DUBAI // Salem bin Ghadayer is dreaming of World Cup night success after Mickael Barzalona guided Fazza Racing’s Long River and Heavy Metal to victory at Meydan Racecourse’s Super Saturday.
Bin Ghadayer spearheaded the local defence of the UAE’s second-biggest fixture from the international raiders with Long River tenaciously holding on in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 and Heavy Metal proving six-and-half lengths too good in the Burj Nahaar.
Both horses look set to be invited to world racing’s most valuable night back here on March 25. Bin Ghadayer can hardly wait.
“That was amazing, it was amazing for me,” the trainer said. “It’s a dream for any trainer just to participate in the World Cup. We would pay just to have that chance.”
This has been a staggering season for the partially blind former Endurance rider, and Long River’s win was his ninth of the campaign and fifth at this World Cup Carnival.
That is more than his two previous campaigns put together since the 40-year-old set up with Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed’s backing with 28 horses for the 2015 Carnival.
Dubai Millennium (2000), Street Cry (2002) and Electrocutionist (2006) have all won both the Al Maktoum Challenge and the Dubai World Cup in the same season.
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However, Long River has virtually no chance of beating Pegasus and Breeders’ Cup winner Arrogate in the World Cup itself.
Postponed’s defeat in the Dubai City Of Gold provided us with a sober reminder that anything is possible in the land of opportunity, however.
Long River can only better his first attempt two seasons ago in the US$10 million (Dh36.7m) event when he tailed off behind surprise winner Prince Bishop.
Long River has been prepared with the World Cup in mind, and a reason emerged for his miserable effort in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 last month.
“We must forget that run because he came back bleeding from his left hind — perhaps a horse overreached him or he kicked himself at the start,” Bin Ghadayer said. “I was 100 per cent sure he would need only a little improvement to how he was before that race to run well.”
Almost from the start Long River went head to head with the returning Special Fighter at the head of the eight-runner field. Barzalona had the benefit of the rail, while Fernando Jara raced last year’s winner on the outside. Long River was never headed and, although Jara did all he could to close the gap in the straight, Long River just kept on extending.
It was a satisfactory return for Special Fighter, who was a length-and-a-quarter adrift at the line on his first start for 12 months, with Furia Cruzada, the only mare in the 2,000-metre contest, the same distance back in third.
Special Fighter’s effort was Maria Ritchie’s best performance as a trainer since officially taking over from Musabah Al Muhairi six days ago, and the US$80,000 prize-money for second will be well received at Oasis Stables.
Special Fighter was fourth behind California Chrome in last year’s World Cup and a rematch with Long River is on the cards.
“He ran so well,” Ritchie said. “He was about 85 per cent because he has missed all season. That was a brilliant run. We just couldn’t catch that horse. I’m looking at the World Cup again.”
Everywhere you looked there was a little slice of local accomplishment.
Godolphin secured a double courtesy of Prize Money in the Dubai City Of Gold and Jungle Cat in the inaugural Nad Al Sheba Sprint Trophy.
Dhruba Selvaratnam sent out Morawij to take the Mahab Al Shimaal and Doug Watson opened the night with Cosmo Charlie’s comfortable Al Bastakiya win.
Just when the international challengers thought their luck had run out, Andrea Atzeni encouraged Decorated Knight to produce a searing finishing kick in the Group 1 Jebel Hatta, the final race of the night.
The victory looked fairly unlikely midway through the turf feature, and Atzeni must have been cursing his luck after the defeat of Postponed when stuck on the rail in eighth position.
The Italian bided his time before the gap opened up for him to collar Godolphin’s Folkswood and William Buick by a neck.
“The horse will stay here now for the big night,” Harry Charlton said of Decorated Knight in place of his trainer father Roger. “We didn’t have an entry before the race.
“We haven’t been invited yet, because he is only rated 113. Presumably winning this race means we get invited.”
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