Space Blues, a son of Dubawi, made a winning seasonal debut in the 1351 Turf Sprint at Riyadh on Saturday, 20 February. Ridden handily by jockey William Buick, the five-year-old entire was switched to the outside in the final two furlongs before making a challenge down the centre of the track. Hitting the front in the final strides, the tough and consistent Space Blues sealed victory in the $1,000,000 contest by three-quarters-of-a-length, with last year’s winner Dark Power in second.
Now unbeaten in his last five starts, Space Blues was last seen in August beating a high-class field in the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest after a cosy win in the G2 Lennox Stakes at Goodwood.
A Godolphin homebred, Space Blues is a half-brother to the G2 winner Shruq, herself dam of Godolphin’s G1 American performer Antoinette, out of the G2-winning Noverre mare Miss Lucifer. She is a half-sister to G3 winner Legend Maker, dam of G1 1000 Guineas heroine Virginia Waters. This is the family of G1 winner Chachamaidee and the direct female line of Sunbittern.
Space Blues is one of 44 individual G1 winners for his phenomenal sire Dubawi who enjoyed success last season with G1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes hero Lord North, G1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes victor The Revenant and the outstanding multiple G1 winner Ghaiyyath, who was named Horse of the Year and World’s Best Racehorse in 2020. He is already the sire of five Stakes winners in 2021 including G2 Zabeel Mile winner D’bai and UAE 1000 Guineas heroine Soft Whisper.
Dubawi’s three-year-olds to watch this season include G2 Superlative Stakes winner Master Of The Seas and G3 Autumn Stakes victor One Ruler, last seen finishing a credible second in the G1 Futurity Trophy Stakes behind New Approach’s Mac Swiney.
