USHBA Tesoro crowned yet another memorable international night for Japan when finishing strongest in the 27th Group 1 Dubai World Cup over 10 furlongs at Meydan.

The six-year-old son of Orfevre scored by a widening two-and-three-quarter lengths from the great and brave local hope Algiers, with the Saudi Arabian-trained Emblem Road in third. The winner is trained by Noboru Takagi for Ryotokuji Kenji Holdings, and was ridden by Yuga Kawada.

It was a race where the picture changed dramatically in the final two furlongs. As the field turned into the home stretch, the leading UAE-owned fancy Algiers was travelling with conspicuous ease, and as he took the lead with a furlong and a half to run, the race appeared at his mercy.

However, Kawada was unleashing a lethal burst from Ushba Tesoro, settled at the rear of the field before making his move out wide with three furlongs to go. He had trailed the field by 15 lengths in the early stages of the race. Trainer Takagi said the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, the one race Japan has yet to conquer and covets most, will come under consideration later in the year.

Despite the dominance by Japan in the world’s biggest races in recent years, it was their first success in the $12 million feature since Victoire Pisa broke through in 2011, that success coming on the synthetic Tapeta surface.

Kawada said: “It was his first time running overseas and there were queries on whether he’d travel, as well as the fact it was his first time on the surface. He was training quite well over here this week and I knew the horse was in good condition, so it was just a matter of the horse keeping his head in the race and he did that very well today.

“There were eight Japanese horses in the field, and aside from myself the only other Japanese jockey on a Japanese horse was Yutaka Yoshida on Panthalassa. I was on the horse for the first time today, but it was a tremendous honour to ride him.”

Great feeling

Takagi said: “It’s a great feeling. Everything went as planned. This is by far the greatest honour of my career. We’ll see how he is over the summer and come up with a plan for him.”

A representative for Ryotokuji Kenji Holdings said: “This was the first win abroad for our syndicate, and now we’ve opened our doors to the global stage we will look again. The owners expressed an interest in going for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe if we won this today.”

James Doyle was thrilled with the effort from the runner-up, Algiers, trained by Simon and Ed Crisford. He said: “Delighted with the way he’s run. It was a first opportunity to run at this top level and he has acquitted himself magnificently.” Ed Crisford added: “He ran with great credit. James gave him a beautiful ride. He jumped well and turning in I thought we had it in the bag, but the last furlong he was just treading water a bit.”

Electrifying Equinox a stunning Classic winner

EQUINOX produced a performance of rare quality to stamp his authority on global middle-distance turf racing when winning the $6,000,000 Dubai Sheema Classic. He looks quite untouchable if trainer Tetsuya Kimura can keep him at this level of form, and the Silk Racing Syndicate have much to look forward to.

That Equinox was able to run away from his rivals was predicted by many beforehand, but few could have foreseen Christophe Lemaire’s decision to lead into the first turn and dictate the race from the front.

It might well be that tactics were immaterial, such was the superiority of this dazzling son of Kitasan Black, a new champion for both Lemaire and Silk Racing who has come hard on the heels of their horse of a lifetime, Almond Eye.

Convinced he was on the best horse, Lemaire took chance out of the equation, never taking his hands off the reins, let alone shaking them at Equinox, his measured stride taking him out of range of the pursuing Zagrey and the running-on Westover.

In any normal edition of the Sheema Classic, Juddmonte’s homebred would have been a good winner, and trainer Ralph Beckett can also anticipate the summer for Westover.

Lemaire said: “I knew he was the best horse and so I was happy to make the pace. I’m really happy for all of the connections. It’s been a long time since I won the Sheema, the last time was with Heart’s Cry.

“Race after race, he’s going up the rankings of the horses I have ridden. It was a great, great performance against these kind of horses at the top level. I couldn’t be happier.”

Tough field

Kimura said: “We didn’t have a plan really and Christophe is just a very good jockey who knows how to ride these horses very well. It was a tough field with some very strong horses, but he’s a champion and he was just the best. He got the job done and made it all look so simple. I am very happy with this performance.”

Ryan Moore was in the saddle on Westover and said: “I’m really happy. He ran a super race and he was beaten by a very good horse, but he showed himself to be a high quality colt. [Equinox] will be a threat wherever he goes.”

Beckett said: “Terrific as it hasn’t been easy this week; he did two laps of the training track on Tuesday when he was only meant to do one! I wouldn’t rule out dropping back to 10 furlongs for an Eclipse or a Tattersalls Gold Cup.”

Lord North’s historic hat-trick

LORD North created a piece of racing history by becoming the first horse to win three straight renewals of the nine furlong, $5,000,000 Group 1 Dubai Turf on Saturday, thanks to a gutsy display under Frankie Dettori.

John and Thady Gosden’s seven-year-old arrived at Meydan on the back of a win in last month’s Group 3 Winter Derby at Lingfield Park, and he was always prominentri. Tracking the early pace behind the Roger Varian-trained El Drama, the leaders soon swapped places swinging for home, when William Buick took over on Nations Pride.

Buick would have been entitled to think his move was enough, but Dettori had his measure on Lord North, cosily picking up the lead inside the final furlong for a game success, stealing first run on the fast-closing Japanese-trained pair of Serifos and Danon Beluga.

The victory means that Dettori is the race’s most successful jockey with four victories. They have come with the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Tamayaz (1997), in addition to three on Lord North. He also extended his lead as the most successful rider at the Dubai World Cup meeting across its near three-decade history, this being his 23rd victory since its inception in 1996, and it was Dettori’s final appearance at Meydan before his retirement.

The jockey, after his trademark flying dismount, said: “It’s amazing to win once; three times, it’s unreal. Thady has done an amazing job because he’s a horse that gets sick quite easily; that’s why he doesn’t run that often. And Lord North himself, what a star. It’s pretty special.”

Thady Gosden added: “The first time he won the race he showed a nice turn of foot. and then last year his preparation wasn’t quite as straightforward as this year.

“The lad who rides him out every day thought he was in much better form than coming into last year. It’s fantastic and thanks to everyone at home in the yard, to the horse and to Frankie as well. He’s a homebred gelding and it’s fantastic for him to come here and win a race of this quality three times on the trot.”

Nations Pride finished third and jockey William Buick said: “We were drawn 14 of 14 so that was never easy, but I am delighted with him.” Trainer Charlie Appleby added: “Hopefully he’s going to have a nice summer internationally over 10 furlongs.” Order Of Australia finished down the field.

Sibelius hits the right note in the Golden Shaheen

IF you thought Ryan Moore’s winning challenge on Broome in the Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup was late, then his final run up the rail on Sibelius in the $2,000,000 Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen over six furlongs was even more of a heart-stopper.

He denied last year’s winner Switzerland by a nose, and in doing so he gave Irishman Jeremiah O’Dwyer by far the biggest win of his training career. Deep into the straight it looked as if the finish would be an all-American one, fought out between Frankie Dettori on Hopkins and Tyler Gaffalione on Gunite.

However, the race changed complexion at the furlong mark, with Switzerland launched down the outside by Tadhg O’Shea and Moore moving up on the rail.

Tipperary

Sibelius was born, bred and is trained in the United States, but O’Dwyer’s role ensured celebrations in his native Co Tipperary, while owners Jun Park and Della Nash can reflect on the wisdom of placing their trust in the young handler.

O’Dwyer said: “The race didn’t work out quite the way I had predicted. You know you can read these races a hundred times. but it will never go the same way. To be honest, he just sat back in the gates and was a bit slow, but when you have a master rider like Ryan Moore, he gets you out of trouble.

“It really is a proud moment for us. I am grateful to the owners. They let me do what is best with the horse every step of the way and never interfere. He trains like a good horse, he acts like a good horse, he rides like a good horse.”

Moore was delighted, saying: “I was very lucky to pick up the ride. He actually stepped a little slowly, I was a half-length further behind than I wanted to be. We had a charmed run, and the horse dug in really deep. He showed a lot of courage and heart to get there.”

Irishman Tadhg O’Shea was philosophical and said of the runner-up: “He’s a tough horse. He’s done everything right, he’s just unfortunate to come out the wrong side of a photo, but he’s lost nothing in defeat.” Bhupat Seemar added: “It’s hard to get beat like that; he did everything right. We had a plan to just give him two races and keep the miles off his legs and I thought we had it there.”

Danyah upstages an international Sprint field

DANYAH put a host of specialist sprinters to the sword when flying up the centre under Dane O’Neill to deliver a popular success for Shadwell and trainer Musabbeh Al Mheiri in the $1,500,000, six-furlong Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint.

Having been campaigned over seven furlongs and a mile since arriving in the UAE, he outran the rest on his first start over six since October 2019, at which stage he was trained by Owen Burrows. With the field racing up the middle of the track, any bias for those drawn high was negated, and many had chances inside the final furlong.

Al Suhail and William Buick appeared to be travelling all over the winner but had to settle for third, while The Astrologist also made a final, decisive challenge, finishing just a head behind the winner for Australian-based Leon and Troy Corstens. A truly international finish was rounded out by the Hong Kong pair of Sight Success and Duke Wai, with a length covering the first five.

Bred to be a star as the son of Invincible Spirt and the Albany Stakes winner Cuis Ghaire, Danyah proved toughest of all and was led in by Sheikha Hissa bint Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Al Mheiri was celebrating a third World Cup night success following the victories of Tamarkuz in the 2015 Godolphin Mile and Muarrab in the Dubai Golden Shaheen a year later.

He said: “We had an invite for the Godolphin Mile but we thought we would try him over six in the Al Quoz. We felt he had enough speed to run well and maybe finish in the placings, but to win is a very nice surprise.

“Great credit to Shadwell for how they planned it and it is a special day for us all.”

The Astrologist’s owner Nathan Bennett said: “We mapped out a plan back in Australia. We thought the horse was good enough to come over and he proved that when he ran in the Newmarket Handicap. We’ve been invited to Royal Ascot, so he’ll go to Newmarket and to Marco Botti.”

Al Suhail finished third and trainer Charlie Appleby said: “We are delighted. I think a race like the [Group 1] Platinum Jubilee at Ascot will suit him. I thought for a moment the way he travelled we might just have a chance at pinching it, but full credit to Sheikha Hissa and the Shadwell team.”

The Johnny Murtagh-trained Ladies Church finished ninth in a field of 16 and jockey Ben Coen said: “She probably did a bit too much too early.”

Broome sweeps to record-breaking win

THE Aidan O’Brien-trained Broome took the step up to two miles in his stride when striking late to take the $1,000,000 Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup in a pulsating finish.

It looked as though Subjectivist would roar back to the form of his emphatic 2021 victory when rounding the bend for home with a narrow lead, but he was headed by the strong-travelling Siskany for Charlie Appleby and the Godolphin team.

However, Ryan Moore once again showed why he is one of the best pilots in the world by striking late on Broome, whose well-timed challenge was enough to seal a narrow neck success, breaking the course record, set by Subjectivist, in the process.

It was a first win in the race for both trainer and jockey. The win provided some compensation for Broome’s part-owner Masaaki Matsushima, who was forced to scratch leading Japanese hope Do Deuce from the Group 1 Dubai Turf.

MV Magnier said: “Aidan was very confident he would handle the trip. He’s danced every dance and travelled around the world. We are lucky to have him. Mr Matsushima has supported us well over the last few years, so it is great to share a win with him.”

Very brave

“He’s a very brave horse,” Moore said. “He’s a Group 1 winner, he’s got high-class form. The pace was strong and we just had to wait for a bit of room at the top of the straight. He’s so brave, though, he puts his head down and he gave me everything. It’s a pleasure to ride a horse like him.

“He’s done a lot of racing and he always runs his race, but you’re never quite sure how they will handle a step up in distance until they come out and do it. It’s one of the biggest nights of the year; I’m always delighted to come out here.” Broome was bred by Denis Brosnan.

Derma Sotogake bound for Kentucky after Derby rout

JAPAN’S Derma Sotogake lined up a shot at the Kentucky Derby as he made every bit of the running to win the $1,000,000 Group 2 UAE Derby, The nine and a half furlong contest was dominated by Japanese horses.

Trained by Hidetaka Otonashi, owned by Hiroyuki Asanuma and ridden with supreme confidence by Christophe Lemaire, the chesnut won unchallenged by five and a half lengths from Dura Erede. Japanese runners filled the four places, with another four lengths back to Continuar in third and three and a half more back to Perriere in fourth.

Derma Sotogake really impressed and was stepping up in distance from his third-place finish in the Saudi Derby over a mile last month. Trainer Otonashi said: “It’s my first time here and Derma Sotogake is my first ever runner. Now, I have one runner and one winner - it doesn’t get much better than that! He will go straight to Kentucky from Dubai. We’ll discuss it but Christophe will probably keep it - he said he would anyway!”

Lemaire added: “He was still moving smoothly for me as we came into the home stretch and once I pressed the button he was very impressive and I could enjoy the finish on him. I hope he goes to America and I would love to ride him there. How could anyone refuse that?”

The Ballydoyle runner Cairo, a recent winner at Dundalk, was well beaten. Jockey Ryan Moore said: “It was his first run on dirt and he just didn’t enjoy himself.”

Third Godolphin Mile triumph for Watson

UAE-BASED trainer Doug Watson stamped his name on the $1,000,000 Group 2 Godolphin Mile for the third time after Isolate did as his name suggested, going wire-to-wire under Tyler Gaffalione.

The five-year-old Mark Valeski entire broke well, hit the front and travelled strongly. After turning for home, with the slightest of urgings, he stretched fully to run home five and a half lengths clear.

Fellow UAE-trained Law Of Peace, Bhupat Seemar’s charge, encountered a lot of traffic after a poor break, yet found his way into second in the hands of Richard Mullen, while Antonio Cintra’s Atletico El Culano took third a further three-quarters adrift in the hands of Jose da Silva. Bathrat Leon took fourth, while Everfast, another trained by Watson, was fifth under Oscar Chavez.

Watson said: “I’m just thrilled for Sheikh Rashid [bin Humaid al Nuaimi] and the whole team at home. I’ve been here for almost 30 years, I’ve progressed from being in charge of the ambulance at the first Dubai World Cup to now having winners on the night. It’s quite remarkable.”

Holds on

A thrilling, head-bobbing finish greeted spectators at the 2023 Dubai World Cup meeting at Meydan, with local hopes Hayyan and Barakka involved in a long stretch duel in the $1,000,000 Group 1 Dubai Kahayla Classic over 10 furlongs, The card’s traditional curtain-raiser, the only race for purebred Arabians, saw the Majed Al Jahoori-trained Hayyan prevail by a short head.

He was ridden by Panamanian jockey Oscar Chavez, who also partnered him when winning the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 last month. A messy start for 2021 winner Deryan ended his hopes of reclaiming his crown, while last year’s victor First Classs made good ground towards the finish, grabbing third.

Al Jahoori, who first won this race with Rabbah De Carrere in 2014, said: “To win this for a second time is a dream and I’m very happy. I have to thank His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his support.”