Carnival – Super Saturday Review

Super Saturday provided a phenomenal appetizer to the big night looming on March 29, the $27 million Dubai World Cup meeting. Let’s take a look back at some of the key data from the main preps for the world’s richest night of racing. Prince Bishop Saves All

It was Prince Bishop doing it again. After winning the Maktoum Challenge Round 2 (G2), he came back with some different tactics, took the third round, and took full advantage of his inside draw. That marks the second consecutive season in which the final two rounds of the Maktoum Challenge were taken by the same horse. Still, it won’t take much work to find a reason to potentially oppose Prince Bishop on the big night when the data is revealed from the race.

Under , Prince Bishop covered the shortest trip, and averaged the second-slowest average speed for the first ten finishers of the race. On the other hand, widely drawn Sanshaawes and Surfer both covered loads of added ground. Specifically, the horses drawn 13 and 14, respectively, covered 22 meters more than Prince Bishop, a distance that represents approximately 8 ½ lengths of added ground. Both horses averaged 58.9 KPH during the course of the race, running 0.6 KPH faster than Prince Bishop when their speeds throughout the race were calculated. Fifth-placer Educate ran well going 10m more than the winner, while Side Glance and both covered extra ground as well, and their average speeds exceeded that of the winner.

8 Mar 2014 - Maktoum Challenge R3 - Meydan - 2,000m - Tapeta

Finish Horse Fin 400 Fin 200 Mtr. Trav Avg KPH 1st Prince Bishop 23.23 12.00 2014 58.3 2nd Sanshaawes 23.49 12.12 22 58.9 3rd Surfer 23.83 12.29 22 58.9 4th Cat O'Mountain 23.11 11.91 1 58.2 5th Educate 23.75 12.29 10 58.6 6th Joshua Tree 23.89 12.38 1 58.2 7th Side Glance 23.57 12.14 16 58.6 8th African Story 23.43 12.06 13 58.5 9th Limario 24.15 12.58 12 58.4 10th Zambucca 23.86 12.29 13 58.4 11th Ottoman Empire 23.77 12.35 4 58.1 12th Elleval 23.66 12.29 5 58.0 13th Alexandra Palace 24.29 12.61 18 58.2 14th Mutajare 25.94 13.79 2 57.3

Asmar’s Al Bastakiya

Only a maiden, it was Asmar taking the Al Bastakiya by storm, winning by an impressive six lengths. While he is likely to run back in the UAE Derby, the son of Cape Cross did get a brilliant ride from Richard Hughes, surely aiding his performance. Second-placer Emirates Flyer covered 11 meters more than Asmar, but that gap was not more than his margin of defeat. What was the trick for Asmar?

The first 400 meters of this year’s Al Bastakiya were clocked in 27.99 seconds, the pace set by Chord Chart . Par time for the first 400 in Carnival races over this trip is 26.94 seconds. Sensing the slow pace, Hughes put Asmar out in the clear and sent him forward, running a 24.50- second, second 400-meter split, the fastest in the field by a 0.21 seconds. Hughes pushed the button into the pace at the right time and no one else had a chance when pushed to the task, a ride reminiscent of Mirco Demuro’s masterpiece in the 2011 Dubai World Cup. Rich Tapestry Lands Riches

It was a Hong Kong winner in the Mahab Al Shimaal, the local prep for the Dubai Golden Shaheen, as Rich Tapestry remained unbeaten in races run off grass. The pace, though, was surely to his advantage, as the opening 800 meters, set by Reynaldothewizard in 48.40, was seventh slowest from more than 60 races at the trip. Needless to say, closers need not apply considering the early zip. Below, take note of the history of the race at Meydan, including the 800-meter times and where the horses that set those fractions finished.

Mahab Al Shimaal @ Meydan Year 800m split Finished 2014 48.40 2nd 2013 47.56 5th 2012 46.90 5th 2011 48.08 2nd 2010 47.82 11th Jamesie and Balmont Mast , fourth and fifth respectively, were 13 th and 12 th after the first 800 meters. Jamesie managed the fastest final 400-meter split in 22.82 seconds, while winner Rich Tapestry and Balmont Mast were tied with the second-quickest in 23.00. Jamesie’s final 400 meters was clocked in 11.65 seconds (fastest in the race by 0.21s), and 0.29 faster than Rich Tapestry. Turf Trips

The first three home in the Dubai City of Gold had solid ground-saving efforts, while fourth placer Meandre was unlucky with the draw, starting from gate 15. He covered 14 meters more than the first three home, who all managed the same trip distance. Jebel Hatta fourth Trade Storm went eight meters more than winner Vercingetorix , who covered the shortest trip in that race.