Laurel River eases to Dubai World Cup win
LAUREL RIVER turned the Dubai World Cup into a procession when running out a wide-margin winner for local trainer Bhupat Seemar and jockey Tadhg O’Shea.
Formerly trained by Bob Baffert, the Juddmonte-owned six-year-old was trying the 10furlong trip for the first time but with two furlongs to run had the race won.
The likes of Derma Sotogake, Ushba Tesoro, Newgate and Kabirkhan had garnered most of the pre-race talk, with Laurel River almost sneaking in under the radar.
It looked a brave decision to step him up in trip, despite winning a Group Three by almost seven lengths over a mile last time out.
O’Shea was allowed to dictate the race from a long way out and under no pressure, he went further and further clear.
Entering the final furlong, he was still 10 lengths ahead and while Laurel River understandably got tired late on, he crossed the line well ahead of Ushba Tesoro and Senor Buscador.
The winning trainer said: ‘I would like to thank Juddmonte and His Royal Highness for sending me the horse. I was worried that they might be going too fast but Tadhg got the right fractions and also a breather into him.
‘It’s the greatest feeling to have won this race, but what he was doing in the mornings made me think, “What has this horse got”?
‘There is so much stamina in his pedigree but his training was out of this world.’
O’Shea added: ‘I tell you one thing, I have never ridden one as good as him. I never dreamed I would win the Dubai World Cup, it really is the stuff of dreams.
‘He behaved like a pony; he hit the gates and did everything from the front, it was unbelievable.’
Connections of the placed horses were quick to pay tribute to the runaway winner.
Jockey Yuga Kawada, who was eight and a half lengths back in second on Ushba Tesoro, said: ‘The winner was too fast and stayed really well in front.’
Senor Buscador was a neck further back in third and his trainer Todd Fincher commented: ‘Hats off to Laurel River, he freaked on everybody there.’