New Zealand-bred colt One Eye On Dubai produced a dominant performance at the Vaal Racecourse on Tuesday, cruising to an eight-and-a-half-length victory over 2000m to open his winning account. The three-year-old son of Almanzor showed significant improvement from his previous outings and gave trainers Mike and Mathew de Kock plenty of encouragement with a strong staying display.
Ridden by Callan Murray, One Eye On Dubai took control of the race from the outset and maintained his advantage throughout. His rivals were placed under pressure as the race progressed, while Murray continued to have plenty of horse beneath him. The winning margin underlined the authority of the performance.
The victory came at his third start for the De Kock stable and followed a clear progression through his early races. One Eye On Dubai had finished fourth over 1200m on debut at Turffontein in August before improving to second over 1700m at the Vaal on September 10. The move up to 2000m brought another substantial step forward.
One Eye On Dubai Shows Strong Staying Ability
Trainer Mat de Kock was pleased with the colt’s improvement and said each run had brought him forward considerably.
He said One Eye On Dubai had not shown his full ability before his debut but had improved with every start. His second-place finish at the Vaal had further increased the stable’s confidence ahead of Tuesday’s longer assignment.
The colt’s previous performance had also suggested that he would benefit from a greater distance. After dictating a slow pace over 1700m, he had allowed a rival to make the first move and ultimately finished second.
At Vaal Racecourse, however, One Eye On Dubai was able to dictate the terms and sustain his effort over the longer trip. The performance provided a stronger indication of his potential over staying distances.
Murray was equally encouraged by the result and said the colt appeared capable of progressing over further ground.
One Eye On Dubai raced for Hollywood Racing and was purchased by Craig Ramsay at Karaka in 2025. He was offered through the Riversley Park Book 1 draft as Lot 449 and was bred by the Smithies family’s Monovale Stud.
The colt’s name reflected the international ambitions of his connections and the De Kock team’s plans involving Dubai. Mike de Kock selected the name following One Stripe’s appearance in Miami, while it also maintained a link with another Hollywood Racing runner, One Eye On Vegas.
Hollywood Racing’s Devin Heffer explained that the name was chosen after the team decided to relaunch its Dubai ambitions and was also connected to One Eye On Vegas.
The three-year-old’s pedigree provided further interest. By Cambridge Stud stallion Almanzor, One Eye On Dubai was out of stakes-winning Exceed And Excel mare Applegate. He is a half-brother to Group winners Impendabelle and Cloudy.
Impendabelle won the Gr.2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes and Gr.2 Soliloquy Stakes and also finished runner-up in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas. Cloudy recorded a Gr.3 Breeders’ Stakes victory in Adelaide.
The family will have another representative at Karaka later this year, with One Eye On Dubai’s half-brother by Proisir catalogued as Lot 149 in the Riversley Park draft for the NZB Ready to Run Sale on November 18 and 19.
The victory also came during a productive period for the wider New Zealand racing connections associated with the NZB programme. Canterbury trainer Nayton Mitchell had recently enjoyed success with Recital, who completed back-to-back victories at Riccarton Park.
Recital followed a maiden win on August 29 with success in the NZB Ready to Run Sale Trainers’ Series Rating 65 over 1200m two weeks later. The four-year-old mare had previously been placed three times from her first eight starts before beginning her current campaign with two consecutive victories.
The NZB Ready to Run Sale Trainers’ Series has continued to provide opportunities for domestic trainers ahead of the annual Ready to Run Sale at Karaka. The 2026 sale is scheduled for November 18 and 19, with Breeze Ups scheduled at Te Rapa Racecourse on October 12 and 13.
One Eye On Dubai produced an eight-and-a-half-length victory over 2000m at Vaal Racecourse, marking a significant step forward for the Almanzor colt and highlighting his developing staying ability.
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