What a day at Meydan. Almost a little unreal. Two wins on the same day for Danish-owned and Danish-trained horses. And we in Scandinavia have now won – so far – five races in the last four years. And 12 times in all Scandinavian-trained horses have won in Dubai, the Mecca of racing during the winter months.
A HISTORIC DAY.
Never before have two Scandinavian-owned and trained horses won on the same day in Dubai.
But that is what happened on Friday 27 January, when first Taifuu won the Mawj Stakes and later in the day Great Wish the Dubai Sprint (L).
They followed up on Queen Azteca’s two wins last year, among them the UAE Oaks (Gr.3), and Good Fortune’s win in 2023.
DAMACHIDA WAS THE FIRST SCANDINAVIAN WINNER IN DUBAI.
In 2005 – that was before Meydan was built – Damachida (Makaddameh) won at Nad Al Sheba in Dubai.
He was trained by Eva Sundby, and he was ridden by Weichong Marwing.
And on the same day Stald Lambada (Sten Thynell) won at Nad Al Shaba with Swedish Shave (Midyan), who was ridden by Thierry Jarnet. Swedish Shave was in training in France with Richard Gibson.
Two wins in a day for Scandinavian-owned horses. It would be a good 20 years before that feat was repeated.
TERTIO BLOOM AND GRÅBERG IN 2012
On 17 February 2012 the 7-year-old Tertio Bloom – bred in Sweden by Kjell Sjöberg – won the S O G Logistics Handicap over 1400 metres.
Tertio Bloom was for several years among the best sprinters in Scandinavia, and as a 3-year-old he was even second in the Svenskt Derby behind his then stable companion Swing That Cat (Cat Thief).
Tertio Bloom was for most of his career trained by Fredrik Reuterskiöld, but when he won at Meydan on 17 February 2012 it was for Fabricio Borges, and he had Per-Anders Gråberg in the irons.
THREE WINS IN 2014 AND 2015.
In 2014 came the first Scandinavian win at Meydan, when Rune Haugen won with Avon Pearl (Avonbridge).
Avon Pearl won Pramms Memorial (Gr.3) at Jägersro the following year.
In 2015 the Niels Petersen-trained Beat Baby (Johannesburg) won and once again Per-Anders Gråberg won at Meydan.
And 2015 was at the same time the year when a Scandinavian-bred horse won at Meydan.
Volatile (Strategic Prince) was bred and trained by Jessica Long and owned by Easy KB.
Volatile had the year before won on his first start at Jägersro by 16.5 lengths and been third in a Group 3 race at Newmarket, so expectations of him were high.
Before his start in the Meydan Classic (L) he was also second in the Meydan Classic Trial.
After the win in Dubai Volatile was third in a Group 3 race at Maisons-Laffitte.
I KIRK FROM START TO FINISH.
After four years of drought there was another win in Dubai, when Hästgruppen i Lund’s I Kirk (Eishin Dunkirk) won the Azizi Farishta. I Kirk was trained by Susanne Berneklint, and it was the second time a Swedish-bred horse won at Meydan.
Under Carlos Lopez I Kirk was quick from the gate as usual and was able to get a relatively easy lead along the rails.
Lopez sat completely still round the home turn, and when he asked his horse for an effort into the straight the Eishin Dunkirk son quickly pulled several more lengths clear of the rest.
The rest of the straight was like a fairytale.
In his career I Kirk was almost unbeatable on Jägersro’s dirt, where he won 15 of his 16 starts. Once he was second, beaten a head!
A DOUBLE AT MEYDAN IN 2020.
The duo Susanne Berneklint and Carlos Lopez had success again in 2020, when Plata O Plomo (Paddy O`Prado) won the Mina Hamriya and earned almost 1 million Swedish kronor.
It became a Swedish one-two, as Stricker (Poet’s Voice) was second. Stricker was trained by Francisco Castro and was ridden by Elione Chaves.
Plata O Plomo came to Dubai with a series of big wins in Scandinavia in his luggage, among them Pramms Memorial (L), but he found it hard to recapture his Dubai form after his return to Sweden.
GOOD FORTUNE BECAME THE FIRST DANISH-BRED WINNER.
Friday 27 January 2023 became a historic day for Danish racing. It was the first time a Danish-owned, Danish-bred and Danish-trained horse won at Meydan.
When Good Fortune (Appel au Maitre) won at Meydan it was raining. Statistically that happens four days a year in Dubai. But it suited Good Fortune well, and he won in a tight finish.
The now deceased Good Fortune was bred at Stutteri Outback, in training with Søren Jensen, and he was ridden by Theo Bachelot. He was owned by Havemann’s and Stald Shaker.
Good Fortune won a series of feature races in his career. Among them the Breeders’ Trophy and Mile, the Danish Jockey Club Cup (L), Stockholms Stora Pris (Gr.3) and the Skandinavisk Grand Prix twice.
QUEEN AZTECA A CLASSIC WINNER AT MEYDAN.
Last year came a provisional high point for Scandinavian participation in Dubai, when the Niels Petersen-trained Queen Azteca won the UAE Oaks (Gr.3).
Queen Azteca (Sharp Azteca) ran four times at Meydan last year and besides the win in the UAE Oaks it became one more win, a second place and a fifth place in the UAE Derby (Gr.2).
In all Queen Azteca earned more than 2.5 million Swedish kronor during her winter stay in Dubai.
Queen Azteca was later that year second in the Svenskt Derby, and she has been sold to the USA, where she has run several good races in strong company.
In Scandinavia she was trained by Niels Petersen, who has now won three races in Dubai. Her regular partner was Carlos Lopez, who with Queen Azteca’s two wins in 2025 has now passed the post first four times at Meydan.
Queen Azteca was owned by Glæsner Racing ApS.
WILL THE SUCCESS CONTINUE?
And so we arrive at Friday 27 January and another high point in Danish and Scandinavian racing history.
That the Night Of Thunder son Great Wish won the Dubai Sprint (L) should not really come as a surprise.
Great Wish has developed into one of Scandinavia’s very best sprinters. At Klampenborg he was beaten in his four starts in 2025 only by Aphelios in the Zawawi Cup (L).
In the three other starts Great Wish, who is trained by Bent Olsen, won, and he rose 10 kilos in the handicap during the season.
It was Bent Olsen’s first win as a trainer in Dubai, but he went close in 2020 when Red Cactus (Hard Spun) was beaten only a head in the Strata Trophy.
Will Great Wish win more races this year at Meydan? Yes, why not. Great Wish won relatively easily on Friday.
I was a little more surprised that Taifuu (Japan) could win. I feared the distance was too short.
But that bodes so well for her likely next start in the Jumeirah 1000 Guineas, where the distance is 200 metres further.
It was Oliver Wilson’s first win at Meydan, and he rode a fine race.
Søren Jensen has, as already mentioned, been there before with the win with Good Fortune, and he appears to thrive at Meydan.
Are there other Scandinavian winning candidates in the stables at Meydan?
That may easily be the case. The Scandinavian team this year is large, and several have already run prominently.
Not least last year’s Norwegian Derby winner War Socks, who after a fourth place on his seasonal debut followed up with a third place on Friday.
