2012

Daddy Long Legs recorded a landmark victory in the $2 million Group 2 UAE Derby, giving Aidan O’Brien a first win in Dubai.

After racing just off the early pace set by three-time Australian Group 1 winner Helmet, the son of Scat Daddy was driven into the lead by Colm O’Donoghue off the final bend, and stayed on strongly for a length and a quarter margin over French-based runner Yang Tse Kiang (Thierry Jarnet), with the winner’s stable companion, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Wrote back in third.

“We’re delighted,” said a beaming O’Brien after being greeted by Sheikh Mohammed in the winner’s enclosure. “He was a good colt last year, and obviously this was his first run of this season. He jumped and he travelled well.”

O’Brien said his plan in bringing Daddy Long Legs and Wrote to Dubai for the UAE Derby was to measure their potential for the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby. Both colts ran well enough for further consideration.

Daddy Long Legs won the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes last year before finishing 12th in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs.

Strong possibility

“Obviously both ran lovely races tonight; Wrote just got a little tired in the last 50 yards,” O’Brien continued. “We’ll speak to the lads but I would think (Daddy Long Legs) would be a strong possibility for the Kentucky Derby.”

Jockey Colm O’Donoghue was jubilant, raising his arms above his head as he entered the winner’s enclosure. “He competed against the best today and he showed how good he is. He quickened really well. It’s a great training effort by Aidan to win this in his first run of the season, against horses who were already primed and at their best.”

[Daddy Long Legs was pulled up on his next start in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, and then finished fourth to Power in the Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas. However, he failed to win or be placed again and retired to stud in the USA having won three of his 16 career starts. He stood last year at Taylor Made Farm for $5,000, and he shuttled to South America too.

His first crops produced six graded stakes winners, the 2018 Chilean champion juvenile and Group 1 winner Fallen From Heaven, Chilean Group 1 St Leger winner Caso Cerrado, Chilean Group 2 winner and US stakes winner Cheetara, Chilean Group 2 winner Con Dinero, and the Chilean Group 3 winners Savitar and Atomicka]

2007

ONE of the highlights of the recent World Cup meeting was the launch by the Dubai Racing Club of a new racecourse and horseracing city called Meydan.

Held on the eve of the World Cup race meeting at the Mina Al Salam Hotel, the spectacular party to herald the new development was attended by a specially invited audience. The landmark development was unveiled in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed.

It will cover 76 million square feet and feature state-of-the-art dirt and turf tracks, while a world-class grandstand will boast a 55,000 to 60,000 capacity, and span one kilometre. The scale of this development is breath-taking, and all present at the launch certainly experienced a wow factor.

Meydan will be situated adjacent to the current Nad Al Sheba racecourse, and other features at the new venue will include a world-class hotel, more than 10 restaurants, the relocation of the Godolphin Gallery, the headquarters of Dubai Racing Club, a museum, as well as covered car parking for 10,000 vehicles, and a four-kilometre canal which will run from Dubai Creek to the racecourse.

The grandstand will also serve during the off-season as a major dining, business and conference facility. The target opening date is 2010 and, to mark its launch, the DRC announced that prizemoney for the Dubai World Cup that year will be worth US$10 million, up from US$6 million.

Green light

DRC chairman Mr Saeed Al Tayer said: “We received the green light at the Dubai World Cup meeting last year to develop the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and we are proud to reveal that to the whole world. We wanted to develop a world-class facility and I cannot think of any other racecourse in the world that will rival it.

“As we are setting the benchmark in terms of world-class facilities, we want to complement that with increased prizemoney of US$10 million, to continue to entice the best horses in the world for the opening of Meydan for the 2010 Dubai World Cup.

“It is going to be home to the business community, owners, trainers, riders. You name it, it will encompass everything.

“Meydan is an Arabic word that means where people congregate and race, so it is a combination of definitions.

“At the end of the day it is about where people go and race and achieve results. I believe Meydan is not just for Dubai, but it’s for the whole world.”

Defining symbol

An aerial view of the new facility reveals the iconic symbol of a falcon, which is a defining symbol of the local heritage.

DRC chief executive officer Frank Gabriel Jnr said: “We have taken into account feedback from all aspects of the industry, racegoers, trainers, jockeys, our partners, sponsors, other racecourses, everyone, in making this racecourse the magnificent development it will be.

“The racing season will carry on as usual up to the target date, as the state-of-the-art grandstand can be completed without affecting the action at Nad Al Sheba.”

There is no doubt that the facilities at Meydan will be unrivalled, and the fact that a development of this scale can be completed in such a timescale is indicative of the pace at which Dubai is growing, and their commitment to making the area the best commercial and tourism region anywhere.

Gentleman Dick win the Grand National

1982

EARLIER this year Dick Saunders, farmer, amateur jockey and master of foxhounds, was elected a member of the Jockey Club. On Saturday he gave the greatest possible boost to their £7 million appeal that had been launched a few hours earlier to save the Grand National.

Long before the finish it was clear that Grittar, the 7/1 favourite, and his 48-year-old rider were assured of victory, and despite flicking through the top of the final fence they duly stormed home to a memorable victory.

Thus Dick became the oldest jockey to win the race, and immediately announced that he would not ride again.

There seems to be a dangerous complacency in some quarters that raising £7 million to buy Aintree racecourse from Bill Davies by November will not be a difficult task. That is not the impression I have formed while talking to racegoers, bookmakers, owners, trainers and any others who all share a desire to save the Grand National.

Most of them feel it is up to the Jockey Club to give a massive, significant lead by donating a substantial sum of around £2 million to start the fund on a realistic basis.

Winter enjoys National success with Sundew

1957

JUST as everyone was delighted when Sir Gordon Richards at last achieved his lifetime ambition to ride the winner of the Derby, so the victory of Sundew in the Grand National has been generally acclaimed for the belated reward it brings to Freddy Winter, the champion jockey, whose popularity, both with his brother jockeys and the public, could not be higher.

Sundew is a great big horse but, having had two falls in the race, many, myself included, were not prepared to take the risk of backing him. Yet Sundew did what a lot of the critics believed was impossible in a modern Grand National. He made almost every yard of the running.

A great debt was owed to Freddy Winter, who was nearly out of the saddle several times on the journey. It is strange to reflect that, with all his wealth of experience on other courses, Winter had only ridden four times previously over this Aintree course.