Five-star Seemar dares to shoot for the stars and UAE Derby 'glory'

Bhupat Seemar is willing to test the significance of an ancient proverb when he puts a lightly-raced colt to the ultimate test in less than three weeks from now.

The former UAE Champion trainer has already shown us that he is an inspirational handler who is now willing to find out if fortune does favour the brave when he fast-tracks Guns And Glory for a shot at the $1 million UAE Derby.

Given that the scale and margin of the three-year-old colt’s victory in the 1900metre Dubai Marina Conditions event at Meydan was exceptional, Seemar must doubtless be formulating a game plan to abduct the colt’s Classic at the Dubai World Cup meeting on March 30.

Guns And Glory, a € 543,210 purchase at the 2023 Goffs Dubai Breeze-Up Sale, staked a claim to join stable mates Killer Collect and Mendelssohn Bay in the Derby when delivering an imperious performance for a 12-length victory.

“I think with a performance like that, he deserves a run (in the Derby),” said Seemar, who has learnt how to keep his emotions under control even on occasions like these when here is a likelihood of letting go.

Factoring the fact that only three weeks remain to prepare his rising star for a big test that the Derby presents, he threw caution to the wind and said: “There’s only one Derby and three-year-olds are only three-year-olds for a while, so we’d love to roll the dice if we can get an invite.”

O’Shea, who appears to be amassing a good book of rides for the big day at Meydan, commented: “His work rider (Jennifer Ferguson) fell off him yesterday and broke her leg because he’s a bit of a handful and spends a lot of time on his hind legs.

“I said to Dr. Hay (owner), I thought he’d win the first time, but he needed that run and then was disappointing last time. At the start of the season, I thought he was a UAE Derby horse, and I’m sure if the invitation comes, they’d love to take it up.”

The last meeting of the 2023-2024 Dubai Racing Carnival, which has seen Semar’s horses run exceptionally well, provided the likeable handler with a rare five-timer.

And as always, the handler, who assumed charge at the pristine Zabeel Stables in 2021-2022 and immediately made an impact by winning the UAE championship, was his gracious self and paid tribute to the unsung heroes at the history training yard in the heart of Dubai.

“I have a great team at home that does all the hard work, and I only get to collect the prizes, was how he summed up an unforgettable evening.

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