Formidable warrior awaits Measured Time & Ottoman Fleet in G1 Jebel Hatta

Measured Time and Ottoman Fleet take on Hong Kong superstar Romantic Warrior in an eagerly anticipated renewal of the G1 Jebel Hatta at Meydan, UAE, on Friday, 24 January.

The Charlie Appleby-trained duo make a second consecutive appearance in the nine-furlong highlight of Fashion Friday, with Measured Time having finished a length and three-quarters in front of Ottoman Fleet as the duo fought out the finish 12 months ago.

Measured Time went on to finish fourth in the G1 Dubai Turf on Dubai World Cup Night before securing a second G1 success with a decisive victory over Nations Pride in the Manhattan Stakes in the United States.

A half-brother to Rebel’s Romance, Measured Time was given a break following his second in August’s G1 Sword Dancer Stakes. The son of Frankel made an exciting return to action at Meydan in December as he lowered the course record when taking the G2 Al Rashidiya by an easy seven lengths.

Ottoman Fleet also summered in North America after winning the G3 Earl Of Sefton Stakes at Newmarket’s Craven meeting and completed a double at Churchill Downs with victories in the G3 Arlington Stakes and G2 Wise Dan Stakes.

After taking third behind top milers Carl Spackler and More Than Looks in the G1 Fourstardave at Saratoga, Ottoman Fleet kicked off his six-year-old campaign with a closing fourth in the G2 Zabeel Mile at Meydan earlier this month.

Charlie Appleby said: “There’s obviously a slightly different look to this year’s Jebel Hatta, with Romantic Warrior providing a lot of interest, and it’s going to be a great event to be part of. We are following the same route we took with Measured Time last year and he was an impressive winner of the Al Rashidiya on his comeback run. He goes into this in great order and I’m hoping it will be an exciting race to watch.

“Ottoman Fleet hasn’t won around Meydan yet but has produced some admirable efforts at the course. He deserves his place in the field and I am sure he will run another solid race.”

Native Approach made an impressive Meydan debut for Charlie Appleby with an exhilarating victory in the Listed Business Bay Challenge on Festive Friday and the son of Too Darn Hot lines up over the same seven-furlong distance for the G2 Al Fahidi Fort.

He is joined in the same race by stable-mate and 2024 winner Mysterious Night, who has his first start since finishing second in the G3 Poker Stakes at Saratoga in June.

Charlie Appleby said: “Native Approach is the unexposed horse in the field, following a strong performance on his Meydan debut last month. He came out of that race very well and looks an interesting runner on his return to Group company.

“Mysterious Night comes into this fresh and well on the back of a nice break. He has won twice over the course and distance, including this race last year, and should run his race again.”

Midnight Thunder tries a new surface and distance in the G3 UAE 2,000 Guineas, a race his trainer Saeed bin Suroor has won seven times. The Kodiac colt steps up to a mile for his dirt debut having twice won turf races over six furlongs in the UK, in addition to finishing fourth over same trip in the Al Wasl Stakes earlier this month.

Saeed bin Suroor said: “Midnight Thunder came out of the Al Wasl Stakes in good form and has been going well at home. We will have to see how he handles racing on dirt, but we wanted to give him a chance on the surface and I’m hoping for a good run.”

Two Charlie Appleby-trained contenders for the Listed Al Khail Trophy are headed by multiple Listed scorer King Of Conquest, who was beaten a neck on his first try over a mile and three-quarters in a Meydan conditions race at the start of the month.

Flying Honours, a G3 winner over 10 furlongs at two, steps up in trip for the same race, having shaped promisingly on his return from a break in a handicap over 12 furlongs at Meydan in December.

Charlie Appleby said: “King Of Conquest is a rock-solid horse, who came out of his run earlier this month in good shape. He should be a big player.

“Flying Honours stayed on well over a mile and a half, and we feel that stepping up to this trip might hopefully see some improvement.”