Malton trainer Fahey has sights on hat-trick at Dubai World Cup meeting

Fahey’s stable star, Spirit Dancer, lines up in the penultimate race of the day, the Group One Longines Dubai Sheema Classic (4.00 GMT) in Meydan – bidding for a hat-trick of lucrative wins in the Middle East.

The seven-year-old son of Frankel, part-owned and part-bred by legendary Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, takes his chance in a top class field of 12 runners under regular jockey Oisin Orr in pursuit of a £2.75m winners’ purse.

And despite being viewed as an outsider for the race, where even sixth place pays over £70,000, Fahey is confident his charge can deliver again in the mile and four furlongs race.

“He has had a good winter out here. He won at Bahrain and we took him back home. We were going to leave him there but with the quarantine and paperwork it was tricky,” Fahey told The Yorkshire Post from Dubai.

“So we brought him back and he ran in Dubai which he needed after the travelling and then Saudi and he won there and then back to Dubai in readiness for today.”

The horse, whose first win was at Ripon back in August 2020, has certainly taken connections on a journey they will never forget.

The lucrative wins in Bahrain last November in the Group Two Bahrain International Trophy and Saudi Howden Neom Turf Cup banked connections £500,000 and £945,000, respectively.

Fahey said: “He’s been out here eight or nine weeks. He’s had a great opportunity to get away from the English weather and he looks fantastic. He’s got his summer coat and hopefully it has been a huge benefit to him to be prepared out here.

“We are delighted with him and that he’s right for the day, but there’s always a ‘but’ with horse racing. It is the most competitive race I have ever been involved in with any of my runners but it is great to be a part of.”

Those ‘buts’ include Aidan O’Brien’s brilliant Auguste Rodin, the mount of Ryan Moore and John and Thady Gosden’s Coronation Cup and Ascot Fillies’ and Mares’ Group One-winner Emily Upjohn.

With Japanese horse Liberty Island set to go off as favourite, Fahey he said: “There’s a dual Derby winner and Champion Stakes and Breeders Cup winner by the same horse (Auguste Rodin) and he is not the favourite so it just shows the quality of the field, while the horse that was seventh in the Arc (Sisfahan) is only 66-1 for this.

“But I am looking forward to seeing what he can do against them. I’m really excited. The horse is in great form so, fingers crossed, we will get a bit of luck and things fall right.”

Today sees Spirit Dancer, who is looked after by Hayley Irvine, step up to a mile and a half for the first time, but his handler is confident he will get the trip.

“He is always finishing his races well,” said Fahey. “It is a furlong and a half further than he has ever run, but watching his race style and the way he has run, it looks well within his grasp.”

Between his debut at Wolverhampton in October 2019 and August 2022 he only won twice, but last year he embarked on a run of five wins – including a hat-trick – in seven races to really catch the eye.

Fahey explained: “He has been a late developer but we have been very kind on him.

"Up until last season he hadn’t had a lot of racing so he has taken time to come to himself.”

As for his relationship with Ferguson, one of racings most famous owners at both codes, Fahey said: “He is thoroughly enjoyed it. He’s had a great trip and thoroughly embracing the whole thing.

"They are lucky owners – but I always say it is better training for lucky owners than unlucky ones, so maybe these lads can make it happen here. “He’s given us some brilliant days – it is life-changing for everyone and great to be a part of it.

"I feel very lucky.”