Saturday, Oct 12, 2013
Dubai: Scatter Dice and War Command delivered star performances as the attention turned to Newmarket’s Rowley Mile, where a host of emerging thoroughbred stars strutted their stuff on Dubai Future Champions Day at Newmarket.
A defiant winner of the Futurity Stakes (G2) at the Curragh in August War Command provided Aidan O’Brien with a third success in the Dubai Dewhurst Stakes (G1) under a strong ride by the Irish handler’s son Joseph.
The colt is now as short as 8-1 (from 10-1) for next year’s 2000 Guineas (G1) and 16-1 for the Epsom Derby (G1).
“The more racing he gets the more professional he gets,” O’Brien told Racing UK. “He’ll have no problem getting a mile and looks every inch a Guineas horse.”
O’Brien Sr’s previous successes in the Dewhurst came with Beethoven in 2009 and Rock of Gibraltar in 2001.
The handler’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Trial Stakes (G3) scorer Australia is the 5-1 favourite to win the Derby while John Gosden’s Kingman, winner of the Solario Stakes (G3), is a 6-1 favourite for the Guineas.
Godolphin’s Outstrip raced at the rear and could not make up sufficient ground when asked for his effort to finish third, with Anjaal, owned by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, in fourth.
Michael Shinners, spokesman for the UK’s leading online bookmakers Sky Bet said: “War Command was workmanlike in the Dewhurst but showed a good attitude and is clearly going to be a Guineas contender in the spring.”
Later in the evening, Scatter Dice, trained by Mark Johnston for Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, produced a shock result to win the Cesarewitch (Heritage Handicap) under a jubilant Silvestre de Sousa.
The winner scored at odds of 66-1 in the gruelling 3,200m contest which carries a lucrative purse of £250,000.
Gimcrack hero Astaire capped a fine one-two for trainer Kevin Ryan in the Middle Park Stakes (G1) to earn a quote of 33-1 for next season’s 2,000 Guineas.
Neil Callan rode an aggressive race on the consistent son of Intense Focus to hold off stablemate Hot Streak by a length.
Shinners commented on the winner’s Classic prospects.
“You had to be impressed with Astaire’s battling qualities and he’s a high quality colt but there have to be reservations over whether he’s going to be a miler next year,” he said.
Fiesolana notched her fifth success of the season when landing the Group 2 Dubal Challenge Stakes, the opening race of the day.
Ridden by hold-up specialist Billy Lee the winner scored by two lengths from German raider Amarillo, ridden by Martin Harley for trainer Peter Schiergen.
“She’s done it well. She doesn’t do a whole lot but if they come to her, she’ll find more. She’s been great to me this year,” Lee told Racing UK.
Winning trainer Willie McCreery added “That was absolutely fantastic. I’m delighted. Mares like that are hard to replace, she’s beaten the lads there. She’s in the December Sales and I don’t think there’s anything else for her after this.”
By Leslie Wilson Jr Racing & Special?Features Writer
Gulf News 2013. All rights reserved.
