Grammer rules in World Cup after Life Is Good runs out of gas
Bob Baffert and Frankie Dettori, both familiar names on the Dubai World Cup (Gr 1, 2000m) roll of honour, teamed up for the first time in 30 years to take out yesterday’s running of the US$12 million (approx. AU$15,972,312) Meydan race.
Red-hot favourite Life Is Good (Into Mischief) looked set to score another lucrative win, having triumphed in the Pegasus Invitational (Gr 1, 9f) at Gulfstream on his most recent outing, before a dramatic conclusion to the race saw Country Grammer (5 h Tonalist – Arabian Song by Forestry (USA) register the most unlikely of wins.
The Hollywood Gold Cup (Gr 1, 10f) winner appeared destined for a supporting role at best, but with Life Is Good’s tank emptying dramatically once he entered unchartered waters, the five-year-old found a second wind to get up and defeat Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) and make it a US-trained one-two. Chuwa Wizard (King Kamehameha), second in the corresponding race last year, passed the punch drunk Life Is Good late on to snatch third.
Baffert was winning the race for the fourth time, having last tasted success with Arrogate (Unbridled’s Song) in 2017, while Dettori also clocked his fourth World Cup winner, in his case a first since Electrocutionist (Red Ransom) lit up the Dubai night sky in 2006.
Stay Foolish (7 h Stay Gold – Kauai Lane by King Kamehameha) struck on a remarkable night for Yoshito Yahagi when getting up in the dying strides to land the Dubai Gold Cup (Gr 2, 3200m).
The seven-year-old had shown his liking for long distances when scoring in the Red Sea Turf Handicap (Gr 2, 3200m) at Riyadh on his previous start and again illustrated he will be a force to be reckoned with in the staying division later in the year when downing Godolphin’s previously unbeaten Manobo (Sea The Stars).
Bookmakers in the northern hemisphere reacted to the result by making Stay Foolish the 12-1 favourite for the Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m), however he could well have another big-race engagement prior to that.
“After Saudi he enjoyed the atmosphere in Dubai, he was excellent, very comfortable here. He loves Dubai I think,” Yahagi said.
“I am not sure what we do with him next. We will go back to Japan but my dream would be to go to Royal Ascot for the Gold Cup but I would need to speak with the owner first.”
Yahagi had already struck when Bathrat Leon (4 c Kizuna – Bathrat Amal by New Approach) made the most of his low draw to blitz the field in the Godolphin Mile (Gr 2, 1600m), the opening event on the card.
The colt was pushed into an early lead by his rider Ryusei Sakai from stall one and he never saw another rival, coming home a length and a quarter in front of Desert Wisdom (Dubawi).
The rails again proved to be the place to be, this time high numbers and the stands’ side, when the Adrian McGuiness-trained A Case Of You (4 c Hot Streak – Karjera ex Key Of Luck) took out the Al Quoz Sprint (Gr 1, 1200m).
While there was a difference of opinion between the riders as to where to go, Ronan Whelan took the paint-stripping route on board last season’s Prix de l’Abbaye winner (Gr 1, 1000m) on his way to a length and a quarter defeat of Happy Romance (Dandy Man).
There may not have been any runners from Australasia taking part at the valuable meeting but an Aussie still found himself in the Meydan winners’ enclosure after Damian Lane partnered Crown Pride (3 c Reach The Crown – Emmy’s Pride by King Kamehameha) to victory in the UAE Derby (Gr 2, 1900m).
Trained by Koichi Shintani, Crown Pride became the second stakes winner for Japan’s Arrow Stud-based sire Reach The Crown when beating Summer Is Tomorrow (Summer Front) by two and three-quarter lengths.
“I was confident a long way out and although he made hard work of it in the straight, ultimately he was the toughest out there. He’s a strong, tough horse and saw the distance out well,” said Lane.
“Whenever you jump aboard (a Japanese-trained horse) you can be confident they’re going to be strong and they’re going to run well and it’s just a privilege to be a part of it.”
A year on from running out an easy winner of the Dubai Turf (Gr 1, 1800m) Lord North (6 g Dubawi – Najoum by Giant’s Causeway) found himself back in the Meydan winners’ enclosure after the 1800-metre contest, but this time he had to share the spoils with the Yahagi-trained Panthalassa (5 h Lord Kanaloa – Miss Pemberley by Montjeu), after the judge was unable to split the pair in a desperately tight finish with the third home Vin De Garde (Deep Impact) just a nose further behind.
Shahryar (4 c Deep Impact – Dubai Majesty by Essence Of Dubai) became the fifth Japanese-trained winner on the card when last season’s Japan Cup (Gr 1, 2400m) third returned to winning ways in the Sheema Classic (Gr 1, 2400m). Trained by Hideaki Fujiwara and ridden by Cristian Demuro, he did just enough to hold on from the fast-finishing Yibir (Dubawi) and notch his second elite level win.
Earlier on in the evening, veteran Switzerland (8 g Speightstown – Czechers by Indian Charlie (USA) made a belated breakthrough at elite-level when he posted a shock win under ten-time UAE champion jockey Tadhg O’Shea in the Golden Shaheen (Gr 1, 1200m).
Now trained by Bhupat Seemar, Switzerland was winning for the fifth time in 18 starts as he made the most of the frantic early pace to get up late and strike.