Tag Archive for: Rebel’s Romance

Rebel’s Romance repeats Trophy triumph in Qatar

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Rebel’s Romance shone once again when defending his title in the rescheduled and relocated H H The Amir Trophy.

The Group Three was won by the seven-year-old last season, after which he went from strength to strength when collecting a string of further successes all over the world.

His season ended with a Breeders’ Cup Turf title at Del Mar in November and following a break, he returned to Qatar to take aim at the Amir Trophy again.

The race was due to be held at Doha on Saturday, but the meeting was called off after two horses came down in the first race and the track was deemed unsafe.

The card was moved to Al Uqda and the remainder of the races were scheduled for Sunday, with the main event the Amir Trophy and its prize fund of over £1million to the winner.

Rebel’s Romance was ridden by William Buick for Charlie Appleby and owners Godolphin, and ran a characteristically solid race to come home a length ahead of Andrew Balding’s The Foxes as fellow British contenders King’s Gambit finished fourth and Alflaila came home fifth.

Charlie Appleby told www.godolphin.com: “We are very thankful to everyone at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club for getting the races run. It has been a challenging weekend, and they have done a fantastic job in a very short space of time.

“Rebel’s Romance is the ultimate warhorse, who doesn’t know how to lie down. He has gone out there with his heart on his sleeve and put up another great performance. William knows the horse inside out and has ridden him with a lot of confidence again.

“I am delighted for the whole team and especially His Highness Sheikh Mohammed, who continually supports us in letting us make the decisions that we feel are right. Thankfully, he is reaping the rewards and, when you have a horse like Rebel’s Romance, it makes the job a lot easier.

“We will ship Rebel’s Romance back to Newmarket and plot the same route that we took last year, giving him a little break in preparation for the Dubai Sheema Classic. It’s one race at a time with him these days, and we will enjoy every moment.”

The same trio of owner, trainer and jockey also enjoyed success on the card with Al Qudra, who landed the Al Rayyan Mile, although the victory was marred by a fatal injury to their second runner, Age Of Gold.

Appleby added: “Al Qudra improved for his first run of the season at Meydan and we came to Qatar with confidence. He is a tough little horse and we could look at something like the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot, although we will get him back home and give him a well-deserved rest before making plans.

“Unfortunately, Age Of Gold sustained a fatal injury in the race and my thoughts go to everyone involved with the horse.”

The Dukhan Sprint was the other highlight on the card, with victory claimed by the Tom Clover-trained Rogue Lightning, with fellow British raiders Washington Heights and Quinault filling the places.



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Rebel’s Romance is Turf king again for Appleby and Buick

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Rebel’s Romance produced a tremendous display at Del Mar to win the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf for a second time.

Charlie Appleby’s globetrotting star won this prize two years ago, but whereas James Doyle was in the saddle at Keeneland, it was William Buick who got his moment aboard the big-race favourite this time around in California.

Buick made a key early move to take Rebel’s Romance up with the pace, sitting hot on the heels of the leader Cabo Spirit.

Rounding the turn for home Buick asked his mount for maximum effort as he left his rivals flat-footed in the charge for the line before then holding on gamely as Japanese contender Rousham Park finished full of running, having been at the rear alongside Emily Upjohn through the early stages.

It was an 11th Breeders’ Cup win for Appleby who once again showed his prowess at this meeting, although there was to be no dream reunion for John Gosden and Frankie Dettori as the well-fancied Emily Upjohn failed to figure.

But much of the gloss was taken off the race with the death of Brian Meehan’s Royal Ascot winner Jayarebe, who collapsed on the track after crossing the line, suffering what veterinary officials said was believed to be a “cardiac event”.

AAEP on-call veterinarian Dr Al Ruggles told NBC Sports: “We offer our condolences obviously to all the connections. It’s suspected to be a cardiac event, they are unusual but can occur. If in fact that is it, post-mortems don’t help answer that question generally and they are almost impossible to predict. In a horse that is training well you wouldn’t know it.”

Of the globetrotting Rebel’s Romance, Appleby said: “First and foremost he’s very much a yard favourite and he’s built up this worldwide fanbase, most notable when he went to Hong Kong when everybody knew him.

William Buick celebrates aboard Rebel's Romance
William Buick celebrates aboard Rebel’s Romance (PA)

“Throughout the race I was pleased with where he was and pleased he made the move when he did. He’s a superstar, he really is. When you watch him run, you really feel it – you want him to win.

“To be campaigned at that level for the time he has takes a lot of guts.”

He went on: “He (Buick) was pretty confident we had got the job done, but he was idling because we’d been out there for so long.

“This fella owes us nothing. Obviously we would like to take him back to Dubai for the Sheema Classic, he’s a real star and draws all the media attention.

“With a horse like him he takes the pressure off you. When you roll a horse like him out you know you are going to get everything from him.

Like any athlete it takes a good one to knock him off his peg

“We planned to come back for the Turf last year, but he’d lost all of his mojo.

“We had to build him back up. Like any athlete it takes a good one to knock him off his peg.”

Emily Upjohn could never get in a blow under Frankie Dettori, finding little racing room, and John Gosden, who trains alongside his son, Thady, confirmed she had run her last race.

He said: “She hasn’t had a hard race, but that’s it now, she’s going into retirement.”



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Buick lauds ‘international superstar’ Rebel’s Romance

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Rebel’s Romance showed plenty of spirit to regain the prestigious Preis von Europa trophy in Cologne.

Having settled his mount in fourth place early on, William Buick made a forward move on the turn for home and took over from Jessica Harrington’s front-runner Trevaunance two furlongs out.

Charlie Appleby’s charge quickly asserted his authority over most of the six-runner field but German outsider Straight followed him through and looked a big danger entering the closing stages.

However, Rebel’s Romance, who also prevailed here in 2022, dug deep to hold that rival at bay and battled to a neck victory in the Group One mile-and-a-half contest.

It was a 14th success in 21 starts for the Godolphin homebred, who had already struck at elite level this year in the Dubai Sheema Classic and Hong Kong’s Champions & Chater Cup.

Buick told German broadcaster
-+Wett Star: “It’s great to be back on Rebel’s Romance winning this race for the second time.

“He’s a real international superstar and today he showed what a tough horse he is.

“When we come to Germany, we always respect the local horses, it’s never easy, but I thought everything today went very well for him. The track was in good condition and we’re all very happy.

“The pace was pretty slow and he’s a horse who gets in his comfort zone; he would have been better off a stronger pace, but he’s a high-class horse and he knows how to win.

“He always finds enough, he always finds a way and he’s an admirable horse. He’s a great horse.”



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Buick relishing Rebel’s Romance going for King George gold

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William Buick is backing the globetrotting Rebel’s Romance run a big race in his bid to further an “already glittering” CV in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes at Ascot on Saturday.

Charlie Appleby’s six-year-old has won 13 of his 19 career starts, a record which includes victories in no less than six different countries.

In 2022 he enjoyed back-to-back Group One triumphs in Germany before taking out the Breeders’ Cup Turf in America, while 2024 has already yielded big-race wins in Qatar, Dubai and Hong Kong.

Rebel’s Romance is five from five in Britain, and while he has plenty on his plate on what will be his first start on domestic turf in almost exactly two years, Buick is expecting a bold showing.

“He’s been a top horse from when he was a three-year-old,” he told Sky Sports Racing.

“Obviously he’s had an extraordinary year so far this year, but it’s easy to forget that he is a Breeders’ Cup Turf winner. That was a couple of years ago, but he’s a very good horse and at the age of six he’s arguably better than ever.

“Charlie and the team have done a fantastic job with him. Charlie was very clear in his campaign this winter – he found a very good opportunity for him at Kempton, where he had a nice confidence booster, he really made the most of that and took his travelling really well.

“He started off in Qatar, then to Dubai and then to Hong Kong. I saw him when he got back from Hong Kong and he looked even better than when he went there, so he’s taken it really well and I’m just thrilled that he’s being given his chance in this country now.”

Coral reported support for both Rebel’s Romance and Ralph Beckett’s Bluestocking on Tuesday afternoon, trimming both from 7-2 from 4-1 behind their 5-4 favourite Auguste Rodin.

The latter disappointed behind Rebel’s Romance in the Dubai Sheema Classic earlier in the year, but showed his true colours in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot last month and Buick is intrigued to see how his mount fares against him back in the UK.

He added: “He’s a little bit hard to measure up against some of the horses here. He’s actually unbeaten in this country, but he’s never raced at Group One level, so it is a little bit hard to measure him up.

“If you go off the form of his Sheema Classic win, that’s absolutely out of the top drawer. Obviously Auguste Rodin didn’t perform to his best that day and we’ve seen a much better horse since.

“I think it’s fascinating and it’s a race he certainly deserves to take his chance in. It would be lovely to add to his already glittering CV.”

Rebel's Romance after his victory in the Breeders' Cup Turf
Rebel’s Romance after his victory in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (PA)

Buick continued: “The King George is a midsummer highlight. The Derby winner always used to turn up, as obviously Adayar did, and the three-year-olds are always the main dangers in the King George as the weight allowance probably sways in their favour if they are of that calibre.

“Sunway is obviously a three-year-old and is going to get a lot of weight so it’s going to be interesting, but it’s a good King George, as you would always expect it to be.

“He wouldn’t want soft ground – he’s a top of the ground horse and a good mover, so if the forecast stays as it’s supposed to do I think that should suit everybody.

“Don’t forget he’s a UAE Derby winner on dirt as a three-year-old, so he’s a pretty versatile horse.”



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Appleby breaks Hong Kong duck with Rebel’s Romance

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Rebel’s Romance provided Charlie Appleby with a first winner in Hong Kong when claiming the Group One Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup at Sha Tin.

The globetrotting six-year-old had previously prevailed in England, the UAE, Germany, America and Qatar, most recently landing the Dubai Sheema Classic.

This was his fifth triumph at elite level and a 13th career victory overall from 19 starts.

Racing over a mile and a half, William Buick settled odds-on favourite Rebel’s Romance in second place behind Moments In time but made a forward move on the turn for home and forged ahead with 300 metres left to run.

The result was never in doubt from there on and the son of Dubawi finished two lengths clear of late-surging runner-up Five G Patch.

Blue Point was Appleby’s only previous runner in Hong Kong when finishing last in the 2018 Chairman’s Sprint Prize.

Charlie Appleby at Chester
Charlie Appleby at Chester (Mike Egerton/PA)

“I’m delighted and firstly I’d like to thank the Hong Kong Jockey Club for all their help and support since we’ve been here,” said the Moulton Paddocks handler.

“I’m delighted for His Highness Sheikh Mohammed and Team Godolphin. It’s always been on our bucket list to try and win a race in Hong Kong and I’m just delighted we had the right horse.

“He managed to win the UAE Derby as a three-year-old, but he’s a big frame of a horse and unfortunately he went very weak.

“Since he’s been back on turf, we’ve not looked back. He obviously had a bit of a chequered year last year, in our preparation for the Sword Dancer he had a little mishap (unseated rider) and it just took him a while to get his confidence back.

“He’s a gelded son of Dubawi and loves his travels. He’s a professional now and prefers being on a plane rather than in his stable!”



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Appleby building up transatlantic satellite squad

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Charlie Appleby expects to have around 12 horses based in America throughout the summer, with Sheema Classic winner Rebel’s Romance among them.

Appleby, who has enjoyed great success in recent years with his forays to North America, is making a more permanent base for his team by setting up a satellite yard.

Along with Rebel’s Romance, who may go via Hong Kong, the likes of Nations Pride and Master Of The Seas, a recent Grade One winner out there, are also to be campaigned overseas.

“There are seven horses there in Keeneland at present and we’re shipping over two more next week,” said Appleby.

Nations Pride will be campaigned in America
Nations Pride will be campaigned in America (David Davies/PA)

“Legend Of Time goes over there along with Nations Pride and then Measured Time will head over there as well and they’re going over in stages really.

“Basically, they are in Keeneland, we’ll have a few runners (Kentucky) Derby weekend, like Master Of The Seas, and then that team will ship to Saratoga when the rest of the team will join up and we expect at least 12 horses.

“Everyone likes to put a label on these things and I suppose it is a little satellite yard, we’ve put that team together and there’s a nice programme out there for those types of horses.”

He went on: “After Saratoga, we’ll give them a little bit of a break and make the call to see if they are Breeders’ Cup candidates or not. You can’t beat the experience out there if they are going to be Breeders’ Cup horses.

“Rebel’s Romance will go over there later, we’re toying with Hong Kong for him. There’s a small chance he’ll go to Saratoga in August.

“It’s nice to go out there, the team out there are great, they help our team and it is always an advantage knowing the facilities going into these races.”



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Rebel’s Romance rekindles Meydan love affair

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Rebel’s Romance caused a surprise in the Dubai Sheema Classic, in which dual Derby winner Auguste Rodin finished last.

While Charlie Appleby’s six-year-old did win the Breeders’ Cup Turf in 2022, he was well beaten in the corresponding race 12 months ago and looked to be up against it in a field stacked with quality.

Along with Auguste Rodin, who is developing an all-or-nothing reputation, there was Emily Upjohn, Spirit Dancer and Japanese challengers Liberty Island and Stars On Earth.

The pace was pedestrian, set by Aidan O’Brien’s Point Lonsdale, but only William Buick on the eventual winner and Liberty Island were keen to stay close to it.

Owner Sheikh Mohammed with Charlie Appleby (left) and David Loder
Owner Sheikh Mohammed with Charlie Appleby (left) and David Loder (PA)

With half a mile to run, that trio had opened up a sizeable gap on the remainder of the field and when Buick kicked on to take up the running well over a furlong out, the writing was on the wall.

A strong stayer at the trip, Rebel’s Romance, who won the UAE Derby back in 2021, galloped all the way to the line, with Shahryar, Liberty Island and Justin Palace, all from Japan, taking minor honours. Emily Upjohn fared best of the rest just behind but Auguste Rodin offered nothing.

Appleby said: “He’d won a Breeders’ Cup Turf and four Group Ones, yet he was 20-1, which showed just how deep a race it was.

“William told me he had a plan but I told him not to tell me, then I couldn’t roast him if it went wrong!

“We were confident the right thing to do was go forward and heading down the back, I felt confident because I knew the fractions weren’t strong.

“William knows this track so well and did everything right.

“To have a winner tonight, on what has been a really international night, to get one on the board for Godolphin and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed is very pleasing.”

The Newmarket handler added: “It was our last throw of the darts, but we were confident he was in as good a place as we could get him. He went to Kempton and then had a great ride in Qatar from William.

“He has travelled a lot but we were confident he was at his best. Plan A was to go forward to give the horse the best chance to run his best race.

“This whole night is a huge space in the racing calendar that everyone will aim for. You’ve got to look after these horses and make sure you don’t give them one race too many.

“We toyed with the Champions & Chater Cup in Hong Kong next, but we will enjoy today and he deserves a bit of a rest.”

Buick commented: “He showed in Qatar that he can still perform from the front or close to it. He has a big stride and we decided to get across and somewhere near the action. We were given an easy lead off easy fractions. I was surprised he was in his comfort zone, going easily.”

O’Brien was keen to write off Auguste Rodin’s below-par effort, stating: “It was a bit of a non-event really. The race just developed into halves so we just want to put a line through the race really.

“Ryan (Moore) just said he felt he wasn’t happy where he was or anything. They just never activated at all so it was a bit of a non-event. It was just one of them where it didn’t happen.”



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Adayar given Princess of Wales’s Stakes option at Newmarket

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Charlie Appleby is responsible for four of the six confirmations for the Princess of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket on Thursday.

The Group Two contest is the feature event on day one of the July Festival and Appleby appears intent on securing back-to-back victories following the success of Yibir 12 months ago.

Adayar, the Derby and King George hero of 2021, has the option of returning to a mile and a half after finishing third in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot, while Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Rebel’s Romance could make his first appearance since disappointing in the Dubai Sheema Classic in March.

Recent Fred Archer Stakes scorer Kemari and Meydan Group Two winner Global Storm, last seen finishing second to stablemate Hurricane Lane in the Jockey Club Stakes, complete the Moulton Paddocks quartet.

John and Thady Gosden’s Israr and the Charlie Fellowes-trained Grand Alliance are the other contenders.

Royal Ascot runner-up Malc is one of 14 juveniles entered for the other Group Two on the card, the Bahrain Turf Club July Stakes.

Richard Fahey’s youngster found only Valiant Force too strong when a 66-1 shot for last month’s Norfolk Stakes and looks set for a step up from five to six furlongs next week.

His Majesty is one of three possibles for Aidan O’Brien along with Edwardian and Mountain Bear.

Arrest winning the Chester Vase
Arrest winning the Chester Vase (David Davies/PA)

Arrest heads 13 horses in the mix for the Bahrain Trophy, a recognised trial for the St Leger.

The Juddmonte-owned colt disappointed when favourite to provide Frankie Dettori with a dream success in his final Derby, and was again well held at the Royal meeting. Connections will be hoping for an easier surface on the July course.

Saint George is an obvious contender for Andrew Balding after finishing second in the Queen’s Vase. Circle Of Fire (Sir Michael Stoute) was fourth in the same race for the King and Queen and could also run at Newmarket.

Nostrum could make his comeback
Nostrum could make his comeback (Mike Egerton/PA)

The Edmondson Hall Solicitors Sir Henry Cecil Stakes looks an interesting contest, with the long-absent Nostrum the potential headline act.

The Kingman colt has not been seen in competitive action since finishing third in last season’s Dewhurst, with a spring setback ruling him out of the Classics.

This Listed contest appears an ideal comeback target for the Sir Michael Stoute-trained colt, but he might not have things all his own way, with James Ferguson’s Jersey runner-up Zoology and Appleby’s unbeaten course and distance winner Imperial Emperor among his potential rivals.



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Rebel with a cause – Appleby backing Romance to star on Meydan card

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Charlie Appleby labelled global traveller Rebel’s Romance as the horse best equipped to bring his A-game to the big stage in Saturday’s Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan.

Rebel’s Romance put together a five-race unbeaten sequence in 2022 that culminated in victory over Stone Age in the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland.

The five-year-old also triumphed in Listed and Group Three company in Britain and in two German Group Ones at Hoppegarten and Cologne.

Rebel’s Romance had to miss his intended prep race in the Dubai City Of Gold earlier this month, but Appleby is confident he is firing on all cylinders ahead of his Group One assignment,

Appleby said: “Rebel’s Romance is the most impressive horse on the night, just look at his record. He knows how to perform on the big stage and his last three starts were all won impressively in strong fields.

“He is suited by a flat, conventional track as he’s a big, galloping horse. He’s certainly one we could head back to America with.

“He had a minor setback which happened for a reason, and rather than get sucked into running him on Super Saturday we gave him a spin on the turf course.”

Appleby holds a typically strong hand across World Cup night, fielding two contenders in the Dubai Turf over nine furlongs.

Master Of The Seas is one of two Dubai Turf runners for Appleby
Master Of The Seas is one of two Dubai Turf runners for Appleby (David Davies/PA)

Master Of The Seas was a fast-finishing third in the Jebel Hatta on his most recent run, while Nations Pride was a Group Two winner last month over 10 furlongs.

The Godolphin handler said: “Master Of The Seas is strong in mind and body and was a bit unlucky on his last start.

“He’s come out of it well, and remembering he finished second in the Guineas there is no doubting his ability, while James Doyle knows him.

“The nine furlongs puts a bit more of a challenge on Nations Pride, but if there’s a gallop it will assist him. I’m aware that the draw (stalls 10 and 16) for both horses could have been better.”

Siskany is favourite for the Dubai Gold Cup
Siskany is favourite for the Dubai Gold Cup (Alan Crowhurst/PA)

Siskany is the ante-post favourite for the Dubai Gold Cup after winning a Group Three on his Meydan return and he is joined by Global Storm in the two-mile contest.

Appleby said: “Siskany comes into the Gold Cup on the back of a nice win. He has a gear change and a turn of foot. It looks like there will be a pace angle, which is good for him.

“Global Storm finished third in the City Of Gold after Rebel’s Romance skipped the race with a setback.”

At the other end of the distance scale, Al Suhail contests the Al Quoz Sprint over six furlongs on the back of two Meydan wins this winter.

Appleby added: “Al Suhail is a six-year-old that is getting older but stronger. He has a good racing mind, is in great shape and thinks he’s King Kong.

“His draw in eight is a concern, and we will try to get a tow into the race.”



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