Sheikh Hamdan honours the winner of the Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse
Lanfranco Dettori (C R) celebrates next to Sheikh Hamdan after winning the final Dubai World Cup horse racing event at the Meydan Racecourse on Saturday. AFP
Welcome to Gulf Today’s live blog for the 2022 Dubai World Cup. Join us for live updates from throughout the afternoon and evening from Meydan Racecourse with nine exciting races – reaching a climax with the world-famous $12 million Dubai World Cup at the iconic Meydan Racecourse.
For the 26th edition of the Dubai World Cup, the showpiece event of the UAE calendar is set to be an incredible sporting event, with the total prize money touching $30.5 million — up from $26.5m — while for the first time, all races will offer at least $1m in prize money.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, attended the 26th edition of Dubai World Cup at the Meydan Racecourse . The total purse for the races is $30.5 million.
Country Grammer shines as Dettori wins Dubai World Cup for fourth time
Frankie Dettori sealed his fourth victory in the Dubai World Cup after guiding Country Grammer to victory for trainer Bob Baffert as much-fancied Life Is Good failed to live up to the billing.
Dettori had previously secured the Dubai World Cup on Dubai Millennium, Moon Ballad and Electrocutionist, but this was the first time he had done so in colours other than those of Godolphin.
Shahryar secures fifth victory forJapan in Dubai Sheema Classic
Stamping authority, Japan claimed fifth victory at the Meydan Racecourse with Hideaki Fujiwara’s Shahryar winning the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic.
Charlie Appleby’s Yibir finished second under William Buick while Authority took third for Tetsuya Kimura and Christophe Lemaire.
Lord North and Panthalassa shares honours in thrilling Dubai Turf race
Frankie Dettori on Lord North and Yutaka Yoshida atop Japanese horse Panthalassa shared honours in the $5million Group 1 Dubai Turf.
Lord North, winner of the race in the last edition, under Dettori finished the crossing line with Panthalassa together.
Another Japanese horse Vin De Gard under Mickael Barzalona finished third.
The results also helped the Japanese runners claim four prizes on the night, with two races left.
After checking the photo, the judge was unable to split Panthalassa and Lord North and announced the race as a dead-heat.
O’Shea rides Switzerland to glory in Dubai Golden Shaheen
UAE’s champion jockey Tadhg O’Shea, who is bidding for an unprecedented 10th championship title, rode to glory aboard Switzerland in the $2million Dubai Golden Shaheen and give leading trainer Bhupat Seemar first victory of the day.
The son of Speightstown bounced back after finishing in the Saudi Cup’s Dirt Sprint (G3) to win the G1 race for the first time.
Crown Pride lands Group 2 UAE Derby, gives Japan third victory at Dubai World Cup
Crown Pride secured the third victory for the Japan contingent after stealing the show in the Group 2 UAE Derby.
Rach The Crown Colt swept past Bhupat Seemar’s Summer Is Tomorrow to take the honours for trainer Koichi Shintani’s and rider Damian Lane.
The Godolphin trainer Saeed Bin Suroor’s Island Falcon with Patrick Cosgrave in the saddle took third ahead of another Satish Seemar runner Bendoog with Tadhg O’Shea atop.
Crown Pride becomes only the second Japanese runner to win the UAE Derby after Yutake Take won the prize on the Mikio Matsunaga-trained Lani in 2016.
A Case of You races to glory in Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint
Irish challenger A Case Of You won the $1.5million Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint for trainer Adrian McGuinness with Ronan Whelan in the saddle.
The McGuinness-trained four-year-old was already a Group One winner, having sparked scenes of wild celebration at ParisLongchamp with victory in last season’s Prix de l’Abbaye.
Man Of Promise was the odds-on favourite to complete a course and distance hat-trick for Charlie Appleby and William Buick, but could never quite get on terms with 11-1 shot A Case Of You, who galloped strongly against the rail to win a shade cosily under Whelan.
McGuinness said: “Ronan, we call him Ronnie, is a world-class rider he’s proved it on this horse’s last two wins.
“I told him we had to get out. We were behind the Godolphin horse, but we knew we had a huge help being on this side. His last furlong is his best, and even though the favourite was beside us we beat him well.”
Stay Foolish makes rivals fool in Dubai Gold Cup
Another Japanese runner tasted success after Stay Foolish, under Frenchman Christophe Lemaire, edged past Godolphin’s Manobo to clinch the $1million Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup.
Charlie Appleby’s Manobo, who was coming into the race undefeated in five starts, appeared to have the race in the bag when Yoshito Yahagi’s runner overcame the favourites in the last few seconds.
Lemaire said: "Once again the horse was brilliant today. I thought the race would be tough to win but we had a nice trip down on the inside.
"He (trainer) knows how to travel the horses and brings the right ones to the right races."
Bathrat Leon lands G2 Godolphin Mile
Bathrat Leon returned to his very best form, much of which had deserted him during his three-year-old year, by giving Japan their second success in the Group 2 Godolphin Mile (sponsored by Nakheel).
The Yoshito Yahagi-trained four-year-old entered last year's classic season at home as one of their leading contenders but emerged with a battered reputation and had not finished closer than ninth in six starts since taking the Group 2 New Zealand Trophy (1600m) at Nakayama in April.
Although he had struggled on Japan's sandy dirt surface at his only attempt away from turf late last year, he appeared to relish the Meydan track, leading all the way at a fast clip under Ryusei Sakai to score by a length and a quarter over local Desert Wisdom with three and a quarter lengths back to the progressive Storm Damage in third.
Another Japanese runner, Soliste Thunder, filled fourth.
Winning trainer Yoshito Yahagi said: "He's a good strong front-runner and we know the bends well, so he got a good start and he pushed and he was able to keep it up to the line. We got our tactics right."
Ryusei Sakai, jockey, Bathrat Leon, said: “The plan was to go forward and just go quick. Everything worked out and the horse kept going. I think he preferred the dirt surface here more than in Japan. Mr Yahagi is one of the best trainers in the world. It’s a great result.”
He continued: “This was my dream and dreams come true. He (was expected) to run a good race in the last three days. His concentration is very good. I got the lead easily. He was travelling very well. I still wasn’t very confident because you have American horses in behind who have speed and are very good.”
Opening Race: First Classs finishes on top in Kahayla Classic
Racing on Dubai World Cup day got underway in thrilling fashion with First Classs winning his match race against Kerless Del Roc in the PA Group 1 Dubai Kahayla Classic sponsored by Ithra Dubai over 2000m on the dirt.
Trained by Alban de Mieulle and ridden by Ronan Thomas, the five-year-old Dahess gelding might have felt he had broken away in the straight, but Kerless Del Roc, trained locally by Ahmed Al Mehairbi, was in no mood to give up and challenged until the end in hands of Pat Cosgrave, with the leading duo pulling well clear of the rest of the field.
In the straight they went head to head until virtually the final 100 metres when First Class appeared to pull away, only to be pegged back yet again as Kerless Del Roc dug deep to reduce the margin of defeat to a head. A further nine and a half lengths back in third was Hadi De Carrere for trainer Thomas Fourcy and rider Olivier Peslier.
Alban de Mieulle, trainer of the winner First Class, said: "I have been placed before in this race and the Sheema Classic so to get a win on one of the biggest nights in global racing is amazing.
“He's a different horse and we've spent the last five or six months trying to make him better and he's really come along nicely. This means so much and I am so pleased that Qatar has been able to win a race at the Dubai World Cup meeting."
