Plenty of promise from Meydan near misses

Godolphin runners produced several strong performances on Dubai World Cup Night, with six contenders finishing in the first four against some of the best horses in the world at Meydan on Saturday.

Yibir unleashed a withering late run to go down by a neck to Shahryar in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic, while Manobo was headed in the final strides by another Japanese raider, Stay Foolish, in the G2 Dubai Gold Cup.

Both horses look set to form part of a formidable group of middle-distance four-year-olds this year alongside Adayar and Hurricane Lane, with Breeders’ Cup Turf hero Yibir set to return to North America for the G1 Man o’War Stakes at Belmont Park in May.

Man Of Promise and Naval Crown ran excellent races to take third and fourth in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint and the duo could now tackle some of Europe’s premier sprints.

Storm Damage and Island Falcon opened up new options with valiant efforts on the dirt, finishing third in the G2 Godolphin Mile and G2 UAE Derby respectively.

Godolphin did enjoy success on the evening as a breeder, with Dubawi six-year-old Lord North becoming the first horse to win the G1 Dubai Turf twice as he dead-heated with Panthalassa in a thrilling renewal.

Four-year-olds Proxy and Santin also performed admirably in defeat at Fair Grounds, USA, on Saturday. Proxy continued his comeback from injury when filling the runner-up spot in the G2 New Orleans Classic, while Santin claimed the same position in the G2 Muniz Memorial Classic.

Randwick hosts day one of The Championships on Saturday with four G1 prizes up for grabs including the Sires’ Produce, won in brilliant fashion by Anamoe 12 months ago. Character, an impressive victor of the G2 Tulloch Stakes on Monday, could make a quick turnaround for the G1 ATC Australian Derby.

In Japan, African Gold, a half-brother to 2014 Dubai World Cup winner African Story, will be hoping to follow up his G2 Kyoto Kinen victory with a first G1 success in Sunday’s Osaka Hai at Hanshin.