Sheikh Mohammed’s sires Dubawi and Shamardal have perfected the art of one-upmanship.  The Darley duo have been going head to head since retiring to stud and they were at it again on Saturday.

Zubbaya became the latest stakes winner for Dubawi in the Listed Arrow Training Services Stakes at Moonee Valley.  It took her sire’s black-type tally to 22 winners of 32 stakes races.

Not to be outdone, Shamardal replied hours later when Casamento won the G1 Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster.  His running total is 21 black-type winners of 33 stakes races.

Zubbaya (3f Dubawi – Sabkha by Green Desert) is one of 30 gallopers Lee Freedman has on the books for Sheikh Mohammed.  The Rye based trainer won the Listed Geelong Classic last Wednesday with Darley’s Redoute’s Choice colt Milestone.

“We will look at backing up Zubbaya in the Wakeful Stakes on Saturday,” Freedman said after the filly scored an impressive all-the-way win on Cox Plate day.  “She was very impressive so maybe we will even think about the Victorian Oaks.”

Zubbaya is the second foal from USA bred mare Sabkha who was stakes placed at Saint-Cloud.  Her first is Adsila (Elusive Quality) but she has struggled since winning a Cessnock maiden last December.

Shamardal looks to have another serious prospect for next year’s classics after Casamento scored a determined victory in the G1 Racing Post Trophy on Saturday.

The striking chestnut repelled the challenge of Coolmore colt Seville (Galileo) to win Britain’s final Group 1 for juveniles by three-quarters of a length.

Casamento (2c Shamardal – Wedding Gift by Always Fair) is a younger half-brother to the Sangster family’s Red Ransom colt Inler who also won at Doncaster on Saturday.  Their dam was a Listed winner of the Prix Saraca at Evry.

Casamento had won on debut at Tipperary in August before running a head second to Pathfork (Distorted Humor) in the G1 National Stakes at the Curragh.  He broke through at black-type level in the G2 Beresford Stakes last month.

Casamento joins Faint Perfume (VRC Oaks), Lope De Vega (French Derby) and Captain Sonador (Epsom Handicap) among Shamardal’s Group 1 winners.

He’s level-pegging with Dubawi who has also sired four Group 1 winners – Makfi (English 2000 Guineas), Poet’s Voice (Queen Elizabeth Stakes), Secret Admirer (AJC Flight Stakes) and Happy Archer (Greyville Thekwini Stakes).