Home comforts for Dubai Honour in Geoffrey Freer Stakes

Dubai Honour has a rare start on home soil in the Highclere Thoroughbred Racing Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury on Saturday.

The William Haggas-trained globetrotter has racked up the air miles during a stellar career which has seen him earn close to £5.5million and make appearances in Australia, France, Dubai, Hong Kong and Germany.

His trips to the southern hemisphere have proved particular fruitful, as from six Group One starts he has won three times under Tom Marquand – and while he came up short in his last couple of outings at Rosehill in March and Randwick in April, the eight-year-old sets the standard in this weekend’s Group Three.

“He’s obviously been a cracking horse,” said Marquand.

“He was unfortunate in Australia this year not to get his Group One. He got run down by an improving filly who they are all touting to win the Cox Plate and the Caulfield Cup (Aeliana) in the Tancred Stakes and the Queen Elizabeth trip just proved a bit sharp for him now he’s a bit older, but it’s great to have him back out.

“Those races at Randwick, it’s a stiff track so it gives him a huge opportunity to show his stamina, but as he’s got older that little bit of speed he had for 10 furlongs has probably just been knocked off a touch.

“He’s got lot of followers down there, he’s had three trips down there now. He won twice in 2023, won there in 2025 and ran two massive races there this year. Australian race fans love it when you go over to take them on, they love international competition, they just love it slightly less when you go and beat them!”

Dubai Honour’s chief rivals appear to be Andrew Balding’s Mount Atlas and the Tom Clover-trained Tabletalk, who were split by just a head when first and second respectively in the Silver Cup at York five weeks ago.

Balding said: “I’ve been very happy with Mount Atlas. Obviously he won very well last time and carries a 3lb penalty as a result, but he is effective on any type of ground and seems in great form.”

With Tabletalk enjoying a 3lb pull at the weights, Clover is hoping his consistent performer can turn that form around.

“To be fair he seems in really good form, we’re very happy with him and I feel like it would be lovely if he could win a Group Three having knocked on the door – I think he’s been second in six of his last nine starts,” said the trainer.

“We’re putting the cheekpieces back on. I don’t think he’s ungenuine, sometimes it’s just a case of changing things up a bit and Rossa (Ryan) felt we should put them back on. We just got left out in front for a long time last time out at York and he just felt if he’d had some cheekpieces on it might have helped him a touch, so we’ll see.

“Dubai Honour will be a very hard horse to beat. We get the penalty from Mount Atlas, so hopefully he can run a really nice race and we’ll be there or thereabouts.”

Gamrai (George Scott), Rebel Rocker (Faye Bramley) and Wine Dark Sea (Harry Charlton) complete the field.