Heart Of Honor, Rebel’s Romance Headline Emirates Super Saturday Trials at Meydan

Heart Of Honor and Rebel’s Romance headline Emirates Super Saturday at Meydan as connections use the nine-race card on Feb. 28 as the final local proving ground before Dubai World Cup night. The Al Maktoum Classic (G2, 2000 metres, dirt) carries an advertised purse of AED1.7 million and an automatic Dubai World Cup berth for the winner, while the G2 Dubai City Of Gold (2410 metres) awards automatic entry to the G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic.

Heart Of Honor arrives in the Al Maktoum Classic as a four-year-old Honor A. P. gelding owned by Jim and Claire Bryce, trained by Jamie Osborne and set to be ridden by Saffie Osborne from post one. BloodHorse traces his 2025 campaign from a pair of early wins to three straight seconds culminating in a nose defeat to Admire Daytona in the UAE Derby, then notes he skipped the Kentucky Derby before finishing fifth in the Preakness and sixth in the Belmont. More recently sources report he produced a last-start third in the Al Maktoum Challenge and Dubairacingclub states he finished third to Imperial Emperor in the G1 Maktoum Challenge in January. Jamie Osborne said, “It’s a fascinating contest for sure,” and added, “Almost certainly a pivotal race for us. I believe he marginally underperformed last time and I’m looking forward to seeing a sharper effort from him this week.” On the draw Osborne warned, “Stall one, to a degree, restricts Saffie’s options but she’s proving quite adept at improvising. On all known evidence the return to 2000metres can only be in our favour. We are realistically hopeful.”

The Al Maktoum Classic looks deep on paper with ten declared and what one preview called “three top-rated on 111.” Walk Of Stars carries a strong CV into the race after winning the 2025 G1 Al Maktoum Challenge over 1900 metres on dirt and finishing fourth in last year’s G1 Dubai World Cup; Racingnews and HKJC note that Heart Of Honor beat Walk Of Stars at Meydan two starts back and that the pair form a key subplot for tomorrow’s richest contest.

Rebel’s Romance fronts the Dubai City Of Gold as a globetrotting superstar and a multiple Group 1 winner, with Paulick calling him a nine-time Group 1 winner and Largsandmillportnews and HKJC describing him as eight years old. Charlie Appleby reports, “Rebel’s Romance returns to Dubai in great shape. He is eight now, but you couldn’t knock his performances last season and he appears to have retained all his enthusiasm throughout the winter. I’m hoping that he can show us once again what he can do and everyone can appreciate what a great racehorse he is.” The 2024 Sheema Classic winner arrives after finishing second in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf in November and faces seven rivals in the City Of Gold, including Fort George, Burdett Road and last year’s runner-up Passion And Glory.

Burdett Road makes the short recovery trip from Riyadh after finishing ninth in the Red Sea Turf Handicap (G2T) on Feb. 14, having been second on his Dubai debut in early January; trainer James Owen said, “It didn’t go to plan at all in Saudi, but he’s come out of the race well. He’s been based in Dubai anyway, so he didn’t have too far to travel. I’ve been over here all week with him and he looks great and is training well. Rebel’s Romance will be very hard to beat, but we’re in the mix to get some prize‑money.” Paulick records connections backing Fort George and noting jockey Kieran Shoemark has been riding the horse at home.

The G2 Singspiel Stakes (1800 metres) provides the final key trial for the G1 Dubai Turf with Johnny Murtagh bringing the Aga Khan Studs’ four-year-old Alakazi, who last ran third in the QEII at Ascot. Murtagh said, “Alakazi has travelled over well and has put on seven kilos since he landed. I think he’ll need his first run. The plan was always to run Super Saturday and then he’ll have a month there before the World Cup [G1 Dubai Turf], so whatever he does this week he will improve. It looks the perfect race for him and we’re really looking forward to seeing him for the first time over nine furlongs, so we should learn a lot.”

Super Saturday functions as the last local checkpoint before Dubai World Cup night a month away, with automatic qualifications on the line in the Al Maktoum Classic, Dubai City Of Gold and Singspiel Stakes and several noted internationals using the card to sharpen final plans for Meydan’s biggest night.