Sajjhaa caps big night for Godolphin at Meydan

Three wins for Dubai racing operation as Masteroftherolls and Mandaean also race to victory.

One of Silvestre de Sousa's two wins, in white cap, came aboard Masteroftherolls. Mike Young / The National

DUBAI // Saeed bin Suroor, the Godolphin trainer, and Silvestre de Sousa, the jockey, continued their fine start to the 2013 Dubai World Cup Carnival with a double at the third meeting today, highlighted by the smooth success of Sajjhaa in the featured Group 2 Cape Verdi Stakes.

The six year old led over a furlong out in the 1,600m feature, restricted to fillies and mares and ran on strongly to deny the Mike de Kock-trained Amanee with last year's winner, First City in third.

Christophe Soumillon, on the runner-up, asked to view the replay after an incident early in the straight but the stewards saw nothing wrong and the result was soon confirmed.

"She has enjoyed the Dubai weather and had been working well so we knew she would be hard to beat," Bin Suroor said.

"She will step up a furlong for the Balanchine Stakes [on February21] and should go well again with the horses in good form," he added.

Earlier, they combined with Masteroftherolls, third in the 1,800m turf handicap on this card last year, who went two places better in the 1m1f turf handicap. He was chased home by the Brian Meehan-trained Burano who was closing under Kieren Fallon but De Sousa was always confident and said: "I could hear them coming at me but knew I had plenty of horse left."

Godolphin completed a treble with Mandaean the smooth winner of the concluding 1,600m turf handicap with Mickael Barzalona aboard for Mahmoud Al Zarooni.

It was also a great evening for trainer Satish Seemar and his stable jockey Richard Mullen who registered a double. Bay Willow and Mullen made all the running in the opening 2,200m Tapeta handicap when chased home by stable companion Layali Al Andalus under stable apprentice Marc Monaghan to give the yard a memorable 1-2.

Mullen said: "We made all over much further last time so when nobody wanted to go on I was more than happy to.

"I was happy to commit turning for home because stamina was never an issue and he ran all the way to the line."

The jockey's evening was to get better with Reynaldothewizard leading in the final strides to catch long time leader Ganas who was then denied second by Irish raider Balmont Mast in the 1,200m conditions race on the Tapeta. First-time blinkers appeared to do the trick and Mullen explained: "We just put them on to sharpen him up as he did not really fire on his seasonal return but we knew the trip and especially the surface suit him."

Christophe Soumillon, out of luck in the big race, opened his 2013 Carnival account with a smooth success in the 2,000m Tapeta handicap on Elderly paradise to provide Macau with a winner. Winner of the 2012 Macau Derby, he supplied trainer Alan Tam with a third Dubai winner after Change The Grange won twice in 2005.

Soumillon said: "He ran well here first time and we were hopeful. Everything went to plan and he did it nicely."

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