TRACKSIDE WORLDWIDE

Dominant Displays At Riyadh, Randwick and Santa Anita

After last week’s epic showdown in Riyadh, the focus in the Arabian Peninsula shifted to Meydan for Super Saturday. Imperial Emperor claimed the biggest stakes race of the day on March 1, rebounding from a second-place finish behind Walk Of Stars in the Al Maktoum Challenge. While Walk Of Stars took a shot at the world’s richest race, Imperial Emperor set his sights on arguably a more realistic target and delivered in style. His emphatic victory in the Al Maktoum Classic was an impressive statement for the Bhupat Seemar-trained five-year-old gelding. Despite drawing the outside gate and running four wide for the first half of the race, he displayed a great turn of foot to power home for a convincing win against stiff competition. This performance puts him firmly in the conversation for the Group One Dubai World Cup in April. With just a month until the big event, Saturday’s card of black-type racing provided a strong indicator of potential standouts for the marquee raceday.

Charlie Appleby meanwhile enjoyed a stellar day at Meydan, securing multiple Group Two victories on turf. Nation's Pride looked comfortable throughout the Singspiel Stakes, holding off a late challenge from Holloway Boy to secure the win. Silver Knott followed suit, mirroring his stablemate’s front-running style and surging home to win by several lengths under jockey William Buick. Adding wins in both of the listed Guineas races to their tally, Appleby, Buick, and the entire Godolphin team enjoyed a near-flawless evening.

While the Northern Hemisphere enters spring, a busy autumn of racing kicked off in the Southern Hemisphere. Superstar mare Via Sistina returned to winning form at Randwick, triumphing in the TAB Verry Elleegant Stakes - a Group One race named in honor of the Melbourne Cup-winning mare. Jockey James McDonald and trainer Chris Waller, the same duo behind Verry Elleegant’s legendary career, combined once again as Via Sistina rediscovered the form that saw her set a record time in last year’s Cox Plate. Though not as dominant or quick as that performance, this victory marked her seventh Group One win, leaving her connections thrilled. However, McDonald’s joy was short-lived as he was later handed a three-meeting suspension for causing interference in the Group 2 Sweet Embrace Stakes. Despite the setback, he still notched two Group One wins on the day and will return in time for Coolmore Classic Day at Rosehill Gardens in a couple of weeks. 

Across the Pacific, Santa Anita hosted two major Group One races on Saturday. Locked made the trip from Florida and decisively outclassed the West Coast competition in the Santa Anita Handicap. The four-year-old, trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Jose Ortiz, showcased his class, storming home to win by an impressive eight lengths. It was a reassuring return to form after finishing runner-up to White Abarrio in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes. Meanwhile, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners enjoyed a dream day, securing victory in the Group Two San Felipe Stakes with Journalism. The three-year-old extended his winning streak to three, placing himself firmly in the Kentucky Derby conversation. In the process, he defeated Bob Baffert’s highly regarded colt, Barnes, who had been touted as Baffert’s next Derby hopeful. Journalism’s victory further highlighted the unpredictable nature of the road to the Kentucky Derby, ensuring an exciting lead-up to the race.