A review of the action from Dubai World Cup night at Meydan where Bhupat Seemar and Tadhg O'Shea had a night to remember.
World Cup Laurels
Bhupat Seemar and Tadgh O'Shea had already combined to win the Golden Shaheen with Tuz but their day ascended to new heights with an extraordinary performance from Laurel River (9/1) in the Dubai World Cup Sponsored By Emirates Airline.
Formerly trained in America by Bob Baffert where he did most of his racing over a mile and shorter, Laurel River was sent to Seemar by Juddmonte Farms and their decision was justified with a stunning display.
There might have been stamina doubts for Laurel River, who disappointed on his first start in Meydan over six furlongs before winning over a mile, on this step up to 10 furlongs, especially as O'Shea had to use up some energy to get across to the lead from a wide draw. However, Laurel River wound up the gallop from halfway and stretched further and further clear in the straight with the race all over bar the shouting as he recorded an astonishing eight and a half length success.
Ushba Tesoro was his nearest pursuer with Senor Buscador third and Wilson Tesoro fourth.
"It's an indescribable feeling," said an emotional Seemar.
"I've been watching the Dubai World Cup since I was a very young man, just to have a horse to run in this race is incredible and then to win it by this margin is absolutely phenomenal. I have to thank Juddmonte and His Royal Highness for sending me the horse, I'm very, very thankful. He's a special horse.
"I've never seen a horse train like him in the morning. I'm a man who never says much and I didn't want to say anything but what he was doing in the morning, I was thinking there has to be a very, very special horse underneath."
O'Shea added from the saddle: "Back in the day when the late great His Highness Bin Rashid Al Maktoum brought me to this wonderful country in 2001 I didn't think 23 years later I'd be winning the world's richest race. All this would not be possible without the team and I'm just very, very grateful; I have to pinch myself.
"I sat there the morning after his gallop, I didn't want to jinx it, I didn't tell anyone, only Bhupat, I took Bhupat aside and said 'I have never, ever ridden a horse like that and we only went a four furlong walk'.
"They have to go and do it and there were question marks about his stamina. He behaved like a pony; he hit the gates and did everything from the front, it was unbelievable. He gave himself every chance to get the distance, it’s an amazing feeling.”
Forever great!
Hot favourite, Forever Young (8/11), defied a wide draw and a wide trip to record a convincing success in the Group 2 UAE Derby,
The unbeaten Japanese star gave ground away throughout the extended mile contest but still moved up strongly on the turn for home under jockey Ryusei Sakai.
Auto Bahn had been in the driving seat throughout and kicked for the line off the bend but the result never looked in doubt as Forever Young readily picked him off to take top spot.
Pandagate was third.
"He's an amazing horse," said Sakai. "It's a very special moment.
“I knew he could handle the kickback so I trusted him today. He’s still improving and I’m looking forward to riding him in the Kentucky Derby.”
Victory earned Forever Young 100 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and trainer Yoshito Yahagi revealed a trip to America for the Race For The Roses would be next, saying: "He did not travel well from Japan to Saudi Arabia so he was not in great condition but he still performed very well.
"After travelling from Riyadh to Dubai he improved and he has so much potential, I always have a lot of confidence in him.
"We are going to head to Kentucky to compete with the best dirt horses in the world and hopefully he'll run with credit."
Forever Young was cut to 8/1 by Betfair Sportsbook, Paddy Power and Sky Bet for the Kentucky Derby on 4th May.
The X-Facteur
Facteur Cheval (22/1) beat a star-studded field when winning the Dubai Turf Sponsored By DP World.
Lord North had won the last three renewals of the Group One and was bidding for a record fourth victory on World Cup Night but Frankie Dettori's mount failed to take a hand in the finish having had every chance.
Nashwa, drawn widest of all, was taken across to contest the lead by Hollie Doyle and the pair took up the running in the straight but were soon swamped by the closers.
The main action unfolded in the centre of the track where Facteur Cheval and Namur raced in unison but as they crossed the line, the French runner - under Maxime Guyon - was fractionally in front of the Japanese challenger.
Another Japanese runner in Danon Beluga was third with Measured Time fourth.
Facteur Cheval was having his first start since chasing home Big Rock on his favoured soft ground in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot in October but handled the quicker conditions with aplomb.
Winning trainer Jerome Reynier said: "That was just amazing. I told Maxime I'd never seen this horse go backwards at the finish, he's always giving everything, he's always giving his best and he's always running on so the distance was not a problem.
"Maxime has been riding a perfect race. He had Lord North to follow during the race, then switching to the outside, he's been waiting long enough to keep something for the end and it's so amazing. I'm so happy for Maxime and the team."
Guyon added: "I didn't know if I'd won or not. This is the first run for him this year, he's a really, really good champion and he showed a really good turn of foot."
Christophe Lemaire was stretchered off the racecourse following a fall from Catnip who suffered a fatal injury. Lemaire was taken to hospital for observation and ruled out of his remaining rides on the card.
Tuz tanks to victory
Tuz (10/1) produced a powerful late spurt to stamp his dominance on the Dubai Golden Shaheen Sponsored By Nakheel.
Always prominent in the six furlong Group 1 heat on dirt, O'Shea had to be patient as they turned in with his mount headed by Colour Up and Don Frankie.
Don Frankie went about a length up but well inside the distance, O'Shea asked his mount to go and win his race and Tuz responded in devastating fashion to win by six and a half lengths.
Don Frankie held on for second with the Jamie Spencer ridden Nakatomi flashing home late to claim a distant third.
O'Shea said: "He's very fast. We had a great gate number but he had to be good and tough, we were getting pressured a long way out.
"There wasn't much room on the inside but I had a good willing partner, he's a fine big horse and when he straightened up he went through the eye of a needle. I was a length down on the home turn, I gave him a squeeze and the response was immediate. He's a high class horse and when he gets a rail to shoot at, he's very, very, very good."
Seemar added: "When he got the rail I thought he was going to be tough to beat. We went to Saudi and it didn't work out for him, we knew the track was a little bit deep for him but I think the gap between the races was perfect.
"This horse was on his home track and his home ground and he did it on Derby Day. This horse has got so much natural speed, his weapon is his speed."
California Cruz in Sprint
California Spangle (4/1) won the Al Quoz Sprint Sponsored By AZIZI Developments in a course record time of 1.07.50.
Trained by Tony Cruz in Hong Kong and ridden by Brenton Avdulla, California Spangle is better known as a seven furlong horse and his stamina proved crucial over this furlong shorter trip.
Always in the front rank, the six-year-old kept on strongly to keep the late thrusting Star Of Mystery - ridden by Frankie Dettori and trained by Charlie Appleby - at bay.
Diligent Harry, another who was always prominent, was third for Clive Cox and Richard Kingscote.
Chester Liang, son of the late owner, said: "We're all really happy, emotional, this was my father's favourite horse so this really means a lot that he was able to come out here and perform really well.
"Since my father's passing the horse hasn't been performing so well so we weren't so confident coming to Dubai before his previous win but after he won we felt more confident and decided this was the race to come and Tony, now the horse is getting older, feels this sort of distance is better for him. He's been proved right and we're really happy that we're here."
Avdulla said: "It's pretty special. I pulled up and Frankie said well done. I'm 33 and I remember being a kid and watching Frankie on the world stage and then to knock him off in a Group 1 in the Dubai World Cup, this is things you dream of and things you don't think are possible for a little boy from Melbourne, Australia."
Crown toppled in Mile
Two Rivers Over (33/1) came home with a flourish to win the Godolphin Mile Sponsored By EMAAR.
Fellow American challenger Saudi Crown was sent off at odds-on but he couldn't get to the front from his wide draw as Walk Of Stars and Isolate, last year's winner of the Group 2 dirt contest, beat him to the punch.
The two leaders traded blows and looked to have the race between them as they opened up a clear lead in the straight but the Doug O'Neill trained winner gradually clawed back their advantage and pounced close home.
Walk Of Stars and Isolate were barely apart through the race and the judge found them hard to split in the photo with the former eventually confirmed as second.
Winning jockey Edwin Maldonado said: "I wanted a good break and he kinda broke a little slow and I had to rush him, then I had a little trouble trying to get him back but I got my position and I got him where I wanted, he did the rest.
"We knew he had it in him. He's been training great. Doug O'Neill and all the connections have been doing a great job with this horse. Since the last race he got so much bigger and I kept saying this horse is getting better. I'm just over the moon right now."
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