Globetrotting gelding Dubai Honour will have to upstage two of Australia’s form mares to claim a second Queen Elizabeth Stakes title, and trainer William Haggas has delved into his bag of tricks to help him do it.
Just as he did with Addeybb prior to the 2021 edition of the weight-for-age contest, Haggas has put blinkers on Dubai Honour in the hope it will provide a necessary edge.
“The boss has talked about doing it before and I’ve always felt the horse doesn’t need them because he tries really hard,” Haggas’ travelling foreperson, Isabella Paul said.
“But it’s one of those things. He’s older, he stays, and we need him to be sharp throughout.
“It worked with Addeybb when we did it for his second Queen Elizabeth and we’re hoping it works with him.”
Dubai Honour was gallant when taking up an uncustomary leadership role in the Tancred Stakes (2400m) last start, booting clear at the top of the straight and only being run down late by Aeliana, who along with pin-up mare Autumn Glow will be among his chief opponents at Randwick on Saturday.
While they will present stiff opposition, the eight-year-old did claim the scalp of Anamoe when successful in the 2023 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) and was again brave 12 months ago when runner-up to a flying Via Sistina.
“They’re two phenomenal fillies, but we can’t swerve these races because of what’s running,” Paul said.
“We’ve flown halfway across the world.
“It makes it exciting. We bumped into Via Sistina last year and Anamoe three years ago, so hopefully we can go out in front.”
Paul will also saddle up Caviar Heights for Haggas in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m), that gelding arriving off a second placing in the Neville Sellwood Stakes (2000m) on the Tancred undercard.
While he will need to significantly raise the bar, Paul is keen to see him begin better and put himself on the speed.
“He tends to run from the front, but he broke a little bit slow and got shuffled back, which wasn’t ideal,” she said of his last start.
“I’m not sure he could have beaten the winner, but it was probably his undoing.”
