Dubai Gold Cup
Saeed bin Suroor, the Goldophin trainer, said his Cavalryman was an “unlucky” loser in the race won by the lightly regarded Certerach, ridden by Jamie Spencer for the Irish trainer Michael Halford.
As Cavalryman challenged late in the 3,200-metre race, Certerach appeared to take his ground, forcing jockey Silvestre De Sousa to stop riding briefly and make his challenge from the outside before falling short by a neck.
De Sousa said Certerach “came across us 200 yards out and it cost us the race”. He lodged an objection with the stewards against the winner, but Bin Suroor withdrew it.
It was the first time the Emirati failed to saddle the winner since the Gold Cup was introduced to the Dubai World Cup card in 2009, but he played down the incident, saying: “He was unlucky, but he ran well.”
Al Quoz Sprint
Joao Moreira was elated after steering the Hong Kong raider Amber Sky to victory in the 1,000-metre race in 56.21 seconds, a record time. The four-year-old son of Exceed And Excel eclipsed the previous best time of 56.41 held by Shea Shea when winning the race last year.
“After winning a race like this, I couldn’t be any better,” Moreira said. “He’s a fast horse and very easy to ride. He proved himself worldwide. He’s a very special horse. When I asked him to kick, he just gave me another gear.”
Ahtoug, under the Godolphin rider Michael Barzalona, was a quarter-length back and Shea Shea a further head behind in third. Shea Shea was left to do a lot at the end. He was last with 400 metres left and jockey Christophe Soumillon weaved him through a wall of horses yet found two horses too good at the end.
“He jumped slow from the gate this time,” Soumillon said. “The pace was very strong and we could get no other option than last. By the time I got him running, the winner had gone.”
UAE Derby
Toast Of New York powered away with the 1,900m race under Jamie Spencer, who scored his second winner of the night. The English runner easily defeated Al Bastikiya winner Asmar by two-and-a-half lengths.
Emirates Flyer was third for Godolphin and rider Keiren Fallon. Toast Of New York had won a lowly novice race in England in November by 16 lengths and trainer Jamie Osborne expressed surprise at the ease of the victory.
“I was hopeful but I never expected that in my wildest dreams,” he said.
Godolphin Mile
Variety Club overcame an outside starting position to win in style. Anton Marcus urged his mount to the front and, once there, Variety Club never surrendered the lead, holding off fellow South African challenger Soft Falling Rain, who ran in defence of the title he won 12 months ago.
“Whether it is a minor maiden or a race like this, it means so much to me,” Marcus said. “I wish I could say he was mine, but he belongs to the whole of South Africa.”
[ Check out this video of the Dubai World Cup race ]
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