SALUTE THE SOLDIER continue the fine run of form being enjoyed by trainer Fawzi Nass when winning the Group 3 Burj Nahaar over a mile on Super Saturday at Meydan in Dubai by 5.5 lengths. Like Port Lions, who won $1m in Saudi Arabia the previous Sunday, Salute The Soldier is owned by HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa’s Victorious Racing. He was bought by Oliver at the 2019 Tattersalls Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale where the Sepoy gelding made 380,000 Guineas when bought out of Clive Cox’s stable. He has already earned £228,000 of that back since October and now heads to the Group 2 Godolphin Mile, on 28th March at Dubai World Cup night, as one of the leading contenders – Inshallah. This latest win was his first start on dirt and generated his best ever Racing Post rating of 117, 8lbs higher than he’d achieved previously.
Video of – Gr.3 Burj Nahaar
16th Pakistan Derby Win
ROYAL RANSOM became Oliver’s 11th consecutive Pakistan Derby winner (his 16th in total since 2001) when taking the 2,400m Championship race by 7 lengths from another of Oliver’s runners, War It Is (by Nathaniel). Royal Ransom was bred by Abdul Mamdot’s Qadirabad Stud and is their 10th Derby winner. His sire, Dunhill Star (by Danehill), was exported by Oliver to Pakistan – he is now 20 years old and has sired 4 Derby winners. The winner’s dam is Quality Road (PAK) who won the Derby herself in 2011 and also produced last year’s Derby winner, California. Quality Road is the product of two other Oliver exports in sire Replay and dam Spring Music.
Video of – 2020 Pakistan Derby