Victoire Pisa (06) wins the 2011 Dubai World Cup
2011 Dubai World Cup Result
1st - 6. Victoire Pisa (Mirco Demuro)
2nd – 9. Transcend (Shinji Fujita)
3rd – 2. Monterosso (Mickael Barzalona)
Whether the 2011 Dubai World Cup proved to be a satisfactory affair depends entirely on what you were looking for from the race in the first place. If you wanted a truly run contest in which all of the runners ran to the best of their ability, then the race will have proved to be a bitter disappointment. If, on the other hand, you wanted to see a flash of inspiration in the saddle and a moment of horse racing history, then the race delivered in some style.
Make no mistake, the result of this race does not provide an accurate guide as to the ability of all of the contestants. On the night, it may well have been the fastest mind in the race, rather than the fastest horse, which won the day.
Like the 2010 renewal, the early pace was slow and passing the winning post with a circuit to go, the Japanese raider Transcend led the field. Sat in last place at this point was Victoire Pisa, some 10 lengths or so off the pace. When the pace in a race is pedestrian, the worst possible place to be is at the back of the field, yet very few jockeys ever seem to possess the presence of mind to do something about the situation. I don’t think it is an exaggeration to say that Mirco Demuro’s move in the back-straight, where he circled the entire field to get Victoire Pisa just off the lead, is one of the finest pieces of tactical riding ever seen in a Grade 1 race. While the other horses pulled for their heads and their jockeys started dreaming up their post-race excuses, Demuro acted decisively and got his horse exactly where he wanted him, without wasting much energy in the process.
As the pace slowly wound up, Demuro was in the perfect position to pounce and Victoire Pisa had the gears to see off Transcend, Monterosso and Cape Blanco in the straight to record a famous 1-2 for Japan. As stated in a previous blog, any horse race, even one as prestigious and valuable as this one, becomes virtually irrelevant in the context of the current desperate situation in Japan – but the viewer couldn’t help but feel that someone was perhaps smiling down on the Japanese runners on Saturday night and the result was a great one for the race on many different levels.
Of the beaten horses, there is no doubt that Twice Over is a better horse than he showed n the night. Henry Cecil’s horse was caught wide early on and jockey Tom Queally never looked happy. However, I strongly believe that however the race had been run, Twice Over wouldn’t have won , as you only have to compare his effort to that of Buena Vista. The Japanese mare basically had no chance whatsoever the way the race unfolded. She probably needs 12f to be seen to best effect anyway and Ryan Moore had her anchored in a hopeless position turning for home. Her progress in the closing stages was remarkable - and if there was an unlucky horse, it was undoubtedly Buena Vista. No horse on the planet deserves to land a big prize more than this mare – and one can only hope that connections target her at the Prix De L’Arc De Triomphe as she would surely have an excellent chance of becoming the first Japanese winner of what is still probably the most prestigious Horse Race in the world.
As for Cape Blanco, he ran with great credit for Aidan O’Brien and maybe just lacked a bit of sharpness on the night. O’Brien also had Master Of Hounds run very well in the UAE Derby and one can only hope that these horses signalled the dawn of a new era for the World Cup meeting. Indeed, if both the Japanese and Coolmore have been encouraged to participate in this race in future years, then maybe this should go down as the best Dubai World Cup yet.
Next week: The countdown to the Kentucky Derby starts with a look at hot favourite, Uncle Mo.
Dubai World Cup Victory to Japan gives hope to Country
Well what a night at the Dubai World Cup. The final race of the UAE season proved to be no disappointment as the runners raced in the World’s richest race for $10,000,000. The Japanese horse Victoire Pisa led home a Japanese 1-2 and who could begrudge the Japanese something to cheer after all the horrors in their country which has left parts of their country destroyed and uncontrolled dangers such as radiation are still circulating.
It was touching when Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum embraced warmly the owners the feelings of joy for the owners were all too much and the warmth was a real gesture of feeling towards the victory that has come out of a grim reality. The race itself was a slow muddling race early on with plenty of incident. Mirco Demuro, the 23 year old from Italy, sat at the tail of affairs watching the incidents and at the end of the back straight made a daring and risky move to go round the whole field and be challenging for the lead coming in to the straight. He just kept finding a little more as the challengers queued up to have a go at him and although Transcend got to within half a length he could be called the winner a long way out.
I was working on the radio and the reaction of the Japanese radio next door summed it all up. As the horses entered the last 400m little cries of hope increased in volume and excitement. There was a yell as the horses crossed the line, they put their hands in the air embraced and after a quick dignified celebration they went back to their work as if nothing had happened.
Other giant performances were seen throughout the night and perhaps the highlight was the Ryan Moore ride on Presvis in the Dubai Duty Free. Turning in to the straight this far from straightforward horse, trained in Newmarket UK by Luca Cumani, was in plumb last but Moore found the gaps and managed to weave his way through the field masterfully to win a touch cosily.
Another enigmatic horse is Rewilding and he won the Sheema Classic very easily. He produced a devastating turn of pace to come with a conquering run in the home straight to score quite comfortably under an ecstatic Frankie Dettori who was completing a double. This was a great vindication for the Godolphin team with Mahmood Al Zarooni enjoying a Godolphin winner after his team mate and rival Saeed Bin Suroor had notched a double. Earlier Skysurfers had won the Godolphin Mile under a vintage Dettori ride seeing off a determined Richard Hills of Mufarrh. It was an exhilirating finish with both jockey going head to head with Bin Suroor’s charge managing to overhaul Ali Rashid Al Raihe’s charge and maintain a small advantage up to the line.
Bin Suroor also doubled up in the finish of the night when Khawlah won the UAE Derby. The first filly to win the race is now set for a classic season in England aiming for the Musidora at York before the Oaks. It was the tightest finish of the night and the nose she beat Aidan O’Brien’s Master of Hounds was so close it took the judge a minute to split them. It was a great return to the UAE for the Ballydoyle team and they were unlucky not win a race and their Cape Blanco was fourth in the Dubai World Cup. It was lovely to see Sheikh Mohammed welcome Aiden O’Brien so warmly.
Perhaps the performance of the night was that of the Singapore horse of the year Rocket Man in the Golden Shaheen. It is very rare that a sprinter looks to have a race totally under control but the way Pat Shaw’s charge won made it look effortless. In the other sprint JJ the Jet Plane left it late to emerge from the sandstorm to hit the front with less than 50 metres to go to beat the three others battling for victory who filled the frame.
A great night for racing was enjoyed by everyone in the field of dreams that is Meydan. Fortunately the sandstorm that threatened the evening early on cleared for the Group 1 races and the crowd left delighted with what they had seen.