UK based jockey Royston Ffrench had the most prestigious win of his career when local galloper Al Shemali upset a classy field in the Dubai Duty Free, sponsored by Dubai Duty Free.
Barely given a mention in the lead-up to one of the night’s highlight events, Al Shemali, given a great ride by French had the brace shot to pieces inside the 200 metres while many of his better-fancied rivals including the favourite Presvis were running into dead ends back in the field. At the finish, Al Shemali had a length and a half to spare over the fast-finishing Bankable with Imbongi three and a quarter lengths away third.
Trained by Ali Rashid Al Raihe for Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Al Shemali has now won four races from his 18 starts but his previous form had been in far more modest events. French said the horse’s best form had been over longer distances but he knew if he could put him into the race at the right time he would finish it off well.
“It was a pleasant surprise (to win) but the stable has been in great form and I knew he’d stay.”
Trainer Herman Brown was far from disappointed with the run of Bankable, saying he had run “the race of his life.”
“We knew the pace was not g going to suit him and he had trouble getting a clear run in the straight but he could hardly have hit the line any better,’’ Brown said.
Jockey Kevin Shea agreed: “The best horse didn’t beat us. It was the pace that beat us, but we’re happy.”
The same could not be said of Luca Cumani, trainer of Presvis although he took the philosophical approach. “That’s racing. It was more like trackwork than a race and at least it didn’t take a lot out of him,” Cumani said. Presvis kept running into dead ends from before the home turn and jockey Christophe Lemaire eased him down in the run to the line. Cumani said he would press on with plans to take Presvis to Hong Kong for next month’s QE2 Cup at Sha Tin.
US galloper Courageous Cat was prominent to the home turn but gave ground in the run home. “He travelled well for a mile but when it was time to get to the quarter pole, he just kind of dropped it”, jockey Garret Gomez said.
Post race quotes from the Dubai Duty Free, sponsored by Dubai Duty Free
Royston Ffrench, jockey, Al Shemali, 1st: “It was a pleasant surprise but the stable had been in terrific form and I knew he’d stay. It was the case of getting a clear split and we got it. It’s the most prestigious win of my career.”
Kevin Shea, jockey, Bankable, 2nd: “It was a very good run. The pace was just too slow. The best horse didn’t beat us. It was the pace that beat us. But we’re happy.”
Christophe Soumillon, jockey, Imbongi, 3rd: “He didn’t have too many problems at the gate. The race was going well but the winner took my position as we were moving forward. I thought we were only going to finish fourth or fifth, but this horse is one of the most generous I’ve ridden and he kept fighting for me.”
Victor Espinoza, jockey, The Usual Q. T., 4th: “He ran very well. I had a good trip. He was a little tough in the beginning of the race but he settled down nicely behind other horses. He just didn’t have enough today. I would be happier if won, but I am happy he ran well.”
Edgar Prado, jockey, Take the Points, 5th: “I had a beautiful trip. There was an easy pace at the beginning of the race. He took command around the 500 metres but the others ran a little harder than him. He tried hard.”
John Egan, jockey, Lahaleeb, 6th: “She ran fantastic. Unfortunately, I had a bad draw. I think if I had a good draw, I would have definitely been in the shakeup.”
Wayne Smith, jockey, Ibn Battuta, 7th: “He ran disappointingly. He jumped the gates but he was never travelling with me. I had a crack turning in but he was not himself today.”
Weichong Marwing, jockey, Good Ba Ba, 8th: “He missed the start and he got back a bit far, bit that’s his style anyway. The real problem was that there was no pace in the race and he never got into it. I don’t think he was that comfortable in and among horses anyway.”
Garret t Gomez, jockey, Courageous Cat, 9th: “I had a really good trip. I had a split just before we were turning for home, and I went to go for it and he didn’t respond. Then I went to the inside and I had a spot there, too, but he wasn’t getting across the ground the way he usually does. He travelled well for a mile but when it was time to go at the quarter pole, he just kind of dropped it.”
Ahmed Ajtebi, jockey, Calvados Blues, 10th: “He did everything right. I followed the field but when I asked him, he didn’t show me that much. We stepped him up in class and he wasn’t ready for it.”
Richard Hills , jockey, Snaafy, 12th: “No excuses.”
Ryan Moore, jockey, Confront, 13th: “Ground was too hard and he didn’t pick up.”
Lanfranco Dettori, jockey, Alexandros, 14th : “Disappointing. It’s not my night.”
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