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| Rowan Anderson |
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The wait was worth it with an action-packed running of the opening meeting of the 2023 Dubai World Cup.
Meydan hosted a seven-race card which saw fields of talent from across the globe throw it all down and a treble from jockey James Doyle as well as doubles from Charlie Appleby and global powerhouse Godolphin.
Highlighted by the Group Two Al Maktoum Challenge R1 for thoroughbreds over 1600m on dirt and in the end, it was a clinic by Algiers.
In the first of James Doyle’s three wins for the card he rode the 6YO home thumping the field by close to seven lengths adding the Group Two win to the horses Group Three win in the Jebel Ali Mile and his two Listed class wins.
Bred by Godolphin and trained by Simon & Ed Crisford, he flies the flag in the colours of Hamdan Sultan Ali Alsabousi and making this his first UAE success in the name of the trainers as a partnership.
“He showed at Jebel Ali last year that he is a very good horse and he has done well tonight because we were drawn wide and I was not able to get any cover so had to forfeit ground,” Doyle said.
“He stays further so connections may consider stepping him up in trip.”
The hoop made it a race-to-race double thirty minutes later taking out the turf highlight, the 1400m Group 2 Al Fahidi Fort, when on board Al Suhail he swept up passing most of the field in the straight.
“He settled really nicely from our horrible draw but they went quickly which has really helped him. He always works like a really good horse and he has delivered tonight,” the hoop added.
Not satisfied with two wins Doyle would once again show he rides with the best of them taking out the final race on the card and celebrating a treble and a trained double by the great Charlie Appleby.
A 1000m turf sprint, the Listed Ertijaal Dubai Dash, Lazuli denied William Buick aboard stablemate Man Of Promise the chance for the win edging out by 1.25 lengths and taking the spoils.
The first Thoroughbred contest of the 2023 carnival was the Dubai Racing Club Classic, a 2410m handicap and the prize went to Britain, courtesy of Enemy, last year’s Epsom Derby winning jockey Richard Kingscote producing the 6yo Muhaarar gelding to lead entering the final 200m, the pair staying on strongly to land the spoils for Ian Williams in the colours of Tracey Bell & Caroline Lyons.
Bhupat Seemar took the win with his classy 9YO gelded seasoned campaigner, Switzerland. In the dirt dash, the 1200m Group 3 Dubawi Stakes, Switzerland added to his CV following last year’s win in the Golden Shaheen winning comfortably under Tadhg O’Shea for RRR Racing and Bhupat Seemar.
With the victory came Tadgh O’Shea’s 700th UAE winner, with plenty more to come.
A 1400m turf conditions race for 3yos, the Jumeirah Classic Trial produced a thrilling finish with Long Kiss, as the only runner foaled in the summer hemisphere conceding weight to his ten rivals, flying home to snatch victory in a blanket finish with Jose da Silva in the saddle and trained by Julio Olascoaga.
Opening the card was the Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge for Pure Arabians over the same 1600m dirt course and distance as the Thoroughbred version.
The 7YO RB Rich Lyke Me made it two years in a row winning the challenge with Adrie de Vries onboard once again, riding in the colours of Victorious for Fawzi Nass.
The horse did it once again easily taking control of the race in the straight and cracking the track record in the process.
“He is a very smart horse but nothing really went right for him in his two races after he won this last year,” jockey De Vries said.
“We were very confident to be honest but it is always a relief when they get the job done,” trainer Fawzi Nass added.