The Arima Race Club (ARC) will break new ground on Glorious Saturday (March 30) when it stages a race day on a highly significant religious day. In all prior years of joy, gloom and doom the Easter race day took place on Easter Monday after the religious celebrations had been completed.
While the day is not a day revered in the mould of a Christmas Day or any other religious feast day, it remains surprising that the ARC would decide to host its Easter race day on Saturday rather than the Monday.
Interestingly, the Club argues that Saturday is a major race day in other jurisdictions with both the Dubai Festival of Racing at Meydan and the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park being contested on that day. Their arguments have some validity though it remains uncertain how much turnover the Club’s hosting of its simulcast racing generates given its closure of all its off-track betting shops.
As strange as the decision is, the races must go on and the third day of the 2024 racing season will take place with the feature event being the Champagne Stakes over 1,600 metres on the turf track for the top class horses.
Six horses are expected to face the starter with the John O’Brien stable fielding four of the six runners including turf specialists Princess Aruna and Super Bird.
The best horse currently in the country, Hello World, also comes from that stable and while on the main track, he would be a near certainty, his inexperience on the turf track may prove his undoing. He is five from seven on the main track but has not yet raced on the turf. If he takes to the turf, he wins. His main rival, In The Headlines, also from the same stable, has winning form on the turf and could be closer to her arch-rival if she is better suited for the surface.
Of the non-O’Brien horses, both have winning form on the turf but either over a lower class (Leonardo Angel) or a shorter distance (Marvel Vigor). A race run on a firm turf surface is certain to be an interesting one with any of the six contenders being potential winners on a good day. Although the field is small, the race should be competitive.
The Florida Derby 2024 runs off on Glorious Saturday also and 10 horses are slated to contest one of the premier Kentucky Derby trials with three horses standing out among the field of ten. 2023 Breeders Cup Juvenile winner, Fierceness, is expected to head the betting after his comeback third-place finish in the Holy Bull Stakes. The upset winner that day, Hades, also takes his chance and it is a bit of a toss-up as to which horse will come out on top this year.
Fierceness’ disappointing effort in the Holy Bull could be indicative of him not training on sufficiently well in 2024 and he would not be the first Todd Pletcher-trained champion juvenile to not train on the following year. The Holy Bull winner, Hades, is undefeated in three starts and if he continues his progress, he could be a serious contender for the Kentucky Derby on May 4.
The wise guy horse in the event is the unexposed Conquest Warrior trained by Hall of Famer, Shug McGaughey. This colt has only faced the starter on three occasions following up a third-place finish on his debut with two impressive wins but against a lower calibre of competition. In the hope that an improving colt can prove too good for established runners, Conquest Warrior is the selection.
In Dubai, Dubai World Cup day promises to provide top class racing with competitors from the US, Dubai, Ireland, UK and Japan. The first major race which is the Godolphin Mile is likely to be between last year’s winner Isolate and the US’s Saudi Crown who was third in the Saudi Cup. Saudi Crown should be hard to beat. The Dubai Gold Cup is the target of Aidan O’Brien’s Tower of London and he should be tough to beat. The Al Quoz Sprint should be very competitive with Star of Mystery and Frosted Dawn appearing to be the main contenders with preference just for the former. The UAE Derby should go the way of Japan via its Saudi Derby winner, Forever Young. The Dubai Turf promises to be a fascinating contest with the likes of Measured Time, three-time winner Lord North and the top filly, Nashwa. The filly Nashwa can upstage her more celebrated stable companion.
The Sheema Classic should go the way of 2023 Epsom Derby and Breeders Cup winner, Auguste Rodin, though he is likely to face a severe test from 2023 Coronation Cup winner Emily Upjohn. The Dubai World Cup could see the Japanese repeating their 2023 win with either Ushba Tesoro or Derma Sotagake. While the latter was fifth to Ushba’s second in the Saudi Cup, he could turn the tables in Dubai, a track he clearly prefers to Riyadh.
Top class racing takes place across the globe on Glorious Saturday. Good luck and a Joyous Easter to all and may all be safe.