Dubai Gold Cup
Brown Panther lived up to his top billing under regular jockey Richard Kingscote by adding the Dubai Gold Cup in his CV.
Kingscote got him quickly out of stall 14 in the 15-runner field to settle him behind Mushreq, who made the early running under Dane O’Neill with the Godolphin pair Ahzeema (James Doyle) and Marzocco (William Buick) tucked behind them.
The order up front didn’t change until they approached the final bend. Kingscote got to work on Brown Panther and pulled away on the home stretch to win by more than three lengths from Star Empire (Christophe Soumillon), who snatched second place in the final few strides from Ahzeema.
“This horse has been unbelievably good to my career and to Tom’s. He means a lot to me and this is the biggest win of my career so far,” said Kingscote of the horse owned by former England footballer Michael Owen and trained by Tom Dascombe.
“He felt great during the race and we got an early tow into it and we had a nice position,” said Kingscote.
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Godolphin Mile
Tamarkuz may have missed the break, but Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid’s runner powered down the straight to land the Godolphin Mile for jockey Paul Hanagan at Meydan on Saturday.
Tamarkuz scythed down British raider Sloane Avenue, ridden by Frankie Dettori, in the shadow of the winning post to edge the $US1million race by a short head.
Godolphin’s Freewheeling was third under James Doyle.
It was a fourth victory in succession at Meydan for Tamarkuz, but so close was the finish that Hanagan barely knew he had recorded a second win in the opening thoroughbred contest of the night after Soft Falling Rain two seasons ago.
“Of all the days to slightly miss it [thebreak],” Hanagan said. “He’s been so good lately.
“This is such a big day for them [the horses], it is so hot and there is a lot to take in. The whole occasion just got to him.”
When asked if he knew he had won when he crossed the line, Hanagan replied: “Not really, but when Frankie said to me, ‘well done’, I was confident then.
“When you win four on the bounce in very good races, you have to give him a lot of respect.”
It was a first win on World Cup night for recently crowned UAE champion trainer Musabah Al Muhairi, who was far more confident he had made his mark on the most valuable night in racing. He leapt in to the air in delight as the two horses swished past the line as one.
“When he missed the gate, I lost my control,” he said. “He likes to go in front. He is a good horse, and he is a very strong horse.
“This is the best.”
It brought Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid’s record in the race to three wins after Soft Falling Rain and Tereshkova in 1996. The Minister Of Finance also seemed to have suffered a similar roller-coaster of emotion.
“When he missed it, if you want the truth, I thought, that is it,” he said. “As a soon as he put his nose in front, I was happy.”
UAE Derby
Mubtaahij and Christophe Soumillon turned the UAE Derby into a procession yesterday to hand trainer Mike de Kock a sixth win in the Classic.
As darkness began to fall at Meydan, Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa’s horse lit up the Dubai racecourse to avenge his 2000 Guineas defeat to Maftool and Paul Hanagan by a scarcely believable eight lengths.
Japan’s Golden Barows was third for Ryan Moore.
As Mubtaahij powered down the stretch, Soumillon had enough time to look round twice at his toiling rivals, and even glanced up at the giant television screen facing the grandstand.
“It was really easy,” Soumillon said. “I was a bit worried in the gate, as he was a bit nervous. He jumped out quite well and I had a perfect position behind the leaders. Sometimes when he hits the front he can be a bit tricky. I tried to keep him concentrating, but when I looked up at the big screen I saw that the game was over.”
De Kock had not won the UAE Derby since Musir hit the mark in 2010, but of all his victories in the Group 2 contest this was the one to savour.
“This has been the best, because of what is still to come,” he said.
“Christophe had the most unbelievable position. There were four horses in front of him trying to kill themselves. I just wanted him to get out. I could see on the turn he would win.
“He is a super horse.”
The UAE Derby carries 100 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby, and De Kock confirmed that Churchill Downs in May was indeed next on the agenda.
“This horse has given us a chance of getting to Kentucky to the Derby, and that would be a dream,” the South African trainer said.
“This is really special.”
Al Quoz Sprint
Sole Power finally broke his duck in Dubai in his ninth attempt over a five-year period and gave Richard Hughes, the two-time British champion jockey, a fitting farewell gift before he retires from riding to become a trainer.
The globe-trotting eight year old gelded son of Kyllchy burst through the pack in the final 50 metres to clinch the Al Quoz Sprint over the 1,000-metre dash on turf from Peniaphobia (Douglas Whyte) and Green Mask (Frankie Dettori).
It was Sole Power’s fifth attempt of the prize having previously finished 14th in his first attempt, second, fourth and seventh last year.
“He’s a wonderful little horse,” said Highes, riding Sole Power for the first time in the Al Quoz Sprint.
“After his last start I wasn’t strong on him as he was lacklustre that day. Edward (Lynam, the trainer) has worked on him and whatever he has done has paid off. Any winner is special but to win here is great.”
Dubai Kahayla Classic
Manark provided trainer Erwan Charpy and jockey Dane O’Neill their first Dubai Kahayla Classic success and a seventh for the owner Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid.
O’Neill jumped out of Gate 3 and just blew the field off with a fantastic front-running tactic on the six-year-old chestnut son of Mahabb to win in a track record time 2 minutes 16.30 seconds.
“We quietly fancied his chances after his impressive win over 1,400m in only his second local start,” said Erwan Charpy, who was left devastated two years ago when Versac PY was beaten in a photo finish by Al Mamun Monlau.
“My only concern was if he will stay the trip. And he proved that tonight with a brilliant effort.
“We were drawn three on a lively track so I told Dane not to worry if he made the running. I couldn’t relax until the line because I’ve been close before and caught in the final strides.”
Valiant Boy, trained in the United States by Elizabeth Merryman and ridden by Joel Rosario, snatched second from Raaziq (Kieren Fallon) and Djainka Des Forges (Richard Mullen).
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