Asiatic Boy in a cakewalk… wow!!! This was more impressive that Discreet Cat’s romp last year.
Folks, the new Invasor???
Quite possibly the most underrated trainer in the world.
It’ll be interesting to see what he does now having a Dirt horse of this kind of quality, it really was a sensational win by Asiatic Boy. I wonder if he’ll come stateside. Has de Kock ever sent out a horse in the US?
Result of the UAE Derby
- Asiatic Boy 11/10f
- Jack Junior 30/1
- Adil
At lot of well known American runners in the 4th race: Bishop Court Hill, Kelly’s Landing, Thor’s Echo, Friendly Island, Harvard Avenue, Nightmare Affair … with a quick glance you’d think this was a Grade 1 race at Santa Anita or Gulfstream!
Well, 6f on the dirt, how more American can you get? 
Though interestingly, of the 16 runners, 9 are bred outside the US (GB-2, IRE-2, SAF-2, JPN-1, FR-1, AUS-1). Still, you’d have to go with American horses here, the others are just chancing their arm, except maybe the Japanese horse, Agnes Jedi. The first three in the BC Sprint are in this one.
One thing the American horses won’t be used to is that it’s a straight 6f, no turns. Still, hasn’t bothered them in the past.
1 BISHOP COURT HILL (USA) 7/57kgs T Pletcher USA J Velazquez
2 AREYOUTALKINGTOME (GB) 4/57kgs C Cyzer UK E Ahern
3 KELLY'S LANDING (USA) 6/57kgs E Kenneally USA L Dettori
4 MARCHAND D'OR (FR) 4/57kgs F Head FR D Bonilla
5 THOR'S ECHO (USA) 5/57kgs S Seemar UAE T Durcan
6 TIZA (SAF) 4/57kgs H Brown SAF K Shea
7 AGNES JEDI (JPN) 5/57kgs H Mori JPN Y Take
8 FRIENDLY ISLAND (USA) 6/57kgs T Pletcher USA G Gomez
9 SALAAM DUBAI (AUS) 5/57kgs A Selvaratnam UAE J Murtagh
10 TERRIFIC CHALLENGE (USA) 5/57kgs D Watson UAE R Mullen
11 BOUNTY QUEST (GB) 5/57kgs D Watson UAE M Dwyer
12 THAJJA (IRE) 6/57kgs D Watson UAE R Hills
13 HARVARD AVENUE (USA) 6/57kgs D O'Neill USA C Nakatani
14 SEEKING THE BEST (IRE) 6/57kgs H Mori JPN Y Fukunaga
15 NATIONAL COLOUR (SAF) 4/55kgs S Tarry SAF W Marwing
16 NIGHTMARE AFFAIR (USA) 6/57kgs G Marano USA E CastroAmerican 1-2 in the big Sprint, with the giant (17.2hh??) Kelly’s Landing storming home on the rail with Frankie Dettori in the irons.
Golden Shaheen, 6f, $2m G1
- Kelly’s Landing
- Friendly Island
- Salaam Dubai
Frankie does his traditional flying dismount apres race.
Big hit with the crowd.
Ok, now we get to the real racing. Up next, the Sheema Classic.
Unfortunately, the much travelled old man, Collier Hill, has been scrtached due to the recourance of an old ankle injury. He may be retired, which will be well earned.
Sheema Classic, 2400m (1½m) Turf, $5m
1 BELLAMY CAY (GB) 5/56kgs A Fabre KSA S Pasquier
2 ORACLE WEST (SAF) 5/56kgs M de Kock SAF W Marwing
3 LAVEROCK (IRE) 5/56kgs S bin Suroor UAE K McEvoy
4 VENGEANCE OF RAIN (NZ) 6/56kgs D Ferraris HK A Delpech
5 RED ROCKS (IRE) 4/56kgs B Meehan USA C Nakatani
6 BEST ALIBI (IRE) 4/56kgs S bin Suroor UAE L Dettori
7 SIR PERCY (GB) 4/56kgs M Tregoning UK M Dwyer
8 OBRIGADO (FR) 4/56kgs N Drysdale USA D Flores
9 SUSHISAN (AUS) 4/56kgs N Brown SAF K Shea
10 POP ROCK (JPN) 6/56kgs K Sumii JPN O Peslier
11 COLLIER HILL (GB) 9/56kgs A Swinbank UK D McKeown
12 QUIJANO (GER) 5/56kgs P Schiergen GER A Starke
13 YOUMZAIN (IRE) 4/56kgs M Channon UAE R Hughes
14 HONEY RYDER (USA) 6/54kgs T Pletcher USA G Gomez
15 HOST (CHI) 6/56kgs T Pletcher USA J Velazquez
Is anyone else watching the half time show? Some fantastic horsemanship, both mounted and in hand, Iberian horses mostly.
You guys got to see this.
Those Maktoums put on some show, fair play to them.
Three joint favourites in this one, Pop Rock, Sir Percy and Red Rocks all 9/2.
Wide open race here.
Vengance of Rain!!!
The Classic goes to Hong Kong.
Oracle West was 2nd for South Africa.
Derby winner, Sir Percy looks to have got up for 3rd.
Vengance of Rain was bred in New Zealand.
Raced in Australia.
Sold to Hong Kong.
Is trained by a South African.
Ridden by a jockey from the Seychelles.
Now, that’s international racing!
Offical result, Youzmain pips Sir Percy for 3rd.
Sheema Classic, 2400m $5m
- Vengance of Rain
- Oracle West
- Youmzain
dubai
Now for the really good stuf! And just think, we have the Florida Derby later!
Thanks for these updates! I’m reading them avidly.
Dubai Duty Free up next.
Possibly the best field of the card.
Dubai Duty Free 1777m (~1m+¾f), $5m
1 SEIHALI (IRE) 8/57kgs D Selvaratnam UAE J Murtagh
2 BEST NAME (GB) 4/57kgs S bin Suroor UAE L Dettori
3 STORMY RIVER (FR) 4/57kgs N Clement FR O Peslier
4 IRRIDESCENCE (SAF) 5/55kgs M de Kock USA W Marwing
5 LAVA MAN (USA) 6/57kgs D O'Neill USA C Nakatani
6 MYSTICAL (IND) 5/57kgs S Ganapathy IND M Dwyer
7 KAPIL (SAF) 4/57kgs M de Kock SAF R Fradd
8 POMPEII RULER (AUS) 5/57kgs M Price AUS C Newitt
9 FLASHY WINGS (GB) 4/55kgs M Channon UAE R Hughes
10 ADMIRE MOON (JPN) 4/57kgs H Matsuda JPN Y Take
11 ENGLISH CHANNEL (USA) 5/57kgs T Pletcher USA J Velazquez
12 MIESQUE'S APPROVAL (USA) 8/57kgs M Wolfson USA E Castro
13 DAIWA MAJOR (JPN) 6/57kgs H Uehara JPN K Ando
14 FORMAL DECREE (GER) 4/57kgs S bin Suroor UAE K McEvoy
15 BAD GIRL RUNS (SAF) 4/55kgs M de Kock SAF M Kinane
16 LINNGARI (IRE) 5/57kgs H Brown SAF K SheaThe Japanese horses are jt fav, at 7/1. Lava Man is 2nd fav at 8/1!! That suprises me.
Miesique’s Approval acting up outside the gate, kicking out.
Admire Moon, does it in style, a late run from Linngari made the winning margin look small, but he won easing. The other Japanese horse Daiwa Major was 3rd.
Dissapointing run from Irredessence.
Lava Man was last.
- Admire Moon
- Linngari
- Daiwa Major
So sorry about Lava Man,but I still have all my fingers crossed for Premium Tap!
