Very impressive UAE 2,000 Guineas win for Gold Town

Gold Town posted a brilliant success in the G3 UAE 2,000 Guineas, staged over a mile on dirt at Meydan, UAE, on Thursday, 15 February.

The three-year-old son of Street Cry, trained by Charlie Appleby and partnered by William Buick, broke smartly from stall four and was pushed along to take the lead after the first furlong.

He continued at the head of affairs, was kicked for home entering the straight and quickly went well clear.

Gold Town drew right away from the rest of the 15-strong field and, despite being eased down, had 10 and a half lengths to spare over Gotti at the line which he crossed in 1m 37.77s.

Last Voyage (Charlie Appleby/Mickael Barzalona) was slowly away and raced off the pace. The Eskendereya colt came wide in the straight and stayed on in the final furlong to take third, a further half-length adrift.

Charlie Appleby declared, “William was as impressed riding Gold Town as we were watching him – he said that the horse moves so well on the surface and it was one of a few experiences he has had around here, when a horse can quicken so well up the straight.

“Gold Town got on to the lead more comfortably in the trial and galloped out strongly whereas William said that he had to use a bit early on tonight but that’s credit to the horse – he got into the rough and tumble and brought his experience to the table.

“Once he got on the lead, it was always going to be a pretty straightforward assignment. I was confident that, the further this horse goes, the further he was going to win by.

“We were confident that this distance was going to be no problem and the first thing William said when he got off was that the UAE Derby (G2, 9.5f, Saturday, 31 March, dirt, Meydan) trip will never be a problem for him.

“He has a bit of experience around here now and, all being well and if he stays healthy and sound, we will head straight to the UAE Derby and miss the Al Bastakiya (Listed, 9.5f, Saturday, 10 March, dirt, Meydan). He has had two runs now on the dirt and we will keep him fresh.

“He brought a nice level of form here from the UK and his sire’s influence is taking over very strongly, which is a key attribute.”

Street Cry won the UAE 2,000 Guineas in 2001 and triumphed in the Dubai World Cup the following year.

Charlie Appleby continued: “We will hopefully try and get the UAE Derby out of the way first. Gold Town is going to be taking on a different kettle of fish on Dubai World Cup Night, but he couldn’t have done more than win like he did tonight.

“If we were lucky enough to go and win the UAE Derby, then of course the logical step would be to aim for the Kentucky Derby (G1, 10f, dirt, Saturday, 5 May, Churchill Downs, USA).

“There aren’t the same options if we take a Street Cry gelding back to the UK and there is no reason at all to be switching back to turf – he wouldn’t bring the same level of form to that surface.

“It’s very rare that you see horses quicken like he does on the dirt – he quickens away from the field and it’s not a slog for him. He has got gears.

“Since we shipped him over here and started to increase his work, asking him more serious questions, he was quickening clear of horses on the dirt that he would only be upsides with on the turf or synthetics in the UK.

“Sheikh Mohammed wants us to find horses that we can campaign internationally and hopefully this is a horse that will allow us do to that.”

William Buick remarked: “Gold Town was very impressive and gave me a great feel.

“He was head and shoulders above the rest going into the race – he proved that in the trial – but it is always a concern if you were to miss the break with that amount of runners with an inside gate going into a dog-leg turn on this surface.

“It was very straightforward. He is a very professional horse and you couldn’t have asked for anything more from him.

“He has trained well out here in Dubai, trialled well last time out and now he has won the UAE 2,000 Guineas, so the team have done a great job. He is bred to be good on the dirt surface and has proved himself so far.

“The UAE Derby is a furlong and a half further and we don’t know what is going to turn up at this stage, but Gold Town will be high on the radar for most people.”