Dubai Gold Cup (Group 2)

LAST year’s Group 1 Prix Royal-Oak winner Subjectivist ended a 22-year hiatus on Dubai World Cup night for Britain’s record winning trainer Mark Johnston with a brilliant victory in the $750,000 Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup.

Johnston’s longstanding stable jockey Joe Fanning tracked the early leader before hitting the front about six furlongs from home, powering clear to a five and three-quarter length success from the German runner Walderbe. Away He Goes was a head further back in third place.

“We’ve had Carnival winners but this is the first success on World Cup night for 22 years,” said Johnston, whose last triumph on this night was Fruits Of Love in the 1999 Dubai Sheema Classic.

“Frankly, we hadn’t been bringing the right horses. We came here today thinking surely he was the one to beat. He was a Group 1 winner on his last outing. He didn’t have to improve – he just had to run up to his best. People doubted him on the ground but he’d just never run on anything this fast. When I walked the course I didn’t think I’d seen a turf track in the world in a better condition than this.”

For Fanning it was a first success on Dubai World Cup night from his first mount. He said: “He settled well and I was always going so easy before the turn in. He stays very well. I rode him out here yesterday and I thought the ground was good. I think he’ll go on any surface. He’s a good horse and has loads of ability and I think he’s a better horse this year.”