Arabian Light stamped himself as a horse to watch after claiming victory in the Lord Glitters Handicap (sponsored by Azizi Developments) at Meydan. Trained by Charlie Appleby, the talented four-year-old rebounded from an unlucky third-place finish in the Lord North Handicap to deliver a commanding performance.

Ridden by William Buick, Arabian Light overcame a slow start and some early interference before charging to the lead in the final 400 meters. He held off the determined Sean, who ran a spirited race in second, to win by half a length.

“He was a bit slow away, but I managed to get in behind the leaders, and he had a smooth run,” said Buick. “He maybe got a little lonely in front late on, but he’s still learning, and there’s plenty more to come from him.”

Godolphin Cleans Up in Feature Races

Godolphin secured a clean sweep of the evening’s three feature races, starting with Symbol Of Honour’s impressive victory in the Dubai Trophy (sponsored by Azizi Developments) over 1200 meters. The Charlie Appleby-trained grey was a short-priced favorite to follow up his Al Wasl Stakes success over the same course and distance, and he didn’t disappoint.

Buick took his time settling Symbol Of Honour into stride before smoothly moving up to challenge Dark Saffron. Once asked to quicken, he proved a class above, stretching clear to win by a length and three-quarters.

“The form of his last win, where he beat a subsequent Group 2 winner, worked out well,” said Buick. “I was really pleased with him today—he’s professional and does his job well. I think he’ll stay 1400 meters without a problem.”

On a night that saw the racing world mourn the passing of The Aga Khan, it was fitting that the Vazirabad Handicap (sponsored by Azizi Developments) was named after his legendary three-time Dubai Gold Cup winner.

The race itself provided the third leg of Appleby’s treble, this time with Mickael Barzalona guiding Royal Power to a hard-fought win over stablemate El Cordobes.

“William [Buick] told me the horse had improved since his last run, and I was able to get him in a good position,” said Barzalona. “Once I got him into the clear, he really fought hard to get to the line first.”

Pinheiro Delivers a Masterclass in Opener

The Azizi Venice Handicap over 1600 meters saw a perfectly judged ride from Bernardo Pinheiro, who steered Folk Festival to a thrilling victory.

Trained by Salem Bin Ghadayer, the four-year-old had already beaten No Retreat three weeks earlier at Abu Dhabi, and history repeated itself here. No Retreat, under Adrie De Vries, looked set for victory after hitting the front in the final 200 meters, but Folk Festival produced a storming late charge from the back of the field to win by half a length.

“I know exactly what I have underneath me,” said Pinheiro. “I really like this horse, even though he only started racing here 15 days ago. Three weeks ago, I rode him more prominently, but today, from barrier 15, I had to be patient. He was absolutely flying at the end.”

De Vries didn’t leave the meeting empty-handed, though, as he later guided Moon Blade to victory in the Azizi Mina Conditions race for three-year-olds.

Having finished last on debut at Jebel Ali over 1200 meters, the Central Banker colt relished the step up to 1600 meters this time. Sitting off the pace early, Moon Blade made his move off the home turn, reeling in the leading pair of Poet Orten and Galactic Star before surging clear to win by a length.

“We always thought highly of him, and he’s been working well,” said De Vries. “His Jebel Ali run was too short for him, but he’s progressed nicely, and I think he’ll easily stay 2000 meters.”

Power Mode Dominates the Sprint

The standout performance of the night came from Power Mode, who was simply too good for his rivals in the Azizi Riviera Handicap over 1200 meters on turf.

Previously a winner on a straight track in Ireland for trainer Danny Murphy, the four-year-old had a luckless local debut at Abu Dhabi. However, this time, under Tadhg O’Shea, he was electric from the start. Seizing the lead early, he kicked clear at the 400-meter mark, leaving the rest struggling to keep up as he stormed to a three-length victory over stablemate Jungle Mac.

“At Abu Dhabi, I got absolutely no run,” explained O’Shea. “I was stuck on the inside and tried for two gaps, and both closed on me. But he’s been training really well, and today he flew out of the gates. Once I got him rolling, he did the rest.”

Trainer Musabbeh Al Mheiri also got on the scoreboard when Elyabri claimed the Burj Azizi Handicap over 2000 meters on dirt.

Ridden by Richie Mullen, the four-year-old picked up his second win of the season, producing a well-timed challenge in the straight to outbattle Book Review by a length.

“The team was confident, and they told me if I could get him down the inside, he’d love it,” said Mullen. “He hit a flat spot midway, but once I got him into the clear, he responded really well. The second horse fought back, but he dug deep and showed his class.”

Sand Storm Blows Through in the Desert

Trainer Ernst Oertel has always held Sand Storm AA in high regard since acquiring her from France, and the mare showed plenty of heart to win the Azizi Wasl contest for Purebred Arabians.

Ridden by O’Shea, the five-year-old raced prominently throughout the 1600-meter event before digging deep in the straight to fend off Saafeer by a length.

“She works brilliantly at home, and we always expected her to win more races,” said O’Shea. “Arabians are different—you have to keep them moving because if you stop and ask again, they might not respond. But she was full of running at the end and deserved this win. It’s great for her new owners [Joe and Betty Gillis] to have their first Meydan winner.”

Next Stop: Valentine’s Day Racing at Meydan

Meydan’s action continues next Friday, February 14, with an eight-race card featuring more top-class racing under the lights.