Rebel’s Romance easily captured a repeat victory in the H H The Amir Trophy (G3) Feb. 16 in Qatar, showing no signs of his advancing age and setting up another double try down the road in Dubai.
The 7-year-old Dubawi gelding was quickly prominent in the Trophy, led most of the way and smoothly went through his gears for jockey William Buick to win by one length over The Foxes .
The victory was a close copy of the 2024 Trophy but with a change of scenery and date. Originally slated for Feb. 15 at Al Rayyan Racecourse, the event was moved to Al Uqda and shortened from 2,400 meters (about 1 1/2 miles) to 2,300 meters after a pair of falls in the day’s opening race raised concerns about the Al Rayyan turf.
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“We are very thankful to everyone at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club for getting the races run,” said winning trainer Charlie Appleby. “It has been a challenging weekend and they have done a fantastic job in a very short space of time.
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“Rebel’s Romance is the ultimate warhorse who doesn’t know how to lie down. He has gone out there with his heart on his sleeve and put up another great performance. William knows the horse inside out and has ridden him with a lot of confidence again.”
The two-time winner of the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1T) now has 10 group or graded victories, including seven group 1 or grade 1 wins, among his 16 overall victories from 23 starts. He has won at the top level in the United States, Germany, Hong Kong and Dubai.
Appleby used the 2024 Trophy as a springboard to a campaign that saw Rebel’s Romance win the always-tough Dubai Sheema Classic (G1) in Dubai on World Cup night. He went from that to win in Hong Kong, Germany, and Del Mar with his only loss in the season a third in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1) behind Goliath and Bluestocking .
“We will ship Rebel’s Romance back to Newmarket and plot the same route that we took last year, giving him a little break in preparation for the Dubai Sheema Classic,” Appleby said. “It’s one race at a time with him these days, and we will enjoy every moment.”
The Sheema Classic engagement, all being well, could find Rebel’s Romance on the same program—but in a different race—with Hong Kong star Romantic Warrior , who is set to try his luck on the dirt in the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) in Riyadh Feb. 22.
Trainer Danny Shum and jockey James McDonald have expressed confidence Romantic Warrior, a group 1 winner on turf in Hong Kong, Australia, and Dubai, can handle the King Abdulaziz Racecourse dirt surface. But, whatever the outcome, the 7-year-old will target the Dubai Turf (G1) on World Cup night.
“Wherever we finish in the Saudi Cup, it is 99% certain he will run next in the Dubai Turf,” Shum said after Romantic Warrior demolished a quality field in course-record time in the Jebel Hatta (G1) Jan. 24.
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