Saturday’s Dubai World Cup card was officially highlighted by the $12million Dubai World Cup itself, the 2000m dirt feature being contested for the 27th time, and for just the second occasion the prize went to Japan, courtesy of Ushba Tesoro who devoured the surface over the final 300m to dominate over the final 100m.
Jockey Yuga Kuwada, in the colours of Ryptokuji Kenji Holdings, could not have his timed his challenge better for trainer Noboru Takagi
Billed as one of the day’s leading lights, Japanese superstar Equinox most certainly did not disappoint in the final turf race on the card, the 2410m Longines Dubai Sheema Classic, basically destroying his nine rivals, never headed under Christophe Lemaire and continually pulling clear over the final 675m before allowed to relax.
Saddled by Tetsuya Kimura for Silk Racing, the 4yo colt ended 2022 as the officially the world’s best 3yo and, on this evidence. ‘the world could well be his oyster’; It was majestic, mesmeric: pick your own superlative and a track record effort for good measure.
Triple Dubai Gold Cup winner Vazirabad was the only Thoroughbred to win the same race on the Dubai World Cup card thrice, and in consecutive seasons, until Lord North repeated the feat in the 1800m Group 1 Dubai Turf (albeit a dead-heater 12 months ago). Frankie Dettori has been in the saddle each time for HH Sheikh Zayed bin Mohammed Racing for the Gosdens.
Shadwell’s Danyah put a host of specialist sprinters to the sword when flying up the middle of the 1200m straight turf track under Dane O’Neill to deliver a popular success for the present Sheikha Hissa and trainer Musabbeh Al Mheiri in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint.
UAE-based trainer Doug Watson stamped his name on the Group 2 Godolphin Mile for the third time at Meydan Racecourse after Isolate did as his name suggested and kept himself ahead of the pack, going wire-to-wire under Tyler Gaffalione in the colours of RRR Racing.
The classy Broome took the step up to 3200m in his stride when striking late to take the Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup in a pulsating finish.
It looked as though Subjectivist would roar back to the form of his emphatic 2021 victory in this race when rounding the bend for home with a narrow lead, but he was soon headed by Godolphin’s Siskany.
However, Ryan Moore once again showed why he is one of the world’s best jockeys, striking late on the Aidan O'Brien-trained Broome, breaking the course record in the process, set by Subjectivist two years ago, in the process.
It was a first win in the race for both trainer and jockey, quite remarkable given their record in staying races the world over.
If you thought Moore couldn’t leave a winning challenge any later than that he executed on Broome then the final lunge up the rail aboard Sibelius in the 1200m dirt Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen was even more breathtahing as he denied last year’s winner Switzerland by a nose.
In doing so he gave Irishman Jeremiah O’Dwyer by far the biggest win of his career.
Derma Sotogake lined up for a shot at the Kentucky Derby as he made every step of the UAE Derby in a 1900m dirt contest dominated by Japanese horses.
Trained by Hidetaka Otonashi, owned by Hiroyuki Asanuma and ridden with supreme confidence by Christophe Lemaire, the chestnut won unchallenged by five and a half lengths from Dura Erede.
Japanese runners filled the first four places with another four lengths back to Continuar in third and three and a half more back to Perriere in fourth.
A thrilling finish greeted spectators to the 2023 Dubai World Cup meeting with local hopes Hayyan and Barakka involved in a prolonged duel in the only Arabian contest on the card, the Group 1 Dubai Kahayla Classic over the same 200m on dirt as the Dubai World Cup, the card's traditional opener, before the Majed Al Jahoori trainee Hayyan prevailed by a short head.
Ridden by Panamanian jockey Oscar Chavez, who also partnered him when winning the 1900m Al Maktoum Challenge R2 last month, he was always positioned well.
