Tag Archive for: Saba Desert

Saba Desert swoops for Superlative strike

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Saba Desert overcame a bumpy start to lift the bet365 Superlative Stakes at Newmarket.

The chestnut was ridden by William Buick and bunny hopped out of his stall to find himself on the back foot early on, but quickly put that behind him to settle to the task as a 6-1 chance.

Plenty of his rivals began to hang to the left and Saba Desert was inclined to follow them, but still his class came to the fore and he was a length and a quarter ahead of the 4-6 favourite Italy when crossing the line.

Wild Desert, who like the winner is trained by Charlie Appleby, was a further neck back in third and as the first three got close in the finish, a stewards’ inquiry was called, although the placings were left unchanged.

Saba Desert was a debut winner at Sandown and Appleby said: “It was an interesting race and Saba Desert is a horse we’ve liked from the get-go.

The Debenhams July Festival 2025 – July Cup Day – Newmarket Racecourse
Saba Desert and William Buick in the bet365 Superlative Stakes (Joe Giddens/PA)

“We were pleased with the way he did it at Sandown, he naturally progressed from Sandown to here and as everyone knows this is a race we try to find the right one for.

“I know he fluffed his lines at the start but I don’t mind that, I’d rather that than them hit the lids and then you’re up there being forced up on the pace. He’s done it all the right way round and the most important part is when you hit the rising ground you’re finishing and he’s done that with class, I feel.”

Appleby now has his sights set on the Group One Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket in the autumn with Saba Desert.

He added: “He’s by Dubawi, so you’re starting with the right product, and we’ll work back from the Dewhurst with him now. Whether we decide to go down the National Stakes route or whether we go to the Champagne (Stakes at Doncaster) and then the Dewhurst we’ll see, but he’ll get a break now.

“He’s more of a Guineas type (than a Derby horse) for next year. There’s plenty about this horse, he’s a true Dubawi and I think he’ll only get better.”

Of Wild Desert, Appleby added: “I’m delighted with the third horse, he was the one that probably got the most interrupted run and he might go to Goodwood for the Vintage.

“He’s a hard horse to gauge as he’s not a work horse at home, whereas the winner is push button – if you want to win a gallop by 10 lengths, you just push the button and he will, but we don’t need to do that, we can wait until we come here.”

O’Brien was satisfied with Italy’s effort and will now likely head to the Curragh next month for a Group Two assignment.

He said: “We’re very happy, he was a bit babyish and a bit green, as we thought he might be.

“He’ll go back to the Futurity Stakes probably now. If he’d won today he’d have had to go into a Group One next, so in a way it’s better (that he got beaten).

“He came for experience and he hasn’t been woke up at all really. We’re very happy and we’ll look forward to him the next time.”

Saba Desert catches the eye with winning start at Sandown

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Saba Desert made no mistake on debut to take the British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes for Charlie Appleby at Sandown.

The Godolphin-owned and bred colt is by Dubawi and out of Finespun, a daughter of Luca Cumani’s Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Gossamer.

Godolphin and Appleby chose the same race as a career starting point for Native Trail in 2021, who went on to win two Group Ones by the end of his two-year-old year and was the Irish 2,000 Guineas winner the following term.

Those are big shoes to fill, but under William Buick the 4-7 favourite looked potentially nice in prevailing by three-quarters of a length to get his own juvenile campaign under way.

“It was important to get some cover on him and do everything as you’d want to first time out,” Buick said.

“He’s a very fast horse, with a good attitude and a good mind in everything he does. I was very pleased with what he did there.

“He’s got plenty of pace. When you ask him, he’s there for you. He’s a very talented colt.”

Rising Power also made a winning start in the British EBF Novice Stakes, to give Godolphin, Appleby and Buick a double.

The Wootton Bassett colt was sent off as the 1-2 favourite over a bare-minimum five-furlong trip.

Rising Power kick-started a Godolphin double
Rising Power kick-started a Godolphin double (Adam Davy/PA)

He found an adversary in Rod Millman’s 2-1 chance Killavia, but after the two locked horns it was Rising Power who took a three-quarter-length verdict.

“He was very gutsy. It was a little bit harder work than I probably would have liked or expected, but he’s a horse that probably wants six furlongs now, or even seven,” Buick told Racing TV.

“He ran against some speedy types there and showed his quality, that’s always good to have, he battled on and kept responding the whole way.

“He’s not the biggest horse, but he’s got a big heart.”