Golden Jaguar shines on debut in Jebel Ali
dubai — Golden Jaguar produced a remarkable performance to win on debut at Jebel Ali on Friday afternoon.
As the stalls opened, the colt by 2013 Dubai World Cup winner Animal Kingdom appeared to lean backwards, almost rearing and forfeiting a few lengths to his 12 rivals.
Representing the same team as Thursday’s impressive winner of the UAE 2000 Guineas Trial, Walking Thunder, he was given plenty of time to find his stride by Connor Beasley, sporting the silks of the Phoenix Ladies Syndicate. Still last at halfway, the pair suddenly scythed through the field like a knife through butter, hitting the front inside the final 150m and pulling away to win in style for trainer Ahmad bin Harmash.
Beasley, completing a quick double, said: “Apart from that moment in the gates he was very professional, but will certainly have learned a lot from the experience. Having been slowly into stride it, actually suited in the end because he had to face the kickback and that will have helped him learn to race. He is a big horse and will come on a lot for that both fitness-wise and mentally.”
Half an hour earlier, Craving provided Simon Crisford with a first winner from his new Meydan satellite yard at Millennium Stables when running out the smooth winner of a 1600m handicap. Confidently ridden by Beasley, who tracked early leader Invincible Strike until sweeping past him at the 300m pole, the pair stayed on strongly to land the spoils. Owned by Sultan Ali, the 4-year-old Equiano colt won once in Britain, over 1600m on the Southwell fibresand and clearly handled the Jebel Ali surface with aplomb.
“The team were pretty hopeful coming here and have been proved right,” Beasley said. “He has really taken well to the surface and handled that sharp bend well, which not all horses do first time here. I was able to give him a breather at the top of the straight and he has then run on strongly to score nicely.”
A second 1600m handicap saw the silks of Galaxy Racing carried to victory for the very first time with the cosy victory of Kunani for Musabbeh Al Mheiri. A 1400m course winner at the very first meeting of the season at the end of October, the 5-year-old Arch gelding was then beaten three times over that course and distance but relished the extra distance here to double his career tally.