Real World Oozes Class On Meydan Return
Real World enjoyed an unbeaten European summer campaign last year for Owner-Breeder Godolphin and trainer Saeed bin Suroor, and he kick-started his 5-year-old career on Friday with a comfortable runaway win in Meydan’s feature Group 2 Zabeel Mile.
A five-length debut winner at Chelmsford City as a 2-year-old in 2020, Real World finished second in a Meydan conditions race just before the turn of the calendar before going on to run with credit at the carnival, finishing third at handicap and listed levels before wrapping up that campaign with a fourth in a turf handicap.
His reappearance on European soil came at Royal Ascot, where he won the Royal Hunt Cup over a mile and backed that feat up four weeks later to take Newbury’s Listed Steventon Stakes. It was on to York for Real World’s next start and he progressed again with a win the Group 3 Strensall Stakes over Lord Glitters, and the son of Dark Angel made it four on the bounce when beating Group 1 winner The Revenant in the Group 2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein at Paris Longchamp.
With Danny Tudhope in the saddle who was deputising for Frankie Dettori, after contracting Covid-19 earlier this week Real World was swiftly away on the fence and soon took up a stalking position about a length and a half off the pacesetting Ajwad. Real World appeared poised while in a pocket as they rounded the bend, but Ajwad soon peeled off the rail as he began to tire passing the quarter pole, leaving Real World room to roll up to the lead. At last put to a drive by Tudhope, Real World sprinted clear and hit the line leading home a 1-2 for Dark Angel with Alfareeq filling the runner-up position.
Bin Suroor said post-race, “we’ll keep the options open for the Group 1 races,” but that doesn’t necessarily mean Real World will stay on the turf.
He was about 90% ready,” the trainer added. “He ran well and finished his race well and we’ll see how he goes in the future. He’s entered in Saudi, Super Saturday and Dubai World Cup night between the dirt and turf. The reason we ran him on turf tonight was just to make him ready for the dirt races coming. It’s unfair sometimes to run a horse who is not ready and run him on dirt and he gets beat and they say ‘oh, he is not a dirt horse.’ Sheikh Mohammed will decide [which race to go for].”
