Ali Rashid Raihe and Royston Ffrench combined to win the fourth Chengdu Dubai International Cup when Skygazer scored in the feature race at Jinma Lake Racecourse in China on Sunday.
Stargazer never looked like being caught after the five-year-old gelding took the lead 400 metres from the winning post. Satish Seemar’s Start Right was half a length behind at the line, while UAE champion trainer Doug Watson took third with Diwaan.
It was a second success for Ffrench, who won the 2,218-metre contest in 2014.
“It is fantastic to ride a winner here in Chengdu and it was a great performance from the horse,” the jockey said. “It is for my old boss and to be able to ride a winner for him makes it extra special.”
Maria Ritchie posted her first international win when Damar guided Chinese jockey Wenxun Wang to win the Wenjiang Sprint, which was the first leg of the inaugural jockey challenge.
Seemar’s Sky Jockey won the Guangsha Handicap, the second leg, under Pat Dobbs an hour later. With 12 points for a win, six for second, four for third and two for fourth, the overall tally resulted in the nine international jockey beating the five Chinese riders 28-20.
Over in America late on Saturday just after Dubai World Cup winner Arrogate had returned to his Santa Anita base having cleared quarantine from Dubai, US Purebred Arabian star Paddys Day won the Grade 1 Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Darley Award Stakes at the California Racecourse.
Paddy Day, trained by Scott Powell, beat Easter Man and Sand Victor to the $US100,000 (Dh367,000) prize.
It was a first top-flight Purebred Arabian victory for Victor Espinoza, who guided California Chrome to triumph in the Dubai World Cup two seasons ago in record time.
“In 20 to 30 years I thought I had ridden them all but this was my first experience with an Arabian horse,” the Mexican jockey said. “He did not give up just a like a thoroughbred horse, it was just the pace was a little slower.”
Arrogate is set for a long break after his remarkable last-to-first victory at Meydan last Saturday and will have a prep race no earlier than July before he is readied for a defence of his Breeders’ Cup Classic crown in Del Mar in November.
Jockey Mike Smith was also at Santa Anita, and was delighted with Arrogate’s condition following his 20,000-mile trip and two-day quarantine.
“This is exciting, I’ve been praying since the race was over to get him back home,” Smith said. “He had so much turbulence in the race, he didn’t need any more in the air!”
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