Classy pair headline Meydan treble for Appleby and Buick

Dubai Gold Cup looming for Siskany.

William Buick and Charlie Appleby enjoyed a Meydan treble led by Nations Pride and Siskany claiming Group Three honours.

The pair’s first winning runner came in the Lord Glitters Handicap as New Kingdom prevailed as the 5-2 favourite, before Siskany then made a successful return to Dubai to land the Nad Al Sheba Trophy.

The Dubawi gelding won a Listed race, the Al Khail Trophy, at the track last year and in the autumn returned to Europe to take the Listed Dubai Godolphin Stakes and finish third in both the Grosser Allianz-Preis von Bayern at Munich and the Wild Flower Stakes at Kempton.

In his first run of the year he was the 4-5 favourite over a mile and six furlongs and came home two lengths ahead of Marco Botti’s Ardakan.

“He hadn’t raced for a while so he was a bit fresh, he was over-racing in stages a little bit but it was a really pleasing performance from him,” Buick said.

“He stays well and like any good stayer he’s got that gear change over this trip which sets him apart.

“He’s been a rock solid horse from day one, this fella, and hopefully he can make up in a Dubai Gold Cup horse.”

Nations Pride then sealed the hat-trick in the Dubai Millennium Stakes, striking at 11-8 to win for the 11th time in a career that has seen him campaigned in Europe, the Middle East and America.

Buick added: “He went to America and did well all season, it was great to get him back and it was the perfect prep run for him – he’s going to go on to better things than this.

“They went very slow, it looked like it was going to be, tactically, quite a messy race and it proved so.

“I was happy with where he was and he picked up very well, he’s class and class prevailed in the end.”

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