Friday’s eighth meeting of the 2009 Dubai International Racing Carnival, kindly sponsored by Etisalat, was an all Thoroughbred eight race card with Irishman Johnny Murtagh taking the riding plaudits.

He rode a double, including winning the featured 1777m Group 3 Balanchine Stakes, a race restricted to fillies and mares, on the Herman Brown-trained My Central who he brought from last to first in the final 500m.

The pair hit the front close home to the delight of Brown who said: “That was a great ride from Johnny and he says he was always confident during the race. We knew the step up in trip would suit and the horses are going well.”

Murtagh also won a handicap over the same course and distance, the Etisalat apple sunrise Trophy, on Mike De Kock’s Bankable who was making a winning first start since joining the South African and will be aimed at the Dubai Duty Free on Dubai World Cup night.

Racing opened with two1300m turf handicaps and the first, the Etisalat Weyak, was won by De Kock’s Diana’s Choice who was winning her second race in succession under Kevin Shea who always looked very confident.

Shea explained: “We knew she would go close and is a really nice filly who we may take to Europe.”

The following race over the same course and distance, the Etisalat Blackberry Handicap produced one of the best finishes of the Carnival with Richard Mullen managing to hit the front right on the line on the Rod Simpson-trained Balthazaar’s Gift.

Denied a clear run on more than one occasion, he flashed home, as did the third Dohasa, to deny Grantley Adams in the very last stride.

Simpson was over the moon: “I did not think we could win 200m out, but all credit to Richard (Mullen) who has managed to find a gap and he has picked up really well.”

Mullen completed a double when partnering Satish Seemar’s Pompeyano to make a winning local debut in the Etisalat MMS 2000m turf handicap.

The horse had to dig deep to withstand the challenge of Strategic News and Mullen was impressed: “He really battled when he had to having shown a decent turn of foot. Hopefully he can build on that.”

Charlie Cool won the concluding Etisalat Greentune, a 2000m turf handicap for Dhruba Selvaratnam and William Buick, while Richard Hills and Musabah Al Muhairi’s Snaafy won the Etisalat Hotspot Trophy, a 1500m dirt handicap.

Both he and Diana’s Choice were winning successive Carnival races.

Two Step Salsa, on his first Godolphin start, was the impressive winner of the 1200m dirt handicap, the Etisalat Wasel Trophy, under a jubilant Frankie Dettori.