Arrogate Amazing in World Cup
DOUBLE: CHRISTOPHE SOUMILLON RIDES TWO WINNERS AT WORLD’S RICHEST MEETING South Africa’s Mubtaahij finishes a gallant fourth from the worst draw.
Arrogate, currently the world’s best racehorse, produced a spectacular performance to win the $10-million Dubai World Cup over 2000m at Meydan on Saturday, overcoming an apprently hopefless situation soon after the start and Powering to glory.
The Breeders’ Cup Classic and Pegasus World Cup Invitational winner was squeezed out at the start and was immediately on the back foot. At one stage he must have been 15 and more lengths behind leader Long River, but jockey Mike Smith did not panic and going down the back straight, steadily worked his mount into the race.
Rounding the turn for home Arrogate surged past one rival after anoher, although Gun Runner appeared to have stolen a march aftersweeping to the front entering the straight.
But in a display befitting of the world’s highest-rated horse, Arrogate found another gear and swept past Gun Runner, pulling clear under a gentle hand ride to win by 2.25 lengths and give Bob Baffert a third win in the 2000m showpiece after Silver Charm (1998) and Captain Steve (2001).
Baffert said: “When he missed the break, I gave him no chance at all. I was so mad at myself, thinking I shouldn’t have brought him that’s the greatest horse I’ve ever seen run. It’s unbelievable, I can’t believe he won. That is a great horse.
“When he turned for home I said, ‘If he wins he’s the greatest since Secretariat’.
“I have to admit I have my heart doctor here and for a few moments I was on red alert. If anyone in racing wasn’t super impressed with that, well they must be seriously missing something.
“I got very emotional as it was like a Hollywood-style finish.
“I think we now need to sit back with Prince Khalid (Abdullah, owner) and give this horse a nice break because the Breeders’ Cup Classic is the one to win.”
Smith said: “When I missed the break I immediately thought of Zenyatta. I thought, ‘I’ve got so much confidence in this horse I’m going to ride him like Zenyatta’, and it paid off.
“I don’t know if the guy (in the stalls) misunderstood me, but I said make sure you keep his head straight. And then he got out instead. My horse just didn’t realise he had to break. But you know what? Things happen for a reason.
“He was slipping and sliding from the word go. Once I got to the outside and he straightened out, he levelled out and I made up five lengths so quick. I thought okay, we’re here. I just tried to be patient and not lose ground. It worked out great. He’s the greatest I’ve ever been on.
“Bob (Baffert) had a heart attack last time he was in Dubai, and I think I had one too. I had to hit my heart about three times to get it pumping after that start.
“This horse can do anything. He can win in the lead, he can come from dead last, he hasn’t even taken a breath.
“I get a lot of the glory, but there’s a big team who deserve a lot of credit.”
South African trainer Mike de Kock was represented by Mubtaahij, ridden by French jockey Christophe Soumillon. Mubtaahij was travelling well and looked a real contender briefly on the home turn, but began to labour when Gun Runner turned up the heat and finished nearly two lengths ehind Neolithic in fourth.
Soumillon commented: “Every time he runs he gives you his all and that was the same today. He ran his heart out.”
De Kock said: “It was a superhuman effort to get over from stall 14 and you can rely on him with the accuracy of a Swiss watch. If he comes out of this okay I’m very keen to take him to Hong Kong and have a crack at the QEII Cup.”
The 2015 Irish Derby winner Jack Hobbs showed he's fully recovery from an injury tha sidelined him for most of last season and delivered a devastating victory on the rain-softened ground to win the $6-million 2400m Dubai Sheema Classic.
Pulled-up with a stress fracture to his pelvis on his reappearance at the Craven meeting last April, he did not race again until finishing third in the QIPCO Champion Stakes at Ascot last October.
He was sidelined again after that, but trainer John Gosden came into this contest hopeful that he had got the flame burning again and the five-year-old dispatched some smart rivals with ease.
Cruising turning for home, William Buick's mount cut between rivals more than 200m out and stretched away to beat Seventh Heaven and Postponed.
Gosden commented afterwards: "First of all he liked the conditions, good to soft. Secondly, he had a long year off but ran brilliantly in the Champion Stakes - the form was amazing with Almanzor and Found. And then he trained really well and I was hopeful of a huge performance. So it didn't come as a big surprise, to be quite honest. He is a very fine horse. It has been a long road back.
"I put semi-blinkers on just to make him concentrate. He has had so much time off that he forgets he is a racehorse and is looking around at who is in the boxes in the stands. He is in no way ungenuine, but he was dreaming at Ascot and I just wanted to concentrate his mind.
"We'd had him out at 5am trying to get used to the lights, the first time he was taken aback but he's got used to it."
Looking to future plans, Gosden said: "After they've run here you need to freshen them up and I would like to look at the Hardwicke Stakes at Ascot and then the King George, which are ideal races for him.”
The $6-million Dubai Turf over 1800m went the way of “Magic Man” Joao Moreira on Japanese raider Vivlos with the jockey showing just why he has been creating such a big name for himself in Hong Kong.
Trainer Richard Fahey's charge Ribchester made a bold bid for home under Buick and briefly looked to have slipped the field. But Heshem started giving chase for France and just as Ribchester's stamina started to give way, Vivlos began to make headway.
Moreira, who recently rode eight winners on a single card at Sha Tin, proved an irresistible force, guiding the filly to a narrow success over Heshem with Ribchester third.
"To just be part of this is exciting, but to ride a winner is special," said Moreira.
Mind Your Biscuits came with a powerful late run to win the $2-million Golden Shaheen over 1200m in a decisive fashion.
Incredibly, the success was the first as a trainer for Chad Summers, who took over from Robert Falcone jun, in charge when the horse ran second in the Breeders' Cup Sprint last year.
Drawn widest of all, jockey Joel Rosario did not start his challenge until the home straight, but Mind Your Biscuits picked up impressively to win going away from Godolphin’s Comicas.
Didier Guillemin-trained The Right Man caused a minor upset for France in the $1-million Al Quoz Sprint.
Third behind Jungle Cat in his preparatory race earlier this month, he turned that form on its head under Francois-Xavier Bertras, beating Long On Value.
The race was supposed to be the crowning glory for lightningquick Ertijaal, who has dominated the sprints at the last two carnival meetings, but after hitting the front at halfway he was headed 200m out and finished third with Jungle Cat fourth.
Soumillon enjoyed two wins at the meeting, winning the $2-million UAE Derby on Thunder Show and the Dubai Gold Cup on Vazirabad.
Thunder Snow got up in the shadow of the post to deny Japanese raider Epicharis victory in the 2000m Group 2 race, with trainer Saeed Bin Suroor - winning the race for the eighth time saying: “It wasn’t an easy race, but the horse is a champion.”
Thunder Snow appeared to have everything under control, but just inside the final 200m jinked to his right, catching Soumillon off balance and handing the initiative back to his Far East rival.
To his credit Thunder Snow knuckled down again, regained top speed and narrowly prevailed in a photo. Master Plan was third with Lancaster Bomber in fourth.
De Kock’s runner Fawree was hampered 400m out and finished a distant seventh after being under pressure throughout.
Soumillon teamed up with French trainer Alain de RoyerDupre to win the $1-million Dubai Gold Cup on Vazirabad, who enjoyed the soft ground and became the first horse to land back-toback renewals of the Grade 2 race.
The five-year-old pipped Big Orange in the 3200m race last year and this time it was Godolphin's Beautiful Romance, who had to settle for second behind the French champion stayer.
Big Orange cut out much of the running, but Beautiful Romance was on his coattails and took it up with the pair well clear turning into the straight.
It was a matter of whether Beautiful Romance had enough in the tank to repel the pursuers. Still in front 100m from the line, she ran out of gas late as Vazirabad, held up early, came with a withering late run to get up in the shadow of the post.
Sheikhzayedroad finished on their heels in third with Big Orange fourth.
Second Summer came from the clouds to give Doug Watson a victory in the $1-million Godolphin Mile, beating German challenger Ross by a neck.
Favourite North America was in trouble from some way out and finished well beaten. – Press Association.