Al Quoz triumph for Hong Kong’s California Spangle
Tony Cruz’s prolific sprinter-miler California Spangle (6 g Starspangledbanner – Pearlitas Passion by High Chaparral) produced a stunning performance to record an all-the-way win in the Al Quoz Sprint (Gr 1, 1200m) on Saturday’s Dubai World Cup night at Meydan.
Breaking the track record in the process with a time clocking 1:07.50, the high-class six-year-old broke well and, having been sent forward under Brenton Avdulla, could not be caught in the closing stages, holding on well from the fast-finishing favourite Star Of Mystery (Kodiac) to score by a half-length. UK raider Diligent Harry (Due Diligence) ran third, beaten one and a half lengths at the line.
“He ran like a champion today,” Cruz said. “It means everything. Every trainer in their career has to win big races elsewhere, it’s part of your job. You’ve got to achieve something great in your life and you’ve got to win big races, not just the small ones.
“The big ones are the ones that count the most – that’s what racing is all about.
“I reckon he beat a very good sprinter, Star Of Mystery. I think we’ll [now] go to sprint races back in Hong Kong, at the end of April we’re going to take on Lucky Sweynesse. I believe he’s more a sprinter than a miler.”
Declaring a tilt at Royal Ascot a possibility, Cruz struck with his 12th attempt in Dubai to match the achievement of his brother Derek, who also won the Al Quoz Sprint with Joy And Fun (Cullen) in 2010.
Saturday’s triumph adds to California Spangle’s other top-level wins in the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (Gr 1, 1400m) earlier in the month and the 2022 running of the Hong Kong Mile (Gr 1, 1600m), the latter in which he beat Hong Kong’s superstar Golden Sixty (Medaglia D’Oro).