Dubai's glorious run at Royal Ascot continues

This year's Royal Ascot is turning out to be a UAE show with Dubai-owned horses sparkling yet again on the third day of the prestigious festival on Thursday.

The dream continued for Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Minister of Finance, with the UAE royal clinching his sixth winner at the races at the Ascot Racecourse in Berkshire.

After racking up four winners across the two days of the festival, Sheikh Hamdan, who owns Shadwell Racing, saw Molatham and Khaloosy run out impressive winners on the day.

Molatham, the three-year-old colt from Night Of Thunder, landed the Group 3 Jersey Stakes with Symbolize, owned by Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum finishing third.

Two hours later, Khaloosy, the three-year-old colt from the illustrious Dubawi, won the Britannia Stakes. And it was a one-two for the UAE with Finest Sound, owned by Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, coming second in the race.

Earlier in the afternoon, Dubai-based Ziad A Galadari's Mountain Angel triumphed in the Wolferton Stakes.

It swelled the UAE's tally to 10 winners over the three days.

Meanwhile, Stradivarius, owned by Bjorn Nielsen, made it a hat-trick of Gold Cup wins, winning the Group 1 highlight in sensational style.

Nayef Road, owned by Dubai-based Mohamed Obaida, was second, while Godolphin's 2018 Melbourne Cup winner Cross Counter, finished third.

The Dubai racing operation's Global Storm was third in the Golden Gates Handicap, while Dubai Love finished third in the Sandringham Stakes.

"He had the one run on soft ground last year and didn't fire, but his form before that was very strong - he beat Wichita and we were thinking of the Guineas for him," jockey Jim Crowley said of Molatham.

"He stuck it out well, he got headed but in fairness to him he came back. I probably got there too soon but he arrived and was going so well. On this ground it's hard to sit and expect to quicken. The reason we came back to seven is we weren't sure he'd get a mile. On that run you'd say he would, but if we'll go ten furlongs I'm not sure," added the 2016 British Champion Jockey.

The 34-year-old has six winners so far and is eyeing Ryan Moore's record of nine winners, which the latter accomplished at Ascot in 2015.

"Six winners at Royal Ascot is the stuff of dreams," he said. "It's great for my boss (Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum). It's just a shame he can' be here this week. Khaloosy ran really well. It was his first run of the year, and Roger has done a great job with him," added Crowley.

"He's always had an attitude and temperament to die for," trainer Roger Varian said of Molatham.

"To see him fight back and tough it out on the track shows he's a fighter. We had concerns coming in, he didn't get home in the Autumn Stakes. Perhaps that was too much of a stamina test at that point in his development. He doesn't lack for pace, he travelled beautifully into it. He's got plenty of gears and looks like he'll stretch out to a mile so he has lots of options," added the 41-year-old.