Sheema Classic star Rebel's Romance to join Charlie Appleby's expanding US operation

Dubai Sheema Classic winner Rebel’s Romance is to join an expanding satellite yard of around a dozen Charlie Appleby-trained horses who are to be campaigned through the summer season in the US this year.

The Godolphin operator has long enjoyed success on the other side of the Atlantic and is increasingly campaigning some of his senior team over there, particularly horses who have raced at the Dubai Carnival.

Rebel’s Romance was a winner of the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland in 2022 and looks to have rekindled his career with victories in Qatar and Dubai this year, the latter in the $6 million Dubai Sheema Classic to get Appleby on the board on Dubai World Cup night. 

The six-year-old may have a tilt at a race in Hong Kong before joining his stablemates in the US, including recent Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile winner Master Of The Seas.  

Rebel's Romance: will be aimed at the Sword Dancer Stakes at SaratogaCredit: Neville Hopwood

Appleby said: “Rebel’s Romance could go to Hong Kong at the end of this month, but the plan is to ship him to the US where his target would be the Grade 1 Sword Dancer Stakes at Saratoga in August.

“Master Of The Seas will run at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby day and we also have Nations Pride out there, who will then run the following week at Aqueduct. After that the whole team will ship down to Saratoga because Belmont is closed, so Saratoga is opening up a month early." 

On the bigger picture of his increasing numbers in the US, Appleby said: “When you’re getting up to numbers of 12, you are getting up to something of a satellite yard, and it’s something that we’ve been doing for a number of years. We’ve had success; the racing suits us and it suits those horses who have been running in Dubai who like fast ground.

"If you’ve got the right horses it makes sense timing-wise and it particularly suits older horses. The plan is staffing-wise that Alex Merriam [assistant trainer] will be going out to Churchill Downs and Aqueduct, and hopefully I can get out to Saratoga later on when hopefully the sun is shining."

Read these next:

Master Of The Seas leads home Charlie Appleby 1-2 in Grade 1 Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland 

Rebel's Romance 'back to his best' with 25-1 surprise for William Buick in Sheema Classic as Auguste Rodin trails in last

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