It was the year when almost everybody fell in love with American racing again.
Dubai’s relationship with American racing had turned distinctly sour during the Tapeta years at Meydan, but the affair was rekindled when a dirt surface was put down in good time for the UAE racing season.
The Dubai Racing Club were richly rewarded by a bumper shipment of horses from across the Atlantic for World Cup night in March with poster boy California Chrome turning up at the UAE’s flagship racecourse.
He was outpointed by surprise package Prince Bishop, but compensation awaits this season when Art Sherman’s flashy chestnut returns for a prep run on Super Saturday before his bid to go one better in the world’s most valuable race.
Joining him for World Cup night are likely to be compatriots Frosted and Keen Ice, two colts who combined to dismantle American Pharoah’s almost impregnable position as America’s first Triple Crown winner for 37 years.
The exploits of American Pharoah in winning the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes will never be forgotten.
American racing needed a shot in the arm with the thoroughbred racing was struggling for relevance there, and by becoming the first horse to add the Breeders’ Cup Classic in October he injected a new-found enthusiasm for American racing around the world.
American Pharoah subjugated his rivals to an extent that few athletes can in any sport.
Yet as August came to a close at the “Graveyard Of Champions” in Saratoga, Frosted and Jose Lezcano harried the champion and Victor Espinoza up front to such an extent that all Javier Castellano had to do was angle up the inner rail for Keen Ice to seal the Travers Stakes.
It is a crying shame that American Pharoah is not spearheading the US raiding party in the spring.
Connections have, understandably, preferred to instead send the complete racehorse to Ashford Stud, where he will stand for US$200,000 (Dh734,600) per live foal.
American Pharoah may not have competed internationally, but he crisscrossed his country, picking up almost as many air miles as Golden Horn during his campaign.
Golden Horn dominated in England, where he won the Derby and Eclipse Stakes before he met with his eyebrow-raising defeat to the skills of Silvestre de Sousa and the unquenchable spirit of the filly Arabian Queen in the International Stakes at York in August.
Golden Horn then made good in the Irish Champion Stakes in Ireland before he won Europe’s showpiece event by defeating perennial runner-up Flintshire, French Derby winner New Bay and defending champion Treve in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
A trip to Keeneland to compete on the same card as American Pharoah was simply a step too far. The Breeders’ Cup was the eighth start of the season for both colts, which underlines their durability in comparison to other recent champions.
Colts may have dominated the sport on the racetrack in the past 12 months but it is names such as Michelle Payne, Meta Osbourne and Maria Borell, who were the less heralded heroes that deserve a share of the limelight.
Payne caused the biggest upset on the world stage when she became the first woman rider to win the Melbourne Cup in November.
She rode a rank outsider in Prince Of Penzance to win the “race that stops a nation” and coincidentally wore the purple, white and green colours associated with the suffragette movement. Her success followed that of Borell, who saddled her first Breeders’ Cup winner when Runhappy won the Breeders’ Cup Sprint without the administration of diuretic drug Lasix.
Borell’s joy immediately turned to nightmare when the horse was taken off her the next day by owner Jim McIngvale. The pair are now involved in litigation.
And then came Osbourne.
She became the first woman to become the head of an international horse-racing regulatory body last week when she took over as senior steward of the Irish Turf Club.
Five horses — apart from American Pharoah and Golden Horn — who made a big impression in 2015:
Solow (France): Solow has won nine races on the bounce. The French grey advertised his credentials with a runaway victory in the Dubai Turf at Meydan in March and has since added four wins at the highest level in Europe. It will take a mighty horse to stop him defending his title.
Mongolian Saturday (USA): Much like Runhappy in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, Mongolian Saturday won the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint in October without the anti-bleeding medication Lasix. His Mongolian owners bought him for just Dh220,000 and, with almost Dh2 million in the bank courtesy of his win at Keeneland, his connections are eyeing the Al Quoz Sprint in March.
Peniaphobia (Hong Kong): The Hong Kong sprinter was drawn widest of all at Sha Tin two weeks ago but off what was a steady pace he tracked over under "Magic Man" Joao Moreira and held off a late surge to win the Hong Kong Sprint. Peniaphobia was runner-up to Sole Power at the Al Quoz Sprint in March and could renew his acquaintance with his Meydan conqueror at Dubai.
Tamarkuz (Dubai): Only Mike de Kock's Mubtaahij and Musabah Al Muhairi's Tamarkuz racked up four-timers last season at Meydan, and both might be aimed at the World Cup this campaign. Mubtaahij is the classier, but Godolphin Mile-winner Tamarkuz has more personality after often breaking from the stalls late.
Air Force Blue (Ireland): Aidan O'Brien may not have had a Derby horse to fly the flag for him in 2015 but he had a year to remember in virtually every other department. He has an iron grip on next year's English Classics with the likes of fillies Minding and Ballydoyle dominating the 1,000 Guineas, and it will take something very special to defeat Dewhurst Stakes winner Air Force Blue in the colt's Classic this May.
Five racing personalities who made an impression in 2015:
Silvestre de Sousa (Britain): Bouncing back from adversity is one of the pillar foundations of sporting greatness and De Sousa showed plenty of grit this season in Britain. In the same year that he won the Dubai World Cup on African Story, he was cast adrift by Godolphin. Unperturbed, the Brazilian got out his contacts book and rode to his first British Champion Jockey title. Class.
Frankie Dettori (Britain): Few dispute that when Dettori is on his A Game, he is still one of the best jockeys in the world. Down and out in 2013, his climb back up the ladder has been remarkable. The Italian started his year by winning Qatar's Emir's Trophy on Dubday, and then cut a swath through Europe. His ride on Undrafted in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot was sublime, as was his brave decision to stay wide on Golden Horn in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Salem bin Ghadayer (Dubai): Few had heard of Bin Ghadayer when his name first appeared on the entries for Meydan's opening Dubai World Cup meeting in January. Five wins later and with over 40 per cent of his horses finishing in the top six places, the Fazza Racing trainer is suddenly a man to look out for.
Ryan Moore (Britain): Though he could not follow up last year's Melbourne Cup win, Moore posted a top-level victory in every other major racing jurisdiction around the world this year. Quite simply there is not another jockey who consistently delivers on the international stage, and his battle with Joao Moreira at Hong Kong this winter will be fascinating.
Chris Waller (Australia): The perennial champion trainer of Australia added a new dimension this year that could have repercussions world wide. He shipped Brazen Beau to Europe and came within an ace of winning at Royal Ascot, and he has learnt his lesson from his failure with horses this month at Hong Kong. More global travels surely await.
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