Rebel's Romance and Heart of Honor are the stars of Super Saturday at Meydan

The meeting, which serves as the final trial for the Dubai World Cup night on March 28, will feature a high-voltage program

The globetrotting superstar of Godolphin, a nine-time G1 winner and earner of over US$ 15 million / DRC

DUBAI, Emiratos Árabes Unidos (Special for Turf Diario).- The curtain of the great international events continues to rise with overwhelming force, and the Meydan venue is preparing to experience one of those days that define destinies. After the Pegasus World Cup (G1) and the Saudi Cup (G1), it is now the Super Saturday in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, which takes the lead as the official and decisive prelude to the Dubai World Cup (G1), presenting a card of 9 competitions where glory is not the only prize: the direct passport to the most spectacular night in world turf is at stake.

Among the figures that capture the attention, the tireless Rebel’s Romance (Dubawi) stands as the most prominent name. With 9 G1 victories on his résumé, the Godolphin defender returns to the stage where he once reigned, seeking to revalidate his dominance in the Dubai City of Gold (G2). After a meritorious second place in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) in November, Charlie Appleby’s pupil faces 7 rivals over 2,410 meters on the turf, a distance he knows perfectly.

“Rebel’s Romance returns to Dubai in great shape,” commented his trainer. “He is 8 years old, but his performance last season cannot be questioned; he seems to have maintained all his enthusiasm during the winter. I hope he can show us once again what he is capable of and that everyone can appreciate what a great racehorse he is.”

In his path, an emerging threat appears: Fort George. The son of Territories trained by Ed Walker arrives after winning the Dubai Millennium Stakes (G3) over 2,000 meters and now stretches his lungs to the mile and a half. According to Walker, the decision to face the giant of the blue house was not difficult: “Obviously, Rebel’s Romanceis going to be a problem, but if you take him out, the race looks very open. We didn't want to run scared of just one horse; we are very happy with Fort George and his weight is ideal.”

The tension increases when it comes to the dirt, where the Al Maktoum Classic (G2) offers a direct ticket to the Dubai World Cup. In a list of 10 aspirants, Heart Of Honor (Honor A.P.) appears as a tough contender after his third place in the Maktoum Challenge (G1). Trainer Jamie Osborne, who entrusts the reins to his daughter Saffie Osborne, believes that the return to 2,000 meters will be the key to success: “It is a fundamental race for us. The draw of post one slightly restricts Saffie’s options, but she is an expert at improvising.”

For his part, trainer Bhupat Seemar is not far behind and puts a fearsome duo on the track: Mendelssohn Bay(Mendelssohn) and Walk Of Stars (Dubawi), as Killer Collect (Collect), who was also confirmed, will not be part of the race. Mendelssohn Bay is coming off a standout performance in the Firebreak Stakes (G3), while Walk of Starsfailed in the aforementioned Maktoum Challenge, although he is expected to take a step forward.

The route to the Dubai Turf (G1) is also defined this Saturday in the Singspiel Stakes (G2-1,800 m, turf). There, the talented Alakazi (Footstepsinthesand), under the tutelage of Johnny Murtagh, makes his presentation after a distinguished run through Ascot. The defender of the prestigious Aga Khan Studs stable gained 7 kilos since his arrival in Dubai, a sign of excellent acclimatization. “The plan was always Super Saturday to then have a month before the World Cup,” explained Murtagh.

In the same gate, the French Tumbler (Kingman) will seek revenge after a false step in Abu Dhabi, trusting that the regular rhythm of Meydan will play in his favor. Meanwhile, Michael Costa and Simon and Ed Crisford play two important cards with Maljoom (Caravaggio) and Quddwah (Kingman), respectively, both from Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.