Baccarat holds all the aces at Meydan

Veteran sprinter Baccarat enhanced his fine record over six furlongs at Meydan, UAE, with an impressive victory in a turf handicap on Saturday, 17 February.

The Charlie Appleby-trained nine-year-old, successful over the same course and distance at both the 2016 & 2017 Dubai World Cup Carnivals, was very quickly into his stride and raced keenly at first before settling better in second behind Faatinah after a furlong.

Baccarat was asked to challenge by William Buick approaching the final furlong and ran on strongly to take the lead in a matter of strides before quickening clear to score easily by three lengths from Faatinah in a good time of 1m 09.90s.

Charlie Appleby, after gaining his eighth victory of the 2018 Dubai World Cup Carnival, said: “Baccarat came out of his first run of the season - when he was second to Faatinah - very well and the bit of work he put in earlier this week was very good.

“I was confident that we were going to have a good go at Faatinah tonight and take him to the line. “He has won off 110 tonight and should go up a few pounds, so it should hopefully buy us a ticket for the Al Quoz Sprint (G1, 6f, turf, Meydan) on Dubai World Cup Night (31 March). He will go straight to that race.”

William Buick commented: “Baccarat jumped very well, but the reason he normally misses the break is slightly by design – he always runs well with plenty of cover and didn’t really get that for the first half-furlong.

“He then got into a nice rhythm behind the leader and it was pretty smooth from halfway. He has won very well and is a stable favourite. He is a nine-year-old now, but feels as young as ever.

“If he turns up in the Al Quoz Sprint in a similar vein of form and things happen for him, he will be very competitive.”