Dubawi sireline dominates Meydan card with Group 1 double

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It was quite the afternoon for Dubawi and his sireline at Meydan, with the Darley titan and his highest-rated son Ghaiyyath siring the two Group 1 winners on the card.

Ghaiyyath's Opera Ballo has looked a Group 1 winner in waiting for some time and did nothing but enhance that reputation with a three-length win in the Group 2 Al Rashidiya at Meydan last month. The Charlie Appleby-trained colt had won his first two starts last year by a combined 12 and a half lengths and bounced back from defeat in the Craven Stakes to notch up a brace of Listed wins. 

Ridden by regular rider William Buick, Opera Ballo defied some keenness to pull over two lengths clear of Dubawi gelding Silawi in the Jebel Hatta. 

The four-year-old is out of the Invincible Spirit mare Dubai Opera, a Godolphin bred who sold to Charel Bloodstock for €86,000 at the 2020 Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale. 

Dubai Opera is a sister to dual Group 3 winner Lockwood and a half-sibling to fellow Group 3 scorer in Earnshaw, who was Group 1-placed when second in the Criterium International. The mare has a three-year-old colt by Sottsass called Damn Precious, a two-year-old filly by Baaeed and a yearling colt by Paddington. 

Dubawi was also off the mark when siring emphatic Al Maktoum Challenge winner Imperial Emperor, who also has a big connection to Ghaiyyath.  

A 64th individual top-level winner for Dubawi, the Godolphin-bred gelding was already among his sire's 201 individual Group scorers with a pair of Group 2 triumphs to his name, including the Al Maktoum Mile last month. In winning Friday's Group 1, Imperial Emperor went one better than he did last year when he finished two and three-quarter lengths adrift of Dubawi gelding and stablemate Walk Of Stars, who came home in fifth this time.

Trained by Bhupat Seemar for Deva Racing, having sold to the team for AED300,000 at the 2024 Racing In Dubai Sale, Imperial Emperor has the pedigree worthy of a Group 1 winner. He is out of American Grade 1 winner Zhukova, a daughter of Galileo's first Classic star in Nightime and therefore a half-sister to Ghaiyyath.

Ghaiyyath, who stands at Kildangan Stud for a fee of €20,000, is also responsible for Victoria Derby scorer Observer, as well as Group/Grade 2 winners My Highness and The Padre. His leading progeny also include Group 3 winner and Poule d'Essai des Pouliches third Mandanaba.

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