Breeding & Racing Magazine

NZ Star Seachange 6th In Dubai Debut

In Dubai overnight, Queenslander Dick Karreman's 7-time Gr1-winning 5YO mare & current NZ Horse-Of-The-Year Seachange (Cape Cross-Just Cruising, by Broad Reach) finished 6th (among 16 runners behind Lord Admiral) on her debut at Nad Al Sheba in the US$250,000 Gr2 Jebel Hatta Stakes (1777m on turf). Last night's run had been planned by trainer Ralph Manning as Seachange's lead-up to the US$5 million Gr1 Dubai Duty Free (over the same course & distance) on March 29. US-bred 7YO Lord Admiral (El Prado-Lady Ilsley, by Trempolino) was ridden by Mick Kinane for trainer Charles O'Brien (& carried the colours of his legendary father Vincent O'Brien) in scoring by 1-length from South African-bred Jay Peg (Camden Park-Laptop Lady, by Al Mufti) & US-bred Traffic Guard (More Than Ready-Street Scene, by Zafonic); multiple Gr1-winning Hong Kong 5YO entire Viva Macau (Sendawar-Diyawara, by Doyoun) finished 4th ridden by Australian jockey Darren Beadman for expatriate Australian trainer John Moore.