E-Paper
Sign In
Saeed Bin Suroor seals emotional sixth Cape Verdi win as Dubai Beach delivers redemption
Trainer Salem bin Ghadayer and jockey Bernardo Pinheiro strike a Dubai Racing Carnival double, putting Labwah firmly on the Classic trail
- PUBLISHED: Sat 17 Jan 2026, 12:58 PM
- By:
- Leslie Wilson Jr
- Share:
There are some nights at Meydan that resonate with deeper significance and Friday’s Dubai Racing Carnival card delivered one of those moments as Saeed bin Suroor, the doyen of Godolphin racing, reinforced his enduring authority on UAE racing’s biggest stage.
In the feature race of the evening, the Group 2 Cape Verdi (sponsored by Azizi Developments), Bin Suroor saddled Dubai Beach to a stirring victory that marked his landmark and record-equalling sixth win in the race, a feat that ended an uncharacteristic quiet spell for the renowned handler.
Recommended For You
Stepping back up to a mile, Dubai Beach settled off the pace before launching wide turning for home. She was then locked in a three-way duel late but showed real grit to edge multiple South African Group 1 winner Quid Pro Quo and stable companion Dubai Treasure in a stirring, emotional victory
For a trainer whose dominance began at Nad Al Sheba racecourse in the 90s and has carried through Meydan to the world’s great racecourses, the emotions ran deeper still as the race is named after Cape Verdi, one of the most celebrated fillies Bin Suroor ever trained, a 1000 Guineas (G1) heroine and European Champion Three-Year-Old Filly of 1998.
And it came, fittingly, in front of the Emirati fans who have watched his glittering career unfold year after year, as he has recorded over 2,000 race wins around the world, with almost 200 of these at the G1 level.
Saeed bin Suroor was quietly reflective after the race, aware of the layers of meaning behind the victory.
“I am very pleased to win the Cape Verdi again,” said Bin Suroor, who equaled his Godolphin teammate Charlie Appleby’s record. “Dubai Beach is an improving filly, and we will look at the Balanchine (G2, 1800 metres) for both her and Dubai Treasure.”
Privately, those close to Bin Suroor know what Meydan victories mean to him, especially ones like this. Winning at home, on the sport’s biggest stage in the UAE, and in front of passionate Emirati fans continues to resonate deeply with a trainer whose career has greatly helped define Godolphin’s global success.
Cape Verdi – Race Snapshot
Race: Group 2 Cape Verdi (Sponsored by Azizi Developments)
Distance: 1600m
Winner: Dubai Beach
Trainer: Saeed bin Suroor
Jockey: Kieran Shoemark
Why the Cape Verdi matters
The Cape Verdi is far more than a Group 2 race. It is a defining early-season test for elite fillies and mares and a key stepping stone to the Group 2 Balanchine, a prestigious 1800 metre contest named after Balanchine, a horse who won The Epsom Oaks and the Irish Derby in 1994.
Success here often signals a filly capable of dominating the division, and Dubai Beach’s performance, strong at the mile and finishing powerfully, suggests she is perfectly poised to stretch out in trip. History shows that Cape Verdi winners frequently shape the narrative of the Carnival’s fillies’ programme, and this renewal looks no different.
Quid Pro Quo’s trainer, Jerome Reynier, was gracious in defeat, admitting his filly fought hard and looked the winner before being narrowly denied.
The evening’s subsequent race and co-feature, the Cocoa Beach Stakes (sponsored by Azizi Developments) proved equally dramatic as it propelled Labwah onto the Classicpicture, but only just. Headed by familiar rival Tjareed in the straight, Salem bin Ghadayeh’s filly battled back bravely to prevail by a short head under Bernardo Pinheiro.
“She has a big heart,” said the Brazilian ace who was voted Best Local Jockey at the Sheikh Mohammed Horse Racing Excellence Awards during the 2022-2023 UAE racing season. “I never gave up, and she didn’t either.”
Pinheiro and Bin Ghadayer later completed a double with Folk Festival in the Azizi Mina Handicap.
Qatar’s Wathnan Racing also struck twice, highlighted by English Oak in the Burj Azizi Handicap, over 1600metres on turf, and French Duke’s late surge to win the closing Vazirabad Handicap.
Beccali returns with authority
Godolphin’s Beccali impressed on her return from a 373-day absence, making light work of the Azizi Reve Handicap as William Buick powered clear of Original Outlaw, ridden by India's superstar jockey Suraj Narredu, for a dominant three-and-three-quarter-length win, the jockey noting the four-year-old “did very well after a long time off.”
On a night packed with quality racing at Meydan, it was Saeed bin Suroor’s sixth Cape Verdi that stole the emotional spotlight, a reminder that even after decades of dominance and the occasional lull, some victories still feel just as special.