The feature race at Meydan on Friday, 25 February was the G3 Dubai Millennium Stakes and the 10-furlong contest was won appropriately by a grandson of the great horse the contest was named after when Royal Fleet (Dubawi) prevailed in a thrilling finish.
The Charlie Appleby-trained four-year-old was settled behind the early leaders under James Doyle and took the lead with just over two furlongs left to run. Royal Fleet was headed by stablemate Star Safari close to home but battled superbly to win by a short head.
This was the fifth career victory for Royal Fleet, who has been on good form during this year’s Dubai World Cup Carnival, finishing second in both the G2 Al Rashidiya and G2 Singspiel Stakes.
Royal Fleet is out of the Group-winning Dansili mare Zibelina, also dam of G3 winner Royal Crusade (Shamardal) and closely related to another of Dubawi’s 2022 Black Type winners, Lazuli, who won last week’s G2 Blue Point Sprint.
Dubawi is now sire of 145 individual Group winners, with four already on the board this year. He has 42 G1 winners to his name, including fellow Darley stallions Night Of Thunder, Postponed, Ghaiyyath and Space Blues.
