Rebel's Romance and Measured Time out to uphold sibling honour on Dubai World Cup night

Godolphin's team for the biggest night of the year at Meydan features half-brothers Measured Time and Rebel’s Romance, who are split up for the Dubai Turf Sponsored By DP World and Longines Dubai Sheema Classic respectively.

The Group 1 winners are trained by Charlie Appleby and in the lead-up to the Dubai extravaganza spoke about the similarities and differences between the siblings.

"Measured Time is a horse who’s two-from-two out here in the Al Rashidiya and the Jebel Hatta," Appleby said. "We brought him here for a racecourse gallop, there was a big gap from the Jebel Hatta, and he pleased us on that morning. It’s a step up now. He’s a horse we’ve had a lot of confidence in as a half-brother to Rebel's Romance, he’s always had that tag around his neck that we’d be following him closely. He’s pleased us and we hope that he’s going to be very competitive on Saturday."

Measured Time is a four-year-old by Frankel while Rebel’s Romance is now six, sired by Dubawi. On the difference between them, Appleby said: "We think he’s probably a sharper horse than Rebel’s Romance, who has been doing most of his winning of late over a mile and a half and enjoys it.

"Measured Time ran over that trip at Kempton and got beat, we weren’t sure if that stretched his stamina too much. We’ve taken the hood off for his runs now and there's a combination of factors that give more confidence coming back in trip than staying at a mile and a half."

Rebel’s Romance is a three-time winner at the top level and was a ready winner of last month’s H H The Amir Trophy in Qatar.

Measured Time winning the Jebel Hatta

"It was great to see him back at that level," Appleby said. "He had that great spell two years ago winning those Group 1s and then the Breeders’ Cup Turf. Last year was a bit stop-start, he lost his confidence.

"We went to Kempton for an easy assignment with the hope he’d gain confidence from it. You could see he had, and went to Qatar as a horse we felt was back on his A-game. It’s probably the strongest race of the evening, we respect the opposition highly. We’re drawn out a little bit in 11 but you’ve got to take the positives out of it, it can get a bit messy going into that turn, hopefully he can get himself into the position he needs to be."

Measured Time is also a full-brother to Dubai Beauty a Newmarket novice winner at two who was fourth in the UAE 1,000 Guineas and her first foal, the Dubawi gelding Silent Age, is unbeaten in two starts this year for Appleby and is favourite for the Listed Burradon Stakes (1.18) at Newcastle on Friday.

Their dam, Minidress, has four winners from four runners with her first foal, the Cape Cross mare Petticoat, Listed-placed over a mile as a three-year-old for Michael Halford.

Minidress was second in the Listed Height Of Fashion Stakes for Godolphin and is a Street Cry full-sister to Group 3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy winner Volcanic Sky. Second dam Short Skirt won the Musidora and St Simon Stakes and was placed behind Alexandrova in both the Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks. 

She is a Diktat half-sister to Group 2 winner and sire Little Rock and to Whitewater Affair, successful in the Group 2 Prix de Pomone, and placed at Group 1 level in the Yorkshire Oaks and Irish St Leger. Whitewater Affair is the dam of Group 1 winners Victoire Pisa whose top-level triumphs included the Dubai World Cup, and Asakusa Den'en.

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