Johnny Murtagh is among the Irish and other high-profile European racing figures awaiting news of when they will be able to travel home from Dubai having attended Meydan’s Super Saturday fixture at the weekend.
On Sunday the Curragh trainer was one of a large group of racing professionals urged to stay inside the Meydan Hotel, which overlooks the racecourse, roughly 12km from downtown Dubai.
Iranian attacks have caused some damage to Dubai International Airport in the continuing conflict between the US, Israel and Iran.
All of it made for a bizarre context to Saturday’s Meydan action, which continued despite the political and military uncertainty in the Middle East. Explosions were heard and seen in the sky over Dubai while racing took place.
“Last night was pretty surreal. You’re standing in the paddock watching missiles get shot through the sky,” English trainer Jamie Osborne said.
The United Arab Emirates government said that its air defences intercepted 137 missiles and 209 drones. Dubai International Airport is reportedly closed until at least Monday.
Sheikh Mohammed, the ruler of Dubai, appeared at the races where he watched his Godolphin stalwart Rebel’s Romance win a Group Two contest.
[ Colin Keane takes on Rebel’s Romance in Dubai aboard his father’s Crystal BlackOpens in new window ]
Crystal Black, ridden by the six-time Irish champion jockey Colin Keane for his father Gerry, finished last in that race while another Irish hope, Murtagh’s Alakazi, under jockey Ben Coen, ran fourth to Quddwah in the Group Two Singspiel Stakes.
Colin Keane on Crystal Black comes home to win at the Curragh in May 2024. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho
Some of Europe’s biggest racing names had flown into Dubai for Saturday’s valuable card including jockeys Ryan Moore and Oisin Murphy. It is unclear when they will be able to fly home again.
“There are people from the city moving out to the Meydan Hotel, thinking it’s maybe a little bit safer out here as it’s a bit out of the way. People are ringing me up to ask me if I’m okay, but it seems like it’s normal here,” Murtagh said on Sunday.
“Now, in saying that, you can hear explosions every now and again. We were walking down to the track and there was a big bang. It seemed like it was close enough. But I don’t know if they’re landing or they’re being intercepted in the sky.
“Everybody from the racing community is here in the Meydan, well, 90 per cent of those who came for Super Saturday. The place is packed with racing people, Irish, English, French, and we’re just holding tight.
“We don’t know how long we’re going to be stuck here. Airspace is all closed. People are saying it will open on Wednesday, but there’s loads of rumours, and we’re doing this, and doing that. We don’t know.
“There’s been no announcement from Dubai because they don’t probably know either. Stay inside, that’s basically what we’re told. I went down to the market there earlier to buy clothes and it’s quiet around the shopping centres. It seems lot quieter than normal.
“There were explosions [during Saturday’s racing]. You could see drones in the sky and explosions. Sheikh Mohammed turned up and I thought if he’s at the races it’s probably as safe as anywhere in Dubai. It just seemed to carry on as normal. It all doesn’t seem to be as big here as from what I’m hearing from people watching on TV at home.
“Having said that, there was a lady I met at breakfast this morning who said she was evacuated from the Fairmont [Hotel] last night and as they were being evacuated the reception was where all the injured people were,” the former champion jockey added.
Murtagh said he hadn’t had contact with any Irish officials. “I’m after just meeting Colin Keane here, there’s Ben, Ryan Moore just beside me, we’re all here and just staying inside,” he said.
It’s all far removed from the continuing local countdown to Cheltenham where one of the big festival decisions revolves around whether the JP McManus-owned Fact To File will be supplemented into the Cheltenham Gold Cup or lines up instead in the Ryanair Chase.
JP McManus: on the countdown to Cheltenham. Photograph: Stephen Collins/Collins
“It will be a last-minute decision, right up to the six-day stage. Everything is under consideration,” McManus’s spokesman Frank Berry said.
It could leave Mark Walsh with a decision to make after last year’s Blue Riband winner Inothewayurthinkin was well backed over the weekend to return to form at Cheltenham. The jockey ended February with a career-best monthly haul of 14 winners after a success at Navan on Saturday. He has a single spin at Leopardstown on Monday. That’s on The Wallpark, once a potential Cheltenham starter but now lining up for his first handicap in Monday’s €45,000 feature. Last season’s Stayers Hurdle third drops in trip from his last start and the race’s other handicap debutant, Fishery Lane, could be another to examine.
El Fabiolo is a likely favourite for an earlier conditions hurdle although very testing conditions might help Maxxum upset the ratings calculations.