Dubai: Catching up with the Carnival highlights

It might be Lent, but it's still Carnival time in Dubai, which is now available for watching and wagering at TwinSpires.

In honor of that welcome development, let's catch up with the highlights of the Carnival so far. Since my after-action report on the January 8 opener in this space, I've kept the home fires burning over at Brisnet.com, so will link to my stories and analysis posted there. By going methodically in chronological order, we'll see the progression building up to "Super Saturday" March 7 and Dubai World Cup night March 28.

The January 15 Carnival program featured the pair of U.A.E. Guineas trials, with the Mike de Kock-trained Mubtaahij motoring to a track record in the Two Thousand Guineas warm-up, and Godolphin's Local Time getting up in workmanlike fashion among the fillies in the One Thousand Guineas prep. Ageless sprinter Reynaldothewizard made a winning nine-year-old debut in the Dubawi S. All the day's winners are mentioned in the recap, while my selective take on the events is in the following feature, "A Tale of Two Guineas Trials."

The January 22 card witnessed a turf course record by Godolphin's Safety Check in the Al Fahidi Fort (UAE-G2). The supporting races served up two hot prospects in de Kock's Umgiyo on turf and the progressive Tamarkuz on dirt. Click here for the full recap of the evening and my opinion-laden feature, "A Cautious Approach to Safety Check."

A pair of Group 2 turf events made for a memorable January 29. The mighty Vercingetorix (pictured) looked better than ever in his reappearance for de Kock in the Al Rashidiya (UAE-G2), a stepping stone to the Dubai Turf (formerly Duty Free) (UAE-G1), in which he finished best of the rest behind Just a Way last year. Alain de Royer-Dupre unleashed the up-and-coming Cladocera in the Cape Verdi (UAE-G2) for turf distaffers. On the undercard, Godolphin's classy veteran Hunter's Light scoffed at top weight off a layoff in a turf handicap, and Ahtoug signaled his well-being ahead of the Al Quoz Sprint (UAE-G1), in which he just missed last year.

Read all about it in the January 29 recap and ensuing feature ("Vercingetorix a winner twice over"), and watch Vercingetorix exude his class:

 

On February 5, Frankiefourfingers improved on his runner-up effort in Round 1 of the Maktoum Challenge (UAE-G2) to take Round 2 (UAE-G2), a prep for the Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1), in record time on the Meydan dirt. Local Time likewise moved forward off her trial win to dominate the U.A.E. One Thousand Guineas, and de Kock's Mastermind wired the Meydan Classic Trial on turf.

Here are the links to the February 5 recap and analytical feature ("World Cup looks ripe for plundering"), and watch Local Time stamp her class: