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Ghaiyyath will bid to bounce back from Arc disappointment at Dubai Carnival

Ghaiyyath: Arc flop will winter in Dubai
Ghaiyyath: Arc flop will winter in DubaiCredit: Frank Sorge

Ghaiyyath, who disappointed bitterly when only tenth on his toughest assignment to date in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe last Sunday, will not run again this year and will attempt to bounce back in the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan in March.

The progressive four-year-old was fancied by many to beat established stars such as Enable and Japan in Paris, but the front-runner had nothing more to give turning for home and was beaten 33 lengths.

Before that disappointment, Ghaiyyath had landed his first Group 1 win in emphatic fashion in the Grosser Preis von Baden in Germany in September

Speaking at the Tattersalls October Yearling sales, trainer Charlie Appleby, said: "Ghaiyyath is fine after the race but he just didn't get the easy lead that he enjoys and which was seen to such good effect in Germany. He was pressed for the lead by Magical the whole way and in that ground had nothing more to give when they straightened for home."

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Charlie Appleby: 'The plan is to take him out to Dubai as we did last winter but this time he'll race at the carnival'

Ghaiyyath seems to go well fresh as he did when winning on his reappearance in the Group 2 Prix d'Harcourt at Longchamp in April, but disappointed in similar circumstances when stepping up to Group 1 level in the Prix Ganay at the same track three weeks later.

Given the summer off to recover, Ghaiyyath returned from a 126-day break to win in Germany before his French flop five weeks later.

Appleby said: "The plan is to take him out to Dubai as we did last winter, but this time he'll race at the carnival. Hopefully, the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic on World Cup night should suit him and he should enjoy bowling along around the turns at Meydan."

Appleby is on a hat-trick in the $6 million contest, which next year is to be staged on March 28, after Hawkbill in 2018 and last season's winner Old Persian.


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Newmarket correspondent

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