Incredible day came to astonishing finish
Where do I start, such was the drama and excitement of the Dubai World Cup, Throughout the night before Dubai was battered by thunder, lightening, winds and rain which were to continue through the morning finally abating around 9.30am to be replaced with intermittent showers and strong gusting winds.
The Meydan dirt track which had been ‘sealed’ the day before, resembled a duck’s nirvana and the turf a soggy green lawn. All of us at Meydan from early morning were inwardly praying in vain for warm sun.
First blood in the Godolphin Mile went to our champion trainer Doug Watson and jockey Pat Dobbs with Second Summer — another American import for the American trainer.
The Arabian Group 1 Kahayla Classic was ultra competitive on paper but ground conditions changed the perspective with Reda, trained by maestro Julian Smart and ridden by Qatar racing hero Harry Bentley, the winner.
The Dubai Turf gave us our first chance to see how soft or not the track would be. It certainly played to the strengths of easy ground runners with the French-trained Vazirabad winning for the second consecutively year.
As predicted by many Thunder Snow won the UAE Derby, though only narrowly after running very immaturely for Soumillon. Thunder Snow’s goal is a Derby, either in England, Ireland, France or maybe Kentucky.
The Turf Al Quoz Sprint was always going to be a lottery with many runners needing fast dry ground but the French trained winner, The Right Man. had winning form on soft ground and prevailed by a nostril over American Long On Value. Didier Guillemin- trainer says he goes to Hong Kong next with Royal Ascot also on the agenda.
For 22 years Gulf News have sponsored the Golden Shaheen and the race never fails to thrill with eventual winner, Mind Your Biscuits, coming from the car park in Gate 14, and wide into the straight, to give rookie trainer Chad Summers, his very first winner. The Dubai Turf went to the Japanese Vivlos with again many of the contenders suffering from the drastic change in underfoot conditions.
The Dubai Sheema Classic was exeptionaly high on quality with Breeders Cup Victor Highland Reel and last years winner Postponed opposing each other. But the spoiler in the party was always likely to be John Gosden trained Jack Hobbs, whose career hasn’t followed an easy path with injury keeping him at home for periods of time.
William Buick was in degree exam mode such was his concentration and determination for this race to go right and exploit the first time blinkers …. to the max. He tracked front running Highland Reel every step he took, quietly hiding behind his backside most of the trip and when every other jockey was urging for home with whips flying Buick still sat patiently knowing only precise timing of pressing the ‘go button’ would win him the spoils, and win he did in decisive fashion.
Buick was unusually animated afterwards and rightly so for this was a mature intelligent and masterful ride of which he can be very proud. For me the ride of the night on a horse who whilst being classy isn’t always helpful.
The climax of the night was just that, with all the characters reading and acting out the script to perfection, well almost. Arrogate, the Bob Baffert potential superstar fluffed his lines at the gate that left him trailing the field by miles. But Mike Smith, who used to ride the great heroine Zenyatta who loved to be off the pace early and then run them all down, clicked plan Z and it worked.
The story ended well and next year we will see another chapter written. But it will be hard pushed to rival this one. Congratulations to the cast of this momentous occasion. We’ll meet again — some sunny day.