New Predator stood his first season at stud in 2019, the first son of New Approach at stud in South Africa. He covered 82 mares in his first season, amongst them the likes of African Goshawk – a half-sister to Halve The Deficit from the family of Arabian Lass, and Alinga (Rock Of Gibraltar) – the dam of Gr2 placed Broadway Trip.

Thursday’s third meeting of the 2020 Dubai World Cup Carnival at Meydan Racecourse, which was sponsored by Azizi Developments, was highlighted by the Gr2 $250,000 Cape Verdi, a 1600m turf feature for fillies and mares, as well as the $175,000 Listed Zabeel Turf.

The Cape Verdi was won in thrilling fashion by Godolphin’s blue-blooded Magic Lily, a daughter of classic winners New Approach and Dancing Rain, who produced to lead right on the line by James Doyle for trainer Charlie Appleby.

It was a third win in the race for both trainer and jockey and produced a stakes and track record-setting time of 1:34.84.

Second by a nose was a game Nisreen, who shipped in for Team Valor International from France and was piloted beautifully between by Pierre-Charles Boudot. Beyond Reason, with William Buick up for the winner’s connections, was third, 2½ lengths astern the top pair.

Victorious on her juvenile debut, she was then third in the Gr1 Fillies’ Mile behind Laurens and September, while finishing ahead of Magical. Laurens would go on to win six Group 1s, September finished third in the Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) one race later and Magical became one of the world’s top middle-distance horses. Magic Lily then missed her entire sophomore and most of her 4-year-old season with injury.

She returned with a second in Listed company in France in the autumn before a poor performance last out after a bad barrier draw in Listed Lingfield company.

“I had my head down to ride and didn’t think we’d got up (to win), but she’s tough and very game,” Doyle said. “It didn’t go entirely our way. The plan was to lead or if not be very close, which is what happened. When (Dubai Blue) went by me (on the backstretch), it sort of set her alight. She was over-racing a little bit. She’ll definitely be better going another furlong. We think she’s a nine or ten-furlong filly.” She’s a filly we have always liked, with a lovely pedigree and plenty of ability. Hopefully we can build on this, as she has very few miles on the clock.”

Thursday’s win was the 5-year-old’s second from just five career starts.

“She ran very well,” Boudot said. “The pace was very strong and the way was open just at the turn and she came in really easy. She was very courageous.”

Buick added: “She ran well. She would be better back to seven furlongs.”

-extract sportingpost.co.za

International news related to KZN is that Arrogate, who share sire Unbridled’s Song with Noble Tune, amazed the racing world with an astounding last to first Gr1 Dubai World Cup victory, a win galloped in the same fashion as the way Gr2 & Gr3 winning Noble Tune won his races.

Securing a son of the mighty and sadly deceased Unbridled’s Song in South Africa, Noble Tune who hails from an extraordinary international family will have his first yearlings for sale this year, out of an impressive selection of hand picked mares for his book.

Unbridled’s Song is the current leading American sire and second leading international sire behind Deep Impact, having produced in addition amongst his many stakes winners the grey Liam’s Map – a dual Gr1 winner standing alongside Noble Tune’s half-brother and dual Gr1 winner Honor Code – as well as a champion broodmare sire, where he is currently 5th on America’s national log.

Juddmonte Farms’ Unbridled’s Song colt Arrogate, broke slowly out of the starting gate in the $10 million Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1), got squeezed between two horses early, raced behind a talented field, and still got home first by 2 1/4 lengths.

In winning his third straight “world” title, Arrogate was so dominant that jockey Mike Smith said he geared the gray down at the top of the stretch to avoid taking the lead too early.

After the slow start trainer Bob Baffert said he was hoping Smith would simply take care of the superstar colt. Instead, Arrogate started picking up horses, reached contention, and swept by Gun Runner.

“I missed the break completely,” Smith said. “I said, ‘I’m just going to ride him like Zenyatta. I had no choice but to just sit there and let him collect himself.”

Baffert, who scored his third Dubai World Cup victory, said the terrible break took the wind out of his sails and caused him to question his eleventh-hour decision to bring Arrogate to Dubai after his victories in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park and the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Santa Anita Park.

“I was thinking, ‘Maybe I shouldn’t have brought him. Maybe he’s getting tired.’ … I thought, ‘If he can’t win, Mike will take care of him and not abuse him.'” But as Arrogate worked his way into contention, the Hall of Fame trainer’s mood shifted. “I thought then, ‘If he wins this race, he’s the most incredible horse I’ve ever seen,'” he said.

By that point, Smith had totally regained his confidence. “I actually kind of geared him down a little bit, because I didn’t want him to hit the lead at the quarter pole,” the jockey said. “Whatever happened, it happened for a reason. It might have been a boring race.”

The Dubai World Cup was run over a track officially labeled “muddy” after a torrential rainstorm Saturday morning capped a week of turbulent weather. Despite the off track, significant kickback, and his long trip from California, Arrogate finished the 2,000 meters—about 1 1/4 miles—in 2:02.23. Arrogate got $6 million and Neolithic, who also finished third in the Pegasus, collected $1 million.

Mubtaahij, who came in second behind California Chrome  in last year’s World Cup, finished fourth while a budding Japanese star, Awardee, finished fifth.

The win boosted Arrogate’s career bankroll to $17,084,600, making him the highest-earning North American-based Thoroughbred in history. He eclipsed California Chrome among runners with one start in North America. He ranks third among all earners worldwide behind Orfevre ($19,005,275) and Gentildonna ($18,468,392).

Out of the Distorted Humor mare Bubbler, Arrogate was bred in Kentucky by Clearsky Farms and was a $560,000 Keeneland September yearling sale purchase in 2014.

Baffert and Garrett O’Rourke, racing manager for Juddmonte, said Arrogate will get a long rest now with an effort to repeat in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, which is still the long-range goal for the year. Baffert said he was glad he brought Arrogate to the desert, even beyond the prestige and purse money.

“Everybody who was here tonight is going to say, ‘I’m glad I was here to see that,'” he said. “If anybody wasn’t super impressed with that, they just don’t like horse racing. I still can’t believe he won the race.”

Crusade’s half-sister defeated the bulk of the boys in the Gr1 Dubai Sheema Classic over 2400m to finish second, after coming from the back.

Seventh Heaven, a dual Gr1 Oaks winner who placed in the Breeders Cup, added another Gr1 place to her list and ran courageously to finish behind Jack Hobbs. In the process she defeated Highland Reel and Postponed.

Crusade has a number of yearlings available at Nationals, including a sibling to Gr1 Gold Cup winner, Wild One, and to Matador Man. His imposing son Calladdi finished second yesterday at Scottsville for the second time from both his starts for Greenstreet Bloodstock.

– extract bloodhorse.com