Satu returns after 21 months to renew high hopes in Abu Dhabi

The Argentinian star, record-breaking winner of the Gran Premio Joaquín S. de Anchorena (G1), makes his long-awaited comeback this Thursday over 1400 meters on the turf under Samuel Legrix, sporting the colors of Stud Las Monjitas. Antonio Cintra and Julio Olascoaga will also send out three other runners on the card

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (Special for Turf Diario).— Nearly 21 months have passed since Satu last loaded into a starting gate. Recurring physical setbacks originating from his time in Argentina prolonged an extended absence that finally comes to an end this Thursday at Abu Dhabi Turf Club. There, the brilliant son of Catcher In The Ryewill look to reclaim center stage in The Maritime Pearl Sprint, the seventh race on the program.

The handicap condition features a field of 13 runners with rating bands ranging from 80 to 105 over 1400 meters on the turf course. Satu, who holds an official rating of 95, will carry 57 kilos under apprentice jockey Samuel Legrix from post 6. Post time is scheduled for 8:00 PM local time (1:00 PM Argentina time), with a total purse of 66,000 dirhams on offer.

Bred by Haras Abolengo and racing in the iconic silks of Stud Las Monjitas, the bay colt brings a pedigree of talent that fuels high expectations. In December 2022, after only three lifetime starts, he capped an unbeaten early campaign by capturing the Gran Premio Joaquín S. de Anchorena (G1) at San Isidro under Eduardo Ortega Pavón for trainer Nicolás Martín Ferro. That afternoon, he stopped the clock in 1:30.90 for the mile, setting a track record that remains etched in the record books of Argentine turf racing.

Finding consistency, however, proved a challenge thereafter. In December 2024, he made his Middle Eastern debut at Meydan with a superb fourth-place finish, beaten just 1 1/4 lengths by Native Approach (Too Darn Hot) in the Business Bay Challenge (L) over Thursday's 1400-meter trip. He set the pace from the break and yielded only in the final strides, a performance that pointed toward a promising campaign abroad.

Subsequent starts yielded a pair of eighth-place finishes: first in the Al Fahidi Fort (G2) on the Meydan turf, and most recently on February 15, 2025, in a handicap event on the Jebel Ali dirt track. He has been sidelined ever since, making Thursday's outing a long-awaited comeback attempt.

The joint training operation of Antonio Cintra and Julio Olascoaga will launch a four-pronged attack in the contest.Alongside Satu, they will send out Faattik (Bated Breath), Hallasan (Pinatubo), and Vercors (Invincible Spirit).The field shapes up as a stern test, topped by highweight New Century (Kameko), who rates 105 and carries top weight of 62 kilos. It represents a formidable reappearance assignment for the Argentine Group 1 winner, though his raw class remains undeniable.

The timing of his return coincides with a surging run of form for the South American partnership. Cintra and Olascoaga have already tallied three victories during the current UAE meeting, crowned by a memorable win last Friday at Meydan where Nam Phrik (Hofburg) toted a heavy assignment of 64.5 kilos to victory in the Las Monjitassilks.

For Satu, the primary objective remains getting back into competitive action and proving that his extended layoff has not dimmed the brilliant speed that made him one of the most explosive milers of his generation. Whatever the outcome at the wire, simply seeing him return to the races is welcome news.