Promising Run provided Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor his fourth Group 2 Balanchine Stakes at the Dubai World Cup Carnival’s seventh meeting at Meydan racecourse on Saturday.
An impressive winner of the Group 2 Cape Verdi three weeks ago, Promising Run had to draw upon her last drop of stamina and all of jockey Pat Cosgrave’s might to keep in front to prevail by a short head from the Antonio Fresu-ridden Furia Cruzada.
Frankie Dettori, on his first ride at a Carnival meeting this season, set the early pace on the Saudi Arabia based trainer Neil Bruss’ Tiaemah.
Cosgrave had Promising Run breathing down Tiaemah's neck on the outside before moving up the order on the home straight.
Fresu brought Furia Cruzada from the back of the field to challenge Promising Run from the outside and the two battled all the way to the line to have the racegoers on the edge of their seats.
The $6 million (Dh22m) Dubai Turf over the same course and distance on Dubai World Cup night next month may be a target for Promising Run after her two Carnival victories.
Godolphin had another successful night with trainer Charlie Appleby saddling a double. He took the opening race with Baccarat under William Buick before James Doyle steered Blair House to victory in the sixth race.
“The horse has come out very well tonight,” said Appleby of nine year old gelding Baccarat.
“He has put up some good work since his last run and we were confident of a good second run in the Carnival. We’ll see how he’s come out of this race, and perhaps, will look for another race. If not he goes straight for the (the $1m Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint) Dubai World Cup meeting.”
Aside from Godolphin’s success, Mickael Barzalona and Salem bin Ghadayer teamed up to score an excellent double.
They were successful with Heavy Metal in the Group 3 Firebreak Stakes, the third race, and were back in the winner’s enclosure after Yalta’s victory 35 minutes later.
Barzalona didn’t have to break a sweat on both the victories. He made every yard of the running to power Heavy Metal to win by nine and three-quarter lengths, and rode Yalta to a similar success over 1,200m.
Heavy Metal bounced back from his defeat behind Godolphin’s Thunder Snow and North America in the Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge over 1,900m two weeks ago to register his third win in four starts.
“He loves to race in front and this distance suits him,” Barzalona said. “The last time he couldn’t get into the front because North America was faster than my horse, and perhaps, the longer distance.
“I couldn’t do anything on that occasion, but he is best over this trip and this is his third win over 1,600m this season.”
Barzalona almost replicated his earlier triumph on Yalta for his first success in six local starts.
He jumped out of Gate 4 and never looked like being overtaken, coming home five lengths clear of Taamol with Stunned a further four and three-quarter lengths in third.
