Five to follow in Dubai & Britain in 2025

While Saeed bin Suroor endured a torrid Carnival last season, Godolphin counterpart Charlie Appleby enjoyed a phenomenal strike rate on the turf, recording more success on the grass than Mo Salah and Erling Haaland combined. In Al Qudra, Appleby could have a lively candidate for top-level Group race success this winter.

The No Nay Never colt was campaigned aggressively as a juvenile, running three times prior to finishing a tidy fifth in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, beaten just a length, and he doubled his winner tally in Listed company at Ascot before heading to Canada and the US respectively to tackle G1 assignments over the mile. Those proved a little beyond him, but it will be a major surprise if he isn’t placed to regain the winning thread.

As a veteran of the Dubai scene, Jamie Osborne has targeted the Carnival for some time now. There were emotional scenes when the savvy Lambourn handler provided daughter Saffie with a first Meydan winner (and a first at the track for a female rider) aboard the mercurial Ouzo.

In order to try and repeat the victory, Osborne went to 75,000gns at the Newmarket Horses In Training Sale to secure Jungle Drums, who won for the third time in a five-start career with Karl Burke at York earlier that month. Well regarded by previous connections, he appears another well bought by Osborne, who boasts a history of sourcing new talent for the Middle East with forensic skill and care.

Lucie Botti enjoyed her first successes at the Carnival with this son of Seahenge who swiftly made up for a narrow defeat on his Dubai debut to land two handicaps at Meydan post Christmas. Those victories, both showcasing a smart turn of foot, sandwiched a creditable display in the Group 2 Singspiel Stakes where the four-year-old ran on late to take fifth, six lengths in arrears of impressive two-length scorer Naval Power.

For a horse rated just 98, it was a sign that Royal Dubai was still improving at a good rate and he endorsed that theory under a strong Ben Coen drive in a mile handicap on the final night of the Carnival.

Those two Middle East successes look to have encouraged his trainer to return with a stronger team this time round and the data suggests Royal Dubai improved a stone for his time in Dubai prior to posting two excellent performances back in the UK in both the G3 Diomed Stakes and when an honourable fourth in the G2 Summer Mile at Ascot. His comeback in the G2 Al Rashidiya behind track record breaker Measured Time was another fine effort.

With 25 winners at last year’s Carnival, Charlie Appleby was well rewarded for sending a strong representation to Dubai. It is likely to be more of the same again this season with a team in excess of 30 despatched from the UK and Verse Of Love appears one of the more fascinating travellers.

With one run and one win over seven furlongs on Newmarket’s Rowley Mile (pictured), the daughter of Siyouni is rather obviously filed in the ‘could be anything’ category, especially as her defeat of stablemate Wild Angel was achieved in a smart time by five lengths in impressive fashion. She looked in need of the education that day, but looks sure to benefit in the same way her stablemate Cinderella’s Dream did last winter.

With just three starts, all on a synthetic surface, West Acre looks to have huge potential to prove a force within the sprinting ranks this winter and beyond. His handler has enjoyed his trips to the Middle East in recent seasons, primarily in Bahrain, but he looks likely to have a quartet of horses stationed in Dubai this winter and this son of Mehmas appears to have the quality and attitude required to make his presence felt.

A near all-the-way win at Southwell in October over the minimum trip was achieved in a very smart time and, although beaten over six furlongs at Kempton Park, the way Meydan rides should suit an enthusiastic, forward-going speedster like West Acre.