Newmarket trainer William Knight believes his filly Frost At Dawn can cement her reputation as one of the surprises packages of this winter’s Dubai Racing Carnival with a massive run in the $1.5million Al Quoz Sprint on Saturday’s World Cup card.
Frost At Dawn, whose bucking antics before exercise keep work rider Abbie Pierce on her toes and have added to her local attention, was an unheralded member of the British Dubai squad when she headed to the Middle East on the back of an easy win in a seven-furlong contest at Chelmsford in November.
Knight originally hoped she might be good enough to run in the UAE 1,000 Guineas over a mile.
But five runs at Meydan have shown speed rather than stamina is Frost At Dawn’s forte as her attention was switched to shorter races.
‘She earned her place in the Al Quoz with a two and a half length win in the five-furlong Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint at the start of this month, breaking a track record which had stood since 2017 by a whopping 0.49 seconds.
William Knight is hopeful Frost At Dawn can enjoy a big race in the Al Quoz Sprint on Saturday
Five runs at Meydan have shown speed rather than stamina is Frost At Dawn’s forte
A tail wind helped Frost At Dawn but Knight feels it hard to understand why his Mikael Barzalona-ridden filly is 10-1 while Charlie Appleby’s Star of Mystery, who was the two and a half length runner-up in the Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint, is 3-1 favourite.
Knight said: ‘If someone said I would be standing here coming into the Dubai World Cup meeting with a runner in the Al Quoz Sprint I would say don’t be ridiculous. Even the fact we are going over six furlongs. We came out here with the idea of running Frost At Dawn in the UAE Guineas.
‘It started to look obvious after a couple of runs here that she was showing a lot of speed and thank God we dropped her back in trip. Her form since has spoken for itself.
‘The run in the Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint was a surprise because at the time we were a bit worried about dropping back to the minimum (five furlong) trip. Mikael gave her a lovely ride, she got the rail and showed a lot of speed.
‘Hopefully she can replicate that on Saturday. Yes it is an extra furlong in the Al Quoz but if anything that could help her. I see they make Charlie’s horse the favourite and we beat that off level weights fair and square.’
Knight says he wasn’t the only one who originally thought the Abdulla Al Mansoori-owned filly needed further. Jockeys Luke Morris, on board when she won at Chelmsford, and William Buick, who rode her when she was second on her Dubai debut in December, both felt she needed middle distances.
Knight added: ‘All her family were a mile or mile and a quarter horses and she trains at home like that. While her work was always good she never trained like a sprinter.
‘Luke Morris and William Buick both said she will get a mile no problem so I am not the only stupid one! The turning point was when she ran in the (seven-furlong) Jumeirah Fillies’ Classic (on February 2).
Frost At Dawn is 10-1 to win, while Charlie Appleby’s (pictured) Star of Mystery is 3-1 favourite
A positive performance on Saturday will put Frost At Dawn in line for the big sprints in the UK
Jockey Luke Morris (right) rode Frost At Dawn to victory at Chelmsford back in November
‘That day she showed a lot of speed, cruised into the race and then folded.
‘If I had kept her back in England we might have tried to chase the Guineas dream and run her in a trial. We’d have got to May or June and then realised she was a sprinter. It has worked well coming out here.’
A positive performance on Saturday will put Frost At Dawn in line for the big sprints back in Britain and possibly a shot at the Breeders’ Cup in California in November.
Knight said: ‘It will be pie in the sky if she goes and finishes last but you have to hope she will run a big race. If she does that is the programme you would look at. She has thrived while she has been here and really strengthened.’
Dettori turns up early to re-unite with Dubai Turf winner
Frankie Dettori was so keen to be re-united with his three-time Dubai Turf winner Lord North that he turned up to ride the John and Thady Gosden-trained gelding a day early.
After Dettori, who has successfully settled into his new venture based in the US, had partnered Lord North in a routine leg-stretcher around Meydan’s training track, Thady Gosden said: ‘Frankie was only supposed to come in and ride him tomorrow but when we got to the barn this morning he was ready to do it so he rode him this morning.
‘Lord North knows the drill out here – it is his fifth time. He actually came out and never ran during Covid so he is well used to this place. He is a very talented horse – he won the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot – and he enjoys the travelling. To win the Dubai Turf once is an achievement, to do it three times is pretty special.’
Frankie Dettori turned up a day early to ride three-time Dubai Turf winner Lord North
Lord North, here pictured being ridden by Detorri, has run once since his 2023 Dubai Turf win
Lord North, whose career earnings are over £6.3million, has only run once since his 2023 Dubai Turf win, finishing runner-up to Military Order in the Winter Derby at Southwell last month.
Gosden said: ‘He wasn’t quite himself after last year’s race so we gave him a nice break. The Southwell race has brought him on a lot and has sharpened him up. He seems well and is moving great.’
One of his dangers is stablemate Nashwa, the 2022 French Oaks and 2023 Falmouth Stakes winner ridden by Hollie Doyle
Gosden added: ‘Nashwa who is an exceptional filly in her own right. She took a couple of races last year to enter the zone last year but she has been training well and seems switched on.’
Curtis moves Stateside
Jockey Ben Curtis has decided to follow Frankie Dettori’s example and ride in America for the ‘foreseeable future’ after a successful stint riding there over the winter.
Curtis, 34, champion all-weather jockey in 2019-20 season, rode his 1,000th winner in Britain in September. He fulfilled a personal ambition to ride in the US when basing himself at New Orleans track Fair Ground in November.
Jockey Ben Curtis has decided to relocate to the USA and ride there for the forseeable future
Curtis said: ‘Life is too short to ignore your dreams and I have managed to put a big tick against one of mine, which was to ride a winner in America.
‘After a fantastic winter at the Fair Grounds, the four months in New Orleans has given me 43 winners, fourth in the championship and in excess of $1.5 million in prizemoney – more than I could ever have expected.
‘I have always thrived on new challenges and adventures and I have made the decision to follow my dreams and embrace the opportunity to continue my career in America for the foreseeable future.’
