Godolphin horse makes history
Dubai-owned stable caps epic year with first success in Australian showpiece
Cross Counter ended the Dubai-owned racing stable’s long wait for a first Melbourne Cup when he upset a high-quality field to win Australia’s famous race yesterday |
Tennis has its Grand Slams, golf has its Majors, and horse racing also boasts four big events at the pinnacle of its sport. Races that every owner, trainer and jockey dreams of winning.
The Epsom Derby, Kentucky Derby, Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and the Melbourne Cup comprise the magical four races in thoroughbred racing.
So when His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, created the Maktoums’ private racing stable under the name of Godolphin in 1992, this group of four races symbolised Godolphin’s quest for global success.
Yesterday, after torrential rains lashed Flemington Racecourse, Shaikh Mohammad’s Godolphin stable scored a historic first victory in the Melbourne Cup with a less-known British-trained horse called Cross Counter.
Trained by Charlie Appleby, the man with the Midas touch, and ridden by two-time Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Kerrin McEvoy, Cross Counter delivered the performance of a lifetime, to realise Shaikh Mohammad’s long-time dream of winning one of the world’s most gruelling races.
Having already won the Epsom Derby just six months ago, with Masar, the Arc on three occasions with Lammtarra (1995), Sakhee (2001), Marienbard (2002), Cross Counter took Godolphin to within one victory of completing flat racing’s Grand Slam.
All that remains for Godolphin to win is the Kentucky Derby, America’s most famous race, which takes place in June every year.
Epic year
But for the moment, Godolphin and its multicultural team of stable hands, can delight in what has been a fairy-tale victory at Flemington, and one accomplished almost 20 years since their first attempt to win the great Australia race.
And what an epic year it has been for the stable, one in which they have won an unprecedented 28 Group 1 races, the highest level in the sport, and a major race like the $10 million (Dh36.72 million) Dubai World Cup back in March with Thunder Snow.
Cross Counter’s triumph also capped a stupendous year for his trainer Charlie Appleby and his team and for jockey, Kerrin McEvoy.
Appleby described the win as “everybody’s dream”.
“This is all down to Shaikh Mohammad, he’s the one that’s given us all the encouragement to take the chances in what we do internationally,” Appleby said on the Godolphin website.
“This is all for Shaikh Mohammad and the Royal family and Godolphin, and for me to say thank you for giving me this opportunity.
“I’m just in the very fortunate position to have a great team behind me.”
Cross Counter’s win has come 30 years after Shaikh Mohammad began his Melbourne Cup quest with horse Authaal, who carried his trademark maroon and white colours in 1988.
Faithful Son became Godolphin’s first runner in the Cup since they made their debut in 1998. Godolphin had three runners in this year’s race, with Cross Counter joined by fellow English-trained Best Solution and Australia-based Avilius.
Best Solution, representing veteran Godolphin trainer, Emirati Saeed Bin Surour, finished eighth and Avilius, who was prepared by James Cummings, was 22nd in a fiercely contested race.
Cross Counter, only three years old and still a relative baby in the rough and tumble world of horse racing, become only the 24th of his age to win in the 138-year-old contest.
Historically, horses aged four and five have enjoyed the most success with 88 wins between them. He is also only the 20th colt to win the Cup.
This is all down to [His Highness] Shaikh Mohammad [Bin Rashid Al Maktoum]. He’s the one that’s given us all the encouragement to take the chances in what we do internationally. This is all for Shaikh Mohammad and the Royal family and Godolphin, and for me to say thank you for giving me this opportunity. I’m just in the very fortunate position to have a great team behind me.”
Charlie Appleby | Trainer of Cross Counter