Ahmed Ajtebi What it's like to win on World Cup night?

It is hard to describe what is it like to win a race on World Cup night because at that time I was totally numb. Everyone was congratulating me and I realised I was the first Emirati jockey to do it, but it didn't really sink in. After Gladiatorus won the Duty Free, I had to go and weigh in because I was riding Eastern Anthem in the Sheema Classic. And then I won that too in a completely different way. In total I had two wins, one third and a fourth on World Cup night.

My ambition all season had been to get a ride so it was an amazing day for me and the trainer and owners. Before the Duty Free everyone ask me about my chances. I knew the horse well and had broken the course record on him before and knew that if he would stay he had a chance because he is class. But looking at the field, you would have to say that was the best Group One mile race anywhere in the world - 10 horses had already won a Group One and mine had only won a Group Two.

I was nervous two days before the World Cup night and I spoke to trainers who had helped me in the past. I decided to approach it like any other race and not change the way of running. I didn't want the horse to sense I was nervous and behave differently so I set off at a good pace and everybody let me go because I don't think they thought he could keep it up. But he kept on striding away from them and with two furlongs to go I looked back and knew I had won it because it is hard for horses to make up so much ground in two furlongs if you are still going away from them. I remember I punched the air as we crossed the line.

With Eastern Anthem it was more of a fight. We missed the jump in his previous race but he still came from way back and won, so I knew he had pace. Spanish Moon and Purple Moon are very good horses and we were slowly away again but ran on well and fought all the way for a photo finish. I knew we had won it in the last stride though. That evening I went out with my good friends, Royston Ffrench, Ted Durcan and Wayne Smith, who are also also jockeys, and we just had a meal.

Since then you don't want to know how many times I have watched replays of those races. At first I was putting it on at home but now everywhere I go, I seem to see them. I was flying back to England from Dubai a few weeks ago and I watched the racing coverage on the TV screens they have. I was on the report about the World Cup so I sat there watching myself again. In fact every time I fly I watch it!

Ahmed Ajtebi, 28, is a jockey and former camel ride, who rode last season in Dubai for trainer Mubarak bin Shafya. He is currently based in England where he rides for the British trainer Clive Brittain.