this season," said Tudhope. "He traveled well but really needed the line. If I ride him again, I'll try to save him a bit more."
Al Mheiri completed a double when Al Shibli (Shamardal) battled to victory in the Longines Master Collection Handicap, race seven, over 1000 meters on turf.
The 6-year-old horse dominated from the start and always appeared to be in control, holding off Thunder Of Niagara(Night of Thunder) and Markakol, winning by half a length and a length and a quarter, respectively.
"He had already won at Jebel Ali, and in his last race, he stayed with Tuz (Oxbow) [in the G3 Mahab Al Shimaal] for 400 meters, so the ability was there," said his jockey, Silvestre de Sousa. "The return to turf favored him, and Musabbeh has his horses in great form."
The Brazilian Silvestre de Sousa closed the gap to just two wins behind Tadhg O'Shea in the Jockey Championship race with a double, starting with Molaqab (Zoustar), who won the Longines Conquest Handicap, over 1400 meters on turf.
The horse trained by Michael Costa, also competing in the Trainer Championship, won by three-quarters of a length over Eye On the Prize, showing resilience in the final stretch.
"Starting from gate [11] helped him by being wide," said De Sousa. "It allowed him to jump well, settle at his own pace, and travel comfortably."
Trainer Ernst Oertel, fourth in the standings, also celebrated when Classic City won the Longines Legend Diver Handicap, over 2000 meters.
The trainer and owner has seen remarkable progress with the son of Constitution, who, under the guidance of Alexandre Da Silva, broke well, traveled smoothly, and held off Havandi (Le Havre) by a length.
"I’ve been very lucky with Da Silva," said Oertel. "He came to my stable looking for work and has repaid us in spades."
On Classic City, he added: "I knew he was the best horse in the race, but I was concerned about the draw [14]. I liked that when challenged, he responded. I think we'll stay on the dirt; it's not easy to find horses that perform well on this surface, and he seems to do it."
The most impressive victory of the day came from Dark Saffron (Flameaway), who entered the conversation for the Dubai Golden Shaheen by dominating the Longines Spirit Zulu Conditions Stakes, over 1200 meters on dirt for horses that have not won more than two races.
Trained by Ahmad Bin Harmash and ridden by Connor Beasley, the 3-year-old won his second race with remarkable ease, leading from start to finish.
He won by seven and a quarter lengths over debutant Elusive Trevor (Belardo), and another ten and a quarter lengths to third-placed Awab (Street Sense).
"It left me with a great feeling, and he hasn’t done anything wrong all season," said Beasley. "He had won on this track and then we tried him on turf, where he lost to good sprinters. Returning to dirt was a good option, and it was practically a workout for him."
Bin Harmash, Beasley, and owner Mohammed Ahmad Ali Al Subousi completed the double when Million Doro(Bolt D'Oro) secured his first win in the Longines Conquest Chronograph Handicap.
In his tenth start, the 4-year-old overcame the tough 15th draw, secured the rail, and won by three and three-quarters lengths over the Brazilian Norato.
"It was a great performance, and it was worth the wait," said Beasley. "He’s been a frustrating horse because he shows so much in training but doesn’t always bring it to the races. Today, he was relaxed in the preliminaries, broke well, and traveled comfortably."
