Trainer Marco Botti has given a green light for first crop Myboycharlie filly Euro Charline to be set for the G1 Dubai Turf (1800m) on March 28.
Team Valor owner Barry Irwin has had an eye on the race formerly known as the Dubai Duty Free for months following Euro Charline’s record breaking win in the G1 Beverly D Stakes in the U.S last year. Irwin has been careful to not imply any expectation that she would be ready to run in Dubai this year after being sidelined late last year with an injury.
“I consider this to be super news since it comes without any prompting from me,” Irwin said. “Because of the filly’s injury, I didn’t want to put any pressure on Marco to run her in Dubai. I always figured if it came up too soon for this year that we could always point for it next year. So I left it strictly up to him and never asked him about it.”
Botti is confident the daughter of Vinery sire Myboycharlie will be ready for the $6 million event at the Dubai World Cup meeting. “Euro Charline is going very well and I am pleased with her,” he said. “She is moving well and is in great form at this time of the season.”
Irwin and Botti will put their heads together in the next few weeks to devise a plan. They both can draw on considerable experience. Team Valor captured the 2013 Dubai World Cup with Animal Kingdom and the 2004 Dubai Duty Free with South African champion Ipi Tombe.
Botti won the G3 Cape Verdi Stakes with Soneva in 2010 and G2 Dubai City of Gold with Jakkalberry in 2013. He has also trained two placegetters in the Dubai World Cup.
Euro Charline (4f Myboycharlie – Eurolink Artemis by Common Grounds) was first mentioned as a Dubai Turf candidate after she became the first three-year-old filly to win the G1 Beverly D. Stakes at Arlington in August. She was trained by Todd Pletcher in the USA and he targeted the Breeders’ Cup but a minor foot fracture required arthroscopic surgery.
At that point, Team Valor decided to send her back to Botti. Under his care earlier last year, she had been placed in the G2 Nell Gywnn Stakes and the G1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot before breaking through at black-type level in the LR Valiant Stakes at Ascot.
Myboycharlie (Ire) has his next Australian-bred yearlings catalogued for the Karaka Premier Sale next Tuesday, January 27.
Lot 387 is a colt from Feminine Wiles (Miesque’s Son) on account of Little Avondale Stud. He is a half-brother to Neena Rock, a Group 3 winner of the Angst Stakes at Randwick and Cuddle Stakes at Trentham.
Lot 401 is a colt from Giant Mystique (Giant’s Causeway) being offered by Wentwood Grange. His dam is a half-sister to Champion Singapore Group 1 winner War Affair.
