English/Ire
Opera Ballo and Heart Of Honor star on ‘Festive Friday’
Charlie Appleby’s Opera Ballo and the Jamie Osborne-trained Heart Of Honor starred on a competitive card at Meydan on Friday afternoon.
Opera Ballo faced a competitive field in the Group 2 Al Rashaidiya, including four-time Grade/Group-winning stablemate Nations Pride, but made easy work with a comfortable victory under William Buick.
"His biggest challenge is himself once he's in those gates and out," said Appleby.
"We were keen for William Buick to get him in behind a horse and teach him to settle. It's difficult, because at home, he's horizontal – it's a different beast that you turn up to the races with.
"William got him buried behind a few horses there and I think that's the Opera Ballo that we've always hoped to see. We've had a couple of blips along the way.
"They've set some nice even fractions but he's entitled to come forward for that. I imagine the most natural place to go is the Jebel Hatta then see if he's good enough to be a World Cup night horse."
Earlier on the card, Heart Of Honor continued his love affair with Meydan in the Listed Entisar Sponsored By Emaar. Always in the rear under Saffie Osborne, he was asked to make ground with 600m to run and came with a challenge in the dying stages of the race. The now-gelded three-year-old went past Artorius for a comfortable victory, winning by one-and-a-half lengths with Group 1 winner Walk Of Stars a further two-and-a-quarter lengths behind in third.
Winning jockey Saffie Osborne said:
"To be honest, I thought I was going to finish last along the back straight.
"As soon as I started asking more questions of him, I realised how lazy he had been because I started to get a new lease of life from him. I was a bit annoyed with him – he'd made me work far too hard for the first three quarters of the race!
"Today's race was a big ask for him but he's shown what a quality horse he is. He doesn't give you much of a feel but he is relentless.
"I think there's more to come. He's been gelded, he's only three against older horses and he's still so immature – he has so much to learn.
"We could have a seriously special horse on our hands."
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