Globetrotting Dubai Honour targets second Tancred

SYDNEY – European raider Dubai Honour poses the biggest threat to local mare Aeliana’s dominance in the A$1.5 million (S$1.3 million) Group 1 Tancred Stakes (2,400m) at Rosehill on March 28.

The globetrotting Dubai Honour is back in Australia to defend his Tancred Stakes title, a race he won in 2025 following his second place in the 2024 Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Vase (2,400m) at Sha Tin.

The William Haggas-trained Pride Of Dubai eight-year-old, who has also campaigned in Great Britain, France, Dubai and Germany, has an extraordinary record in Australia.

He has won the only two Group 1 races he contested in his first foray there in 2023, the Ranvet and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, both over 2,000m at Rosehill and Randwick respectively.

After winning the Tancred Stakes in 2025, only champion mare Via Sistina finished in front of him in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2,000m) 11 days later.

Tom Marquand, who steered Dubai Honour to victory in the Tancred Stakes, will be reunited with the gelding, who last raced at Great Britain’s Kempton on Dec 17 for a 1 1/2-length second in the Listed Wild Flower Stakes on the 2,412m synthetic track.

Haggas’ travelling representative, Isabella Paul, who also rides the gelding in his work, is confident he is as good as ever.

“I’m really happy with where he is,” said Paul.

“He is being a bit of a pain on the track, and that generally means he is in pretty good order.

“He’s in great form. He actually came down here a little bit heavy, and he has tightened up nicely in the last week or so.”

The Chris Waller-trained Aeliana began this campaign with two Group race seconds before winning her most recent race, the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2,000m) at Rosehill on March 21 at short odds and now must handle the quick back-up.

While the markets suggest Aeliana deserves her short odds, Waller said the best of the four-year-old filly by Castelvecchio is still to come.

“Her absolute best might still be six to 12 months away,” he said.

“I think you’ll see longevity out of her, and she’ll retire with a pretty illustrious career. So, from that perspective, I think she’s still at the beginning.”

James McDonald, who last week surpassed retired Australian jockey Damien Oliver’s record of 129 Group 1 wins, will again ride Aeliana who will carry the bottom weight of 56.5kg.

Third in this race in 2025, Vauban is also among the chances in the eight-horse field.

The Tancred Stakes is carded as Race 13 on Singapore Pools’ Australia race card and will be run at 1.35pm (Singapore time) on March 28. HKJC