TRADE STORM THUNDERS TO ZABEEL MILE VICTORY

Click above to watch Trade Storm winning the Zabeel Mile (Group 2)
(Image and footage : Dubai Racing Meydan)

ZABEEL MILE (Group2)
Meydan, Turf, 1600m
2 March 2013

Trade Storm scored a remarkable victory in the Group 2 Zabeel Mile, the 1600m turf feature at the ninth meeting of the Dubai World Cup Carnival on Saturday evening. Slowly away under Jamie Spencer, the David Simcock-trained Trade Storm was last as the eight runners turned for home but, just as he and Spencer had done in a 1m1f handicap two weeks ago, he passed all his rivals to win easily.

The difference was, on that occasion, that he challenged wide down the centre of the track whereas this time he weaved through rivals under a clearly elated jockey. “You have to be impressed by that,” said Spencer. “I wanted to track Musir but we missed the kick so I was further back than I intended but he was always going well. As we turned for home I was looking for a gap and when we found one we were able to get through and he showed a great turn of foot. David has really done well with this horse who seems to be improving and has thrived in the Dubai weather.”

Old rivals Ahzeemah, Certerach and Star Empire fought out the finish of the Group 3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy, just as they did in a handicap over the same 2810m turf course and distance just over three weeks ago. On that occasion Star Empire came out on top but this time it was Godolphin’s Ahzeemah with Kieren Fallon in the saddle for trainer Saeed bin Suroor. They just held off the determined challenge of Irish raider Certerach, with Star Empire third.

Fallon said: “There was not as much pace on so I was happy to hit the front early in straight and he was very game. He will certainly stay further.”

Bin Suroor added: “He will be better over further and I will talk to Sheikh Mohammed but I think the Dubai Gold Cup over 3200m would be an ideal race for him on World Cup night. He is still a young horse and is hopefully still improving.”

Jockey and trainer doubled up with the equally brave victory of Quick Wit in the concluding 2000m turf handicap.

Christophe Soumillon and Mike de Kock may have been denied with Musir and Star Empire in the big races but they also registered a double apiece. Soumillon always appeared supremely confident on the De Kock-trained Kavanagh in the opening 1200m turf handicap and the pair quickened well to lead 200m out and post a comfortable victory. Runner-up in the Group 3 Al Shindagha Sprint (all-weather) on his previous start, Kavanagh was opening his UAE account at the fourth time of asking and Soumillon said: “That is the perfect start to what we hope will be a good evening. I was always going best and it was just a case of timing the challenge right.”

They then followed up with Rerouted in a 1400m all-weather handicap to register a second course and distance win this year.

The Spanish challengers opened their 2013 account with the last-gasp success of Plantagenet in a 2000m Tapeta handicap named in honour of 2010 Dubai World Cup winner Gloria De Campeao who won the world’s richest horse race in the colours of the Haras Estrela Energia, the sponsor of the night’s card. It was a second course and distance win for the horse who also won a similar race last February.

Jose Martinez was in the saddle for trainer Guillermo Arizkorreta. The jockey said: “He is a very nice horse and quickened well for me. It was not a fast pace and he would have preferred a faster gallop.”

Extract from Dubai Racing Club

CAPE BLANCO SWOOPS TO ARLINGTON MILLION VICTORY

Click above to watch Cape Blanco winning the Arlington Million (G1)…
(Image : ESPN - Footage : Arlington)

ARLINGTON MILLION STAKES (Grade 1)
Arlington Park, Turf, 2000m
13 August 2011

It was a great day for the Irish Saturday at Arlington Park, particularly if you were an Aidan O’Brien-trained Irish Derby-winning son of Galileo (Ire). First 2011 Derby winner Treasure Beach (GB) (Galileo) won the GI Secretariat Stakes and then, an hour or so later, 2010 Classic winner Cape Blanco (Ire) (Galileo) swept to a 2 1/2-length victory in the GI Arlington Million Stakes. Cape Blanco, favored at 2-1, settled in a stalking fourth as Mission Approved (With Approval) took the field along through pedestrian fractions over the rain-soakened Arlington turf course. The Irish raider was asked for run turning for home, made a bold move to put his head in front in upper stretch and surged clear. Gio Ponti (Tale of the Cat) closed late for second, matching his finish in last year’s Million. “He’s a good tough horse and he’s brilliantly trained,” jockey Jamie Spencer said of the winner. “All I did was was do the steering. Aidan gave me my instructions and I rode accordingly.”

Cape Blanco, a two-time group winner during his undefeated juvenile campaign, parlayed a win in last year’s G1 Irish Derby into a strong runner-up effort behind Harbinger in the G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes before storming home by 5 1/2 lengths in the G1 Irish Champion Stakes. This term, the chestnut colt took to the synthetics for a fourth-place effort in the G1 Dubai World Cup in March and was fourth again in the G1 Prix Ganay at Longchamp in April. He set sail for America after a sixth-place effort in the June 14 G1 Queen Anne Stakes and made a quick impact on these shores, defeating Gio Ponti by 2 1/4 lengths in the July 9 G1 Man O’War Stakes at Belmont Park. “I’m very pleased just to be able to ride the horse,” Spencer continued. “There are very few horses that have the will to win like he has. The more you ask from him, the more you get from him. He had loads left in the end.”

Cape Blanco won the Irish Derby and Irish Champion Stakes last term for owners Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier and Michael Tabor. Dubai socialite Fitri Hay joined the ownership group in March when she purchased a significant interest in the colt. Hay and her husband, Jim, own the UAE-based holding company JMH Group.

Extract from Thoroughbred Daily News

FAME AND GLORY SECURES GOLD CUP FOR BALLYDOYLE

Click above to watch Fame and Glory winning the Gold Cup (Gr1)
(Image : Telegraph - Footage : Racing UK)

GOLD CUP (Group 1)
Royal Ascot, 4000m
16 June 2011

Royal Ascot witnessed one of the great gambles yesterday when Fame and Glory (GB) (Montjeu) gave a passable impression of Yeats (Ire) to annex a fifth G1 Gold Cup in six years for Ballydoyle at a rain-soaked Royal Ascot.

Settled against the rail early under jockey Jamie Spencer in the spot the his illustrious predecessor used to enjoy in his four forays here, the bay was lolling off the moderate pace which was upped a notch after a mile by the veteran Geordieland (Fr) (Johann Quatz). Still cruising with a half mile remaining, Jamie Spencer waited for racing room to appear on his outside, and asked Fame and Glory to go through the gears at the top of the stretch. The confidence in his 11-8 favoritism proved infectious and the bay was carried by the wave of the crowd’s will as he swooped to the lead approaching the final furlong. Rolling by Duncan (GB) (Dalakhani), he received a smack with the whip there and a few after as Opinion Poll (IRE) (Halling) arrived and kept grinding way in the final yards. Godolphin had overturned So You Think (NZ) on Wednesday and it looked momentarily as if a case of de ja vu was about to strike with Opinion Poll coming out wide. But the Derrick Smith silks stayed ahead this time and, at the line, it was three lengths back to the royal blue.

“We didn’t go very fast early and I was delighted when I saw Geordieland go round the field and inject some pace,” Spencer said. “He wasn’t keen, but because he has so much class and is used to going a different pace he wanted that to make it more comfortable for him. It was a very easy, push-button ride and I’m just privileged to be allowed to ride him. Everyone was doubting him for the last few weeks, but we never had any doubts as those first two races were just to bring him along. It’s a great training performance.”

“Very few mile-and-a-quarter Group 1 winners get to run in a Gold Cup, but class makes them stay,” Aidan O’Brien said of the 5-year-old, who capped a successful venture for Dr Jim and Fitri Hay into joint-ownership with Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier and Michael Tabor. “He’s been a Group 1 winner every year since he was a 2-year-old, and we never knew until we tried, but we believed he would definitely get two miles. We are privileged to have him and Jamie was very confident and gave him an unbelievable ride.”

Another tilt at the October 2 G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is on the cards for Fame and Glory after his luckless runs in that Longchamp showpiece in 2009 and 2010. “The plan after today was to give him a break and train him for the Arc again, with a run beforehand,” O’Brien added.

GOLD CUP (Gr1)
Final Result

#	Horse	Sire	Jockey	Trainer
1	FAME AND GLORY (GB)	Montjeu	J Spencer	Aidan O’Brien
2	OPINION POLL (IRE)	Halling	M Barzalona	Mahmood Al Zarooni
3	BRIGANTIN (USA)	Cozzene	PC Boudat	Andre Fabre
4	MANIGHAR (FR)	Linamix	K Fallon	Luca Cumani
5	ASKAR TAU (FR)	Montjeu	G Baker	Marcus Tregoning
6	DUNCAN (GB)	Dalakhani	W Buick	John Gosden
7	KASBAH BLISS (FR)	Kahyasi	T Thulliez	Francois Doumen
8	AAIM TO PROSPER (IRE)	Val Royal	R Moore	Brian Meehan
9	MOTRICE (GB)	Motivator	S Sanders	Sir Mark Prescott Bt
10	BLUE BAJAN (IRE)	Montjeu	D Tudhope	David O’Meara
11	THE BETCHWORTH KID (GB)	Tobougg	H Turner	Alan King
12	FICTIONAL ACCOUNT (IRE)	Stravinsky	F Berry	Vincent Ward
13	HOLBERG (UAE)	Halling	F Dettori	Saeed bin Suroor
14	TASTAHIL (IRE)	Singspiel	R Hills	Barry Hills
15	GEORDIELAND (IRE)	Johann Quatz	R Hughes	Jamie Osborne

Extract from Thoroughbred Daily News