Godolphin to send out big guns Barney Roy and Zakouski on Super Saturday

Duo spearhead the Royal Blues' challenge in Group 1 Jebel Hatta at Meydan

Barney Roy on his way to winning the Al Rashidiya race at Meydan Racecourse on January 30, 2020. Reem Mohammed / The National

Godolphin are lined up in seven of the eight thoroughbred races on Super Saturday at Meydan, the traditional dress rehearsal of the Dubai World Cup.

The Dubai operation's challenge is led by four-time Group 1 winner Barney Roy and Zakouski, a multiple winner in Dubai, in the final meeting of this year's Dubai World Cup Carnival.

Barney Roy makes his seasonal return for Charlie Appleby in the Group 1 Jebel Hatta having won the nine-furlong turf feature in 2020.

The Excelebration gelding went down by half-a-length to last year’s Jebel Hatta victor Lord Glitters on his last outing, the Group 3 Bahrain International Trophy in November.

“Barney Roy has enjoyed a nice break since Bahrain, when he put up a good performance behind Lord Glitters,” Appleby told www.godolphin.com.

“He looks great and his preparation has gone well. We always intended to come straight here – we gave him an entry in the Dubai Millennium Stakes last week to see what the race was shaping up like but this was always the main aim. Any repeat of his previous runs in Dubai will make him very competitive again."

Stablemate Zakouski, who won last year’s Group 2 Al Rashidiya and the 2020 Group 2 Zabeel Mile, also finished behind Lord Glitters on his two most recent starts, a ninth-place finish in Bahrain and third place in the Group 2 Singspiel Stakes on week five of the Carnival.

“We were delighted with Zakouski in the Singspiel Stakes. He didn’t quite see out a mile-and-a-quarter in Bahrain but ran a great race back over nine furlongs," said Appleby.

“All the signs have been that he has come forward for that run and we are applying cheek-pieces just to help with his concentration at the business end of the race. If you take the pick of his form, he should be bang there as well."

Listed winner Highland Avenue goes for Appleby as well, with the four-year-old having faded to eighth after racing freely on his seasonal return in the Al Rashidiya at Meydan in January.

Saeed bin Suroor’s Land Of Legends makes a second career appearance over nine furlongs in the Jebel Hatta following a creditable fifth-place finish in last season’s Group 1 Dubai Turf.

“I have been pleased with his work going into this. He ran well over this distance in the Dubai Turf last season and is ready to go again,” he said.

Bin Suroor bids for a 12th victory on the card’s other Group 1 race, the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3.

Dubai Icon powered to an eight-and-a-half-length success over the same 10-furlong distance on week two of the Carnival before finishing down the field in the Listed Curlin Stakes.

“Dubai Icon won well on his first start this season and we wanted to give him another chance over this course and distance,” Bin Suroor said.

“This is a big step up in grade and we will have to see how he gets on, but he has been working well.”

Racecard

3pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 – Group 1 (PA) $75,000 (Dirt) 2,000m

3.35pm: Dubai City Of Gold – Group 2 (TB) $350,000 (Turf) 2,410m

4.10pm: Burj Nahaar – Group 3 (TB) $250,000 (Dirt) 1,600m

4.45pm: Nad Al Sheba Turf – Group 3 (TB) $250,000 (T) 1,200m

5.20pm: Al Bastakiya – Listed (TB) $170,000 (D) 1,900m

5.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 – Group 1 (TB) $450,000 (D) 2,000m

6.55pm: Ras Al Khor – Conditions (TB) $300,000 (T) 1,400m

7.30pm: Jebel Hatta – Group 1 (TB) $350,000 (T) 1,800m