Can Godolphin star Real World bounce back to his best and win another Zabeel Mile?

The Zabeel Mile gets top billing at Meydan on Friday with 13 declared for the Group 2. Godolphin have enjoyed a stranglehold on the race, winning the last five runnings but Charlie Appleby, who has won four of those, is surprisingly without a runner.

Appleby won this last year with the subsequent Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Master Of The Seas, but that horse instead features among the early entries for the Pegasus World Cup Turf at Gulfstream later this month.

Real World, the 2022 winner, is Godolphin’s sole representative but he was disappointing when well backed for the Al Rashidiya at the Festive Friday fixture a fortnight ago, failing to build on a promising reappearance run in the Bahrain International Trophy. While his trainer has reported that he has improved for that run, the fitting of a first-time tongue-tie hints that connections are still searching for the key to him.

It isnot the strongest running of the race and without much pace on, it could be a muddling affair. There is a chance that In Crowd will try and make it from out wide in stall nine, but it would be a big training performance from Salem bin Ghadayer to get him back to his best after a 17-month absence.

Other potential pace angles include First Constitution, a Group 1 winner on dirt in Chile and third in last year’s Al Maktoum Challenge R3, and he could be a threat if he takes to the turf. On The Warpath is another that made the running on dirt last year, but he was held up back on turf last time.

San Donato was only narrowly beaten in Listed company on return when nearly defying a poor draw at Abu Dhabi. However, he has not fared any better here with stall 13 and the feared slow gallop would not play to his strengths.
Race analysis by Phill Anderson

What they say

Michael Costa, trainer of Marbaan
The original plan was to start over seven furlongs (1400m) a little later in month but when the nominations came up the way they did we entered. He’ll come on from the run, making it a nice starting point.

Saeed bin Suroor, trainer of Real World
He won this contest a couple of years ago and ran two excellent races over a mile in Europe the same season. He has been running over further since, but should appreciate the drop back in trip. It looks as though he has improved for his run in the Al Rashidiya.

Doug Watson, trainer of San Donato
He has drawn 13, 14, 15, 13 and 13 the last five times he’s been declared. It’s a bit tough from out there but it’s a great race for him, albeit Real World is in there and Marbaan. I’m looking forward to seeing how he finishes. Hopefully he can get some nice splits from off the pace.

Jamie Osborne, trainer of Sean
It’s his first run for us so this is a bit of a fact-finding mission. It’s possible he will need further on this track. Barratt Racing is all about taking horses to nice places for the fun of it. We felt Sean was a horse that could compete at Meydan and potentially then move on to Royal Ascot and Goodwood later on this year.
Reporting by David Milnes

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