Hong Kong star California Spangle shattered the track record when seeing off Star Of Mystery and Diligent Harry in a red-hot Al Quoz Sprint.

Trained by Tony Cruz and ridden by Brenton Avdulla, the six-year-old has spent the majority of his career racing over seven furlongs and a mile and even finished second in the 2022 Hong Kong Derby over 10 furlongs behind Romantic Warrior.

He has locked horns with Golden Sixty on many occasions but having his first start over six furlongs since January 2022, he displayed blistering speed.

The winner was never far from the pace but had Clive Cox’s Diligent Harry for company for most of it.

California Spangle’s superior stamina kicked in close home as he stamped his authority on the contest, as Charlie Appleby’s three-year-old filly Star Of Mystery made late headway under Frankie Dettori to beat Diligent Harry for second.

“We came here knowing we had a good chance,” said Cruz.

“But we also knew that giving 13lb to Star Of Mystery would be tough. When he hits the front, nothing can catch him, and we were all over the moon when he took the lead.

“He broke a record on his debut over 1,000 metres (five furlongs), then we stretched him out to a mile, but in this 1200m you have to run at 1400m to win it.

“He’s a horse I think that can go places. I believe his ability is better than the others. It’s 10th time lucky for me in Dubai.”

Cox was understandably delighted with the performance of Diligent Harry and said: “We’re really pleased he’s been placed in a Group One.

“He’s repeated what we were seeing at home and it is very important that he travelled out here so well. He doesn’t like soft ground, so his season will be governed outside that.”

Patrick Mullins will be reunited with Fun Fun Fun when his father Willie Mullins fields a strong squad for the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Honeysuckle Mares’ Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse on Easter Sunday.

The Closutton operation are responsible for 10 of the 18 runners in the Grade One event – including betting favourite Jade De Grugy – with the Irish champion trainer saddling the winner in six of the last 10 renewals.

Owned by Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, Fun Fun Fun was in fact bred by the trainer’s son, who was regularly the man in the saddle last season when the duo secured Grade Two honours at the Dublin Racing Festival.

The decorated amateur was aboard for Fun Fun Fun’s winning hurdles bow at Thurles but has since given way for Paul Townend and Daryl Jacob to undertake steering duties in her next three outings.

However, fresh from landing the Grade Three Kingsfurze Novice Hurdle at Naas under Townend earlier this month, Mullins is back in the plate for her shot at the big time.

He said: “I bred Fun Fun Fun and it’s great to get back on her. Her pedigree suggests the ground and trip will be no problem, she’s a relation to The Listener and Yorkhill.

“She’s stepping up in trip and she’s usually a fast horse, so there is a question mark, but her pedigree suggests she will be fine.”

Stablemate Jade De Grugy sports the colours of leading owner Kenny Alexander, who claimed this prize with his star mare Honeysuckle in 2019, before the race was renamed in her honour.

Jade De Grugy went to the Cheltenham Festival with a big reputation and expectations to match, but having disappointed when only fourth in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, she is being backed to show her true colours as she quickly reappears.

“Jade De Grugy will probably be hard to beat,” continued Mullins.

“I think Cheltenham very much turned into a sprint and it was a Flat-bred horse that won the race. We would be disappointed if we don’t see better from her on Sunday.”

Away from the Mullins battalion, Jessica Harrington has a live contender in the form of second-season novice Jetara, who was pulled up here last year but has won three times this term and was last seen hitting the frame at the Dublin Racing Festival.

Gavin Cromwell’s Bioluminescence arrives in search of a hat-trick in the colours of JP McManus, having won a Limerick Grade Three earlier this month, while stablemate Only By Night has some smart form to her name also.

There is UK interest in the form of Fergal O’Brien’s Springtime Promise, who is unbeaten in three starts since switching to the Ravenswell Farm handler and beat some useful opponents when claiming the Grade Two Jane Seymour Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown last month.

“We’re very pleased with Springtime and she surprised us first time up and has just progressed from there,” said O’Brien.

“Sedgefield wasn’t pretty but she got the job done and then she was very good at Sandown in the Jane Seymour, which I think was a deep enough race. Springtime and the Skelton horse (Cherie D’Am) pulled a long way clear from everything else and we’ve been very pleased with her.

“She won’t mind the ground, so we keep our fingers crossed. Willie Mullins has declared 10, but we always just do our own thing and whatever turns up, we do our best to try to beat them.

“In these graded races, you have to worry about yourself and, touch wood, she is in great form, she’s schooled well and had a little breeze on Friday – and I’m very happy with her.”

Tower Of London once again displayed a smart turn of foot to win the Dubai Gold Cup.

Aidan O’Brien’s four-year-old had come from the back of the pack to win in Saudi Arabia last time out and once again Ryan Moore dropped him out at the rear.

His task was made somewhat easier as Roger Varian’s Eldar Eldarov was withdrawn at the start on veterinary advice.

The field only went at a sedate pace and it might not have looked the right place to be, especially with John and Thady Gosden’s Champions Day winner Trawlerman helping to dictate matters.

When Kieran Shoemark kicked on early in the straight it briefly looked as if he may have slipped the field.

However, his backers soon knew their fate as Al Nayyir loomed up on the bridle looking the likely winner.

Unfortunately for him, Tower Of London was just about to hit top gear down the centre of the track and the Galileo colt came with a sweeping run, looking a stayer very much on the upgrade.

“We’re delighted, we felt he would come on from Saudi – all the staff have been very happy with him out here,” said O’Brien.

“Ryan gave him a beautiful ride, he got it spot on. What can you say about him, he’s so cool. He saved ground on him and then dropped him on the line.

“I Imagine he’s an Ascot-type horse, the Hardwicke or maybe the Coronation at Epsom.”

Moore said: “We had a position down the back and I tracked Jim Crowley’s horse (Sea Stone). He picked up well in the straight and put up an impressive performance.”

Part-owner Michael Tabor was enjoying his first trip to Dubai and said: “I just felt that throughout the whole race, he had plenty in hand, everything suited him.

“He didn’t have the greatest of draws, but Ryan is Ryan.

“Two miles is as far as he wants to go and he’s possibly better at a mile and a half. Ryan was adamant, don’t be frightened to go back to a mile and a half. All those races are open to him.”

Blood Destiny will clash with Spillane’s Tower once again when he is tasked with extending Willie Mullins’ excellent record in the WillowWarm Gold Cup at Fairyhouse on Easter Sunday.

The master of Closutton has a stranglehold on this Grade One event, winning the last five runnings – with Cheltenham Gold Cup heroes Al Boum Photo and Galopin Des Champs both on the roll of honour.

Currently locked with Jim Dreaper on five victories in the race, Blood Destiny has the chance to make Mullins the outright leading trainer in the two-and-a-half-mile event if building on his impressive success in the Flyingbolt Novice Chase at Navan earlier this month.

Blood Destiny put six and a half lengths between himself and Spillane’s Tower on that occasion, but the scoreline between the duo is one-one, with Jimmy Mangan’s likeable six-year-old gaining the upper hand when they met over the WillowWarm Gold Cup trip at Punchestown in January.

“Blood Destiny and Spillane’s Tower are having round three and I think conditions are probably going to suit Spillane’s Tower better with it being back up in trip and level weights,” said Patrick Mullins, assistant trainer to his father.

“But we’re probably going to use the same change of tactics with Blood Destiny as we did the last day. We had been riding him forward, but we’re now riding him more conservatively and maybe that will help Blood Destiny turn the tables from the last time they met over this trip anyway.

“We were hoping he was going to be an Arkle horse, but just the way the season started with him, we changed tack. This is a very valuable race at a prestigious meeting, so it worked well.”

Only Galopin Des Champs of the five Closutton winners of this race has been favourite and also classed as the Closutton first string, so it could prove wise to pay attention to the all-conquering stable’s second runner in the line-up, Tactical Move.

Second to Irish Grand National fancy Nick Rockett here on New Year’s Day, he has since impressed in two further starts over the larger obstacles and justified odds-on favouritism in good style when claiming a Naas Grade Three most recently.

“Tactical Move is out of a sister to Denman and is a horse of huge ability, just very fragile,” continued Mullins.

“You couldn’t rule him out either and he’s a horse with a huge engine. He’s obviously a lot older than your usual novice, but he has Grade One potential without doubt.”

Mangan won this with Conna Castle in 2008, while Gordon Elliott is also seeking a second WillowWarm Gold Cup and will rely on Cheltenham Festival fourth Zanahiyr and Saint Felicien.

Noel Meade was the last trainer to win this before the recent Mullins dominance and he will attempt to break the Closutton streak with Flanking Maneuver.

Denis Hogan’s Thecompanysergeant completes the field following his second to Mister Policeman in the Pierce Molony Memorial Novice Chase at Thurles.

Dual Champion Hurdle winner Honeysuckle has given birth to her first foal, a filly by Walk In The Park.

The news was announced on social media by Peter Molony, racing manager to Honeysuckle’s owner, Kenny Alexander, who said: “It’s a girl! Honeysuckle has foaled a bay filly by @coolmorestud @grangestud Walk In The Park at 11:30 last night!! Mother & daughter reportedly doing well.”

Honeysuckle was trained expertly by Henry de Bromhead to win 17 of her 19 races including the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in 2021 and 2022.

She met with the only defeats of her career at the beginning of the 2022-23 in the Hatton’s Grace and Irish Champion Hurdle but went out in a blaze of glory when winning the Mares’ Hurdle last March.
Now 10, Honeysuckle is slated to visit Blue Bresil for her next covering, the sire of Constitution Hill.

Musselburgh’s Premier meeting, due to feature the £100,000 Virgin Bet Queen’s Cup, has been abandoned due to a waterlogged track.

Despite only 3mm of rain falling in the early hours, that came on top of already saturated ground which tipped conditions over the edge.

Musselburgh’s general manager Bill Farnsworth said on social media: “Unfortunately racing today has been abandoned. We had 15mm of rain yesterday and we had a further just over 3mm this morning.

“The ground is very wet, it has been an incredibly wet winter. Normally Musselburgh would take this rain no problem but just because it is so wet and the water table is very high it hasn’t taken it so well and the ground is saturated in places.

“Next to the running rail the ground is just soft and fine but just a few strides away from that line it is much softer and we would regard it as unfit for racing, it is saturated.

“The most important thing is we put the safety of the jockeys and horses first. We’ll be back another day, it’s not the end of the world but it is very disappointing.”

Oisin Murphy got his fractions spot on as Fire Demon came with a strong late run to reel in Cross The Tracks in the BetMGM All-Weather 3 Year Old Championships Handicap at Newcastle.

Owned by Juddmonte Farms, he was heavily backed into 9-4 favouritism but Andrew Balding’s charge looked to have plenty to do with two furlongs to run.

Cross The Tracks appeared to have slipped the field under Sean D Bowen, with the bottom weight holding a two-length advantage at the furlong pole.

His stride visibly began to shorten, though, just as Fire Demon was hitting top stride.

With nothing else making up any ground, it was left to Murphy and Balding to take the race for the second successive year, having scored with Desert Cop last season before the race was run as a handicap.

Murphy said: “I was in the perfect spot and this race suited him. He came here in good form, looked great in his coat and Andrew was very sweet on him.

“A stiff six (furlongs) probably does suit him. If the horse was on a different continent, you’d imagine he’d get two turns going a mile in America, maybe one day.

“He’s really straightforward to ride now. We ran him over seven a couple of times early on where he led and didn’t quite finish, but this sort of test suits him.

“He’s all there now as a three-year-old and it’s great that Juddmonte are good supporters of Park House Stables.”

Benoit de la Sayette’s loss was Danny Tudhope’s gain as Prydwen ran out an easy winner of the BetUK All-Weather Championships Marathon Handicap.

With former champion apprentice De La Sayette stuck in traffic on his way north, George Scott turned to Tudhope for the six-year-old and few ride Gosforth Park better than the Scotsman.

Sent off a 10-1 chance, Tudhope settled just on the quarters of the pace-making Palace Boy, before he made his move shortly after turning into the straight.

Tudhope headed to the rail and soon accounted for Palace Boy and while the hat-trick seeking Spartan Army and Vaguely Royal looked in prime position to attack, they could not get near the winner.

The race was over a furlong out as long as Prydwen saw out the trip and he ran right through the line. Duke Of Oxford made late gains to claim second, beaten three and a half lengths, with Spartan Army in third.

Tudhope said: “He gave me a lovely ride, I had a nice position early, he was happy where he was and he controlled the pace.

“I was always confident, I was always going well. I don’t know much about his form, it was a late call-up. George said the track might not play to his strengths, but he travelled sweetly and did it the hard way.”

Karl Burke’s Cuban Tiger added to the trainer’s smart crop of three-year-olds when just getting the better of Sayedaty Sadaty in the BetMGM Burradon Stakes at Newcastle.

Owned by Sheikh Mohammed Obaid, who has moved the majority of his string to Burke’s Leyburn stables, the Havana Grey colt looked to have plenty to do on the official figures with a rating of just 87.

However, he had only had two runs, winning on his debut and just losing out to Charlie Appleby’s Notable Speech last time out – and he had clearly improved for that experience.

Appleby’s unbeaten Silent Age looked a major contender but he did his chances no favours by becoming upset in the stalls and it was Oisin Murphy on Sayedaty Sadaty who tried to dictate.

Despite at one stage looking like being swallowed up, Sayedaty Sadaty gamely stuck to his task but while the favourite Orne and Silent Age dropped away, it was Clifford Lee and Cuban Tiger who challenged last and got the verdict by a neck.

Burke already has a smart three-year-old cold in Night Raider, while his Fallen Angel is strongly fancied for the 1000 Guineas.

“We were hoping he’d run really well, but you never know what you’re taking on with two-year-olds coming into their three-year-old career,” said Burke.

“The Gosden horse (Orne) looked pretty strong and the Godolphin horse (Silent Age) fluffed the start, but I knew we had the horse that was better than his rating, so I wasn’t worried about handicaps and it was just a question of how good he was.

“He loves that surface and he’s a good moving horse, I don’t think he’d want too softer ground. We’ll discuss with Sheikh Mohammed Obaid where we go next.

“He’s a lovely horse who is still green. I don’t think he needs to go further than a mile at the moment.

“We’ve got a big team of three-year-olds and some real nice stuff there, so fingers crossed they can all stay in one piece.”

On Night Raider, he added: “He came out of Southwell really well and he’s a lovely horse. You’d have to say he’s got more gears than this fella, that’s for sure.

“He’s a very good horse, whatever he does. It’s a massive step up from two Southwell novices to a 2000 Guineas, but at the moment he deserves to be in it and his future is ahead of him beyond the Guineas.

“That (racecourse gallop at the Craven meeting) is Plan A and I’ve got to discuss it with Steve (Parkin, owner). Steve is very keen not to have a run and just go for the gallop, but when Danny (Tudhope) jumped off him at Southwell, he felt he was still very green.

“For me, another race would do him the world of good, but at the moment it’s a racecourse gallop, with probably an entry in the seven-furlong conditions race and we’ll just see what that looks like.”

Limestone Lad, one of the most popular Irish hurdlers of the modern era, has died at the age of 32.

Trained, owned and bred by the late James Bowe, Limestone Lad won 35 of his 65 races during a six-year career that featured four victories in Grade One company.

Three of those top-level triumphs were achieved in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse, most famously beating a familiar foe in the brilliant three-time Champion Hurdle winner Istabraq when bagging his first win in the race in 1999.

His other Grade One success was achieved in the 2002 Champion Stayers’ Hurdle at Punchestown, while he was also narrowly beaten in the 2003 Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown by Like-A-Butterfly and was twice placed in the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

“It is a sad day, Limestone Lad was a one-off and he actually died in the field he was reared in,” said Bowe’s son and long-time assistant, Michael.

“He was a great horse who for whatever reason captured the public’s imagination. He was a bit like Robin Hood as he took from the rich and gave to the poor!

“Beating Istabraq in the Hatton’s Grace was a big day, but there were lots of good days. I remember him winning the Morgiana in Punchestown one year when he looked well beaten and somehow fought back to get back up – it had to be seen to be believed.

“He wore his heart on his sleeve and whenever he ran there was nowhere to hide for the opposition. He was a one-off and I only wish I was able to clone him.

“It is sad that he’s gone, but he had a great retirement and he enjoyed every minute – and we’ve still got the memories…and the trophies!”