Certify hoping to avoid ‘bounce’ factor at Meydan Racecourse

Win in Cape Verdi eases Charlie Appleby’s fears as Godolphin horse could be joined by Tasaday and Pearl Of Africa in the Balanchine Stakes, writes Geoffrey Riddle.

Jockey Mickael Barzalona rides Certify, right, to victory in the Cape Verdi at the Meydan Racecourse in Dubai three weeks ago. Satish Kumar / The National

Charlie Appleby has little fear that Certify could “bounce” in Thursday’s Balanchine Stakes at Meydan Racecourse.

The Godolphin trainer has likened Certify’s emphatic victory in the Cape Verdi three weeks ago to a piece of work at Marmoom Stables in the lead-up to the US$200,000 (Dh734,620) event, the feature contest on a six-race card.

Certify became the first of seven Godolphin horses to win on her return from a six-month drugs ban.

The former English 1,000 Guineas favourite was held-up by Mickal Barzalona before the jockey unleashed his mount 400 metres from the finish to easily beat L’Armour De Ma Vie, the French challenger who was also entered for the Group 2 contest on Monday.

The “bounce factor” is a phenomenon whereby horses have been known to struggle markedly on their second start after a long layoff, whether it is due to an old injury that their bodies overcompensate for, or as a mental reaction to a lung-busting run first time up.

“She is not a filly that you really have to put a lot of work into – she is a proper athlete,” Appleby said. “She didn’t have a hard race and the bounce factor tends to effect horses that have had a hard race, whereas the Cape Verdi was more like a piece of work for her.

“She has had no serious work since that race, but you don’t really know until you run them.”

Certify came from fifth place to take the Cape Verdi, in contrast to Shuruq, the other Godolphin runner who led for most of the way before fading into last place of the six runners.

French challenger Flotilla was placed in second for much of the race and also fell away to finish fourth. There was talk of retirement after the race for the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ Turf winner as trainer Mikel Delzangles had brought her back from injury, but the Chantilly handler has clearly had a change of heart with her entry for Thursday.

Godolphin could also be represented in the Balanchine by Tasaday, trained by Saeed bin Suroor, who is seeking a third win in the race after saddling Gonfilia at Nad Al Sheba in 2004 and Sajjhaa last season.

Other notable runners are Pearl Of Africa, who was third in the Cape Verdi, Moment In Time, a Group 3 winner for English trainer David Simcock, and Qatoomah, who could bid to extend Saudi Arabia’s excellent start to this year’s Dubai World Cup Carnival.

The Balanchine was set to share the card with the Bani Yas that attracted 15 Purebred Arabian entries but the race was postponed on Monday.

The Emirates Racing Authority did state the Group 2 event would be rescheduled at a later date.

The postponement follows that of a full racecard at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club on Friday after 13 positive tests for strangles, a serious equine disease, on the eve of the race were discovered.

On the back of the cancellation the Emirates Racing Authority were set to issue appropriate bio-security measures to all registered training establishments.

Follow us on Twitter @SprtNationalUAE