Creative Flair heads strong Godolphin turnout in Meydan turf feature

Charlie Appleby is out to win the Group 2 Balanchine (5.30), the feature on week four of the Dubai Carnival, for a fourth straight year with Creative Flair leading the charge from Marmoom Stables.

The daughter of Dubawi, who heads six Godolphin contenders for the 1m1f contest, goes well fresh and was last seen running twice in the US last summer, including third in the Grade 3 Saratoga Oaks.

Appleby also fields Wedding Dance, who posted a decent comeback third in the Group 2 Cape Verdi at Meydan last month.

Meydan runners and riders

The trainer said: “Creative Flair has enjoyed a nice break since running in America. Her preparation has gone well and, if she reproduces the best of her European form, it will make her a big player.”

He added: “Wedding Dance has definitely come forward from the Cape Verdi, when it looked as though a step up to this trip could potentially produce more improvement."

After missing last Friday’s Meydan meeting due to a positive Covid test, Frankie Dettori is back with four rides including Soft Whisper, who heads four hopefuls from Saeed bin Suroor’s base at Al Quoz Stables.

Frankie Dettori: back with four rides on Friday after last week's positive Covid testCredit: Edward Whitaker

Soft Whisper disappointed when bringing up the rear on her return in the Cape Verdi and is joined by stablemates Dubai Love, Stunning Beauty and Last Look.

Bin Suroor said: “We’ve been disappointed with Soft Whisper this season in Dubai. She looks to have improved slightly since her first outing of the year in the Cape Verdi but doesn’t show a great deal in the mornings."

He added: “It’s the same situation with Dubai Love, Stunning Beauty and Last Look, who don’t appear to be at the level of form they have shown before. This looks the right race for all four in terms of distance and opposition, but I’m hoping for better efforts this time.”

Hiroo Shimizu is hoping for another victory over Godolphin with Pevensey Bay, who came from last to first under a brilliant Olivier Peslier ride to win the Cape Verdi by three-quarters of a length.

Shimizu, who trains in John Hammond's old yard in Chantilly, was not surprised by last month's success.

He said: "I'd say we were quite confident, even if winning like that was hard to imagine. I think the extra distance should be fine for her as she was quite slowly away last time. She has become much easier to ride and logically they shouldn't go quite as quick over the extra distance. She's in the same sort of form as last time, although I'm not sure she will have improved."

Hot Rod Charlie, the latest US challenger for next month’s Dubai World Cup, starts his campaign in Round 2 of the Maktoum Challenge (4.20).

Third in the Kentucky Derby, second in the Belmont and winner of the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby, Hot Rod Charlie warmed up for his Dubai travels with a close second in the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita in December.

Co-owner Bill Strauss said: “We sat down after the Breeders’ Cup meeting in November and made a plan for the horse. We decided to target Dubai and then the best way of getting to the Dubai World Cup, which was to bring him here and give him a race over the track.”

Read more on the Dubai Carnival

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