Mumis the word for Saeed Bin Surour
World Cup- winning Godolphin trainer wants to hand over his prized whip to his mother
When American Hall of Fame trainer, Bob Baffert, attended the Post Position draw for the $ 10 million Dubai World Cup earlier this week, little did he know that the man seated next to him in the front row was plotting to steal his thunder in the big race on Saturday.
Baffert’s contender and red hot favourite West Coast, the American Champion three- year old was unfavourably drawn in stall 9 while Godolphin handler Saeed Bin Surour drew the dreaded No. 10 gate for his runner, Thunder Snow.
Baffert would bullishly assert that a good horse can win from any draw, while Bin Surour in contrast, acknowledged that he would have to go back to the drawing board and make a new plan.
But as things panned out, the irony of Baffert’s boast would result in the good horse that he was touting up being Thunder Snow and not West Coast.
He had possibly under- estimated the genius of Bin Surour, or paid scant regard to the practical plan he was hatching to cash in on the home advantage which Thunder Snow, and his supremely talented jockey Christophe Soumillon would utilise to the fullest in the race to pull off the most incredible of victories.
Baffert, who was chasing a fourth Dubai World Cup triumph, and second in a row following Arrogate 12 months ago, subtly paid tribute to Bin Surour in his post race comments. “We just ran into a winner that was really impressive tonight, he’s a really good horse,” acknowledged the American legend.
“He’s [ Thunder Snow[ got some credentials and runs well here. He was just the better horse tonight.”
It has often been said the humility is the greatest quality that a man can have, and Bin Surour has bundles of it. Notwithstanding the coup he had pulled off in one of the greatest flat races on the planet, the former Emirati policeman remained down to earth while there was celebration all around.
Mutual love and respect
In his right hand, he held the jewelled, golden whip that is presented to the winning trainer at every World Cup. It was the eighth time in his glittering career that he would do so, but it was just as significant for him as the very first time in 1999, when he won the race with Almutawakel.
“This is for my mother, she’s my inspiration,” he told Gulf
News. “I am proud to be her son and I want to share this victory with her. This whip is a symbol of our mutual love and respect and what we have accomplished.
“I always believed that I had the horse to win this race, right from last year when he won the UAE Derby I began to make a plan to come back to compete for the Dubai World Cup. It has been a long year, with many ups and downs, but we never lost the faith,” he added.
“Thunder Snow is a very genuine horse so I was never really worried about the opposition.”
I was gutted for Will [ Buick] as I know how hard he has worked with him and was so looking forward to riding him in this race.” James Doyle » On the withdrawal of Blue Point
It has been six years since Cityscape and James Doyle careered headlong into the racing world’s spotlight when they claimed a landmark victory in the $ 6 million Dubai Duty Free for Prince Khalid Abdullah of Juddmonte Farms and trainer Roger Charlton.
On that memorable night, under the spotlights of Meydan, James came of age and finally recognised as a world- class rider by his peers. He had never before taken part in a Group 1 race yet there he was, cool and relaxed, confident in his own skills and the ability and bravery of the big white faced horse.
From that day, racing pun- dits, trainers and owners alike realised the ‘ The Doyler’ was a force to be reckoned with, this handsome and personable young man, who had honed his skills around England’s all- weather racetracks during several winters, a street fighter who’s ghetto’s were Lingfield, Wolverhampton and Kempton Park, areas where the smaller trainers with moderate and suspect natured animals earned their bread and butter.
It was a good schooling ground and will always stand James in good stead, though not where he envisaged spending every winter. After the pinnacle of Cityscape, finally trainers other than Sylvester Kirk and Roger Charlton were convinced that a star had ascended in the shape of long- legged and lean Doyle.
As with most successful sportspersons, the road to success can sometimes get a little bumpy and the but a steady, consistent hand doing the steering will bring the journey back on course — as has happened with James.
Saturday night witnessed a fantastically competitive Al Quoz Sprint with high tension and drama before the runners even set off, with the favourite to give Charlie Appleby his longawaited World Cup night first winner, Blue Point being withdrawn by the vets after a trickle of blood was spotted in a nostril.
James said afterwards: “I was gutted for Will [ Buick] as I know how hard he has worked with him and was so looking forward to riding him in this race. I was already in the gate at the time, so I did not know why or what had happened.”
Beforehand, it was ironic that Appleby had said “If Blue Point falters Jungle Cat will be there to pick up the pieces.”
He didn’t so much pick them up as grab them with both hands in a professional display of galloping straight and true to the line, the result never in doubt from maybe two furlongs out. Clearly emotional at breaking his World Cup night duck, Appleby said: “James gets on well with him and I am very proud of him, he’s now a Group 1 winner.”
James was equally full of pride in praise of his brave partner, saying: “You can set your clock by him, he’s fantastic.”