New Year cheer for Bouresly, Harib
GODOLPHIN NEWCOMER ACOLYTE SHOWS HE HAS THE MAKINGS OF A CARNIVAL HORSE
here is always a first time for everything and trainer Rashid Bouresly and new owner Sultan Saeed Harib were celebrating significant successes at Meydan Racecourse at a non-Carnival daynight meeting yesterday.
Bouresly, the enthusiastic Kuwaiti businessman with a passion for training and owning race horses, saddled his first winner at the track in more than seven years, when the former Mark Johnston-trained Kharab comfortably landed the Meydan Museum Handicap.
Bouresly, who seamlessly juggles multiple roles with a big smile, last visited the hallowed winner’s enclosure when Star Crowned won a handicap event in February 2010.
“It’s been a long wait, but well worth it in the end,” said the Kuwaiti, nervously adjusting his trademark checkered red and white ghutra. “It’s always special to win a race at this magnificent racecourse, which is one of the best hippodromes in the world.
“I’ve been quite busy recently but I found the time to devote to our horses and this is the result. He’s a nice horse who we think highly off and hopefully there is more to come from him.”
Bouresly indicated that the three-year-old son of Dark Angel could next line up in the UAE 1000 Guineas Trial later this month.
Meanwhile, Dubai Racing Channel’s Sultan Saeed Harib went home with his first ever trophy as a horse owner after the former French-trained Vivernus, who was bought out of the Godolphin sale in Dubai last year, won the Selva Middle East Trophy.
A four-year-old son of the late Darley stallion and Dubai World Cup winner Street Cry, Vivernus absolutely annihilated the field to cross the line seven lengths clear of =Globalist.
“I loved him the moment I saw him in the sale ring and just knew that I had to own a horse by Street Cry,” said Harib, the son of Saeed Harib, the popular Secretary General of the Dubai Sports Council (DSC).
“It’s only his third start in the UAE but he seems to have improved immensely thanks to work done by Musabah (Al Muhairi). Obviously we are very excited to have won this and hope that there will be more to come from him after we give him a three-week break.”
Acolyte, a new edition to Saeed Bin Surour’s Godolphin Stables, made a quick impression winning the featured 1,200 metre Al Naboodah Travel Trophy under Harry Bentley.
A three race winner on allweather surfaces when previous trained by Roger Charlton in the UK, the five-year-old son of Acclamation displayed a smart turn-of-foot to win by a length and a half from Pick Six favourite Salvadori, the mount of Bruno Reis.
“On paper I thought he was well capable of winning this,” said Bentley, who has flown over from neighbouring Qatar to don the famous Royal Blue Godolphin silks. “But it’s one of those races that you could put a blanket on all of them.
“His best form is only the poly track but he’s handled this pretty well. Hopefully the handicapper will put him up a few kilos which should get him into the Carnival, which I think he is fully capable of. He should be really be competitive over six or even furlongs.”