DUBAI // Until Saturday night, at the 22nd staging of Dubai World Cup night, no horse had come from Gate 14 – the widest draw – to win the Dubai Golden Shaheen, the US$1 million (Dh3.67m) Group 1 race over 1,200 metres.
It was not just Mind Your Biscuits's victory on Saturday night, but the manner in which it was achieved, that was impressive.
Only 35 minutes earlier, the horse’s jockey Joel Rosario was denied a win on Long On Value in the Al Quoz Sprint.
He was pipped at the post by Francois-Xavier Bertas on The Right Man.
This time around, despite the draw and history being against them, it all fell in to place.
Rosario was onboard a well-oiled machine. He raced wide over the two left-handed turns and once got clear of traffic on the 400m home stretch, he left the rest the field behind.
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“I was quickly away but coming out of Gate 14, I thought, maybe I was going to be too wide,” Rosario said. “I was a little wide in the turn but he showed he was the best horse tonight.
“I’m so happy for Chad [Summers, the trainer]. He has worked really hard.”
Summers, the rookie American trainer, was obviously ecstatic after his first career win.
“I have only four horses at the moment but I had this race in mind when I took out my license,” he said. “We were confident coming into this race.
“The plan now is to take him to the Met Mile [at Belmont Park in June] and Forego [a handicap race at Saratoga Racecourse], and a possible return to the Dubai World Cup next year.”
My Catch under Sam Hitchcott and St Joe Bay ridden by Norberto Arroyo set the early pace, with Christopher Hayes on Morawij – last year’s third-placed horse – coming out of Gate 2, in a perfect position on the rail.
Not much changed until they approached the second and final bend when St Joe Bay moved briefly into the lead.
But the race was soon put to bed when Rosario kicked for home on Mind Your Biscuits.
Godolphin’s Comicas under William Buick was the best of the chasing pack, ahead of Morawij, who had to settle for third yet again.
It was a creditable performance though, by the Dhruba Selvaratnam-trained seven-year-old gelding by Exceed And Excel, only a short head behind Comicas with St Joe Bay a further half a length back in fourth.
apassela@thenational.ae
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