Godolphin dominated week-two of the 2022 Dubai World Cup Carnival meeting, winning five of the six prizes they had entered at Meydan on Friday.
It included the two feature prizes with the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Desert Fire taking the Group 2 Al Rashidiya and Charlie Appleby’s Naval Crown taking the Al Fahidi Fort race.
Hector Crouch atop Desert Fire led the first three home for Godolphin and William Buick on Naval Crown snaked through traffic 35 minutes later to wrap-up the two most valuable prizes of the night.
“That’s the biggest win of my career,” an ecstatic Crouch said. “It’s surreal. It’s an amazing feeling. I'm just so thankful to Saeed and his team for giving me the chance.
“It was my best season in the UK and it's nice to come over here and to stay in the limelight.
“Just delighted for the horse as well he’s been here a good number of years and he deserved a big one.
“He quickened like he hasn’t before, that’s the best he’s ever felt. Seems funny to say, he’s seven, hopefully, there’s more to come. He put the race to bed very well.
“I was lucky enough to do it here as an apprentice and I’ve enjoyed coming back. It is a great experience and it's put me on the global stage.”
Mickael Barzalona set the early pace and went clear of the chasing pack before Crouch took up the running on the home stretch and stayed on strongly to win from Appleby pair Royal Feet (James Doyle) and Art Du Val (Buick) by two-and-a-quarter lengths and a neck respectively.
Buick had to switch out of the inside rail, and then had a tussle to get into the clear before crossing the winning line a length in front of Story Of Light under Mickael Barzalona with a host of runners finishing in a bunch behind them.
“Will got him into a nice posse, he’s one of the fast horses in the race and one of the younger horses as well, he’s got some fresher legs,” Appleby said of Naval Crown.
“We put him away for the mid-season. He got the job well done. I think he’s got a lot of natural speed which will sharpen him up a bit ... He’s a proper 1,400 metre horse.”
Earlier, Buick on board Appleby’s Silent Speech, led the first three home for Godolphin in the opening race, and Frankie Dettori on Bin Suroor’s Island Falcon led a one-two finish for the Royal Blue silks in the next.
Dubai Icon under Patrick Cosgrave made all to take the concluding race for Bin Suroor to complete a treble on the night.
