Rocket Man a caviar performer, too

The world’s richest race at the world’s richest meeting under lights at Meydan in Dubai at the weekend had no Australian runner but provided some enthralling contests and pointed to plenty to look forward to for Australian (and world) racing fans.

The $US10 million World Cup (2000m, on the artificial Tapeta surface) provided the “feel good” story, Japan’s Victoire Pisa (pictured) beating another Japanese-trained galloper, Transcend, to provide a quinella that brought a moment of joy and a welter of tears for the Japanese in Dubai, on an emotional knife-edge in the wake of Japan’s devastating earthquake and tsunami this month.

The daring of jockey Italian Marco Dimuro won the race for Melbourne Cup winning trainer Katsuhiko Sumii. Victoire Pisa (b or br h 2007, Neo Universe (JPN)-Whitewater Affair (GB), by Machiavellian (USA)) hit his head on the gates and was slow away, but Dimuro circled the field in the back straight to join Transcend  (b h 2006, Wild Rush (USA)-Cinema Scope (JPN), by Tony Bin (IRE)) in the lead when his jockey, Shinji Fujita, slowed the pace in the back straight.

The Japanese dominated from the front to run the quinella, Victoire Pisa a half-length clear, with Monterosso (by Dubawi (IRE) from Porta Roca, the mare who provided Flemington trainer Danny O’Brien with his first Group 1) a neck back in third place.

Many of those at Meydan with the Japanese runners wore black polo shirts with the word “hope” on the sleeve alongside Japan’s flag and the date of the disaster on the back. Demuro said: “It’s just unbelievable to win the Dubai World Cup for Japan.”

(Sumii trained Delta Blues, the 2006 Melbourne Cup winner in another Japanese quinella, with stablemate Pop Rock.)

With an eye to Australia in the spring, it was the $US5 million G1 Dubai Duty Free (1800m), a leg of the Asian Mile Challenge, and the $US2 million G1 Golden Shaheen (1200m) that were of greater interest in strictly racing terms.

Duty Free winner Presvis, trained by Newmarket-based Italian Luca Cumani and ridden by Ryan Moore, could be a Cox Plate runner with Cumani a dedicated visitor each spring and with the Moonee Valley Racing Club offering to pay the way of internationals.

Presvis (b g 7, Sakhee (USA)-Forest Fire (SWE), by Never So Bold (IRE)) had twice had no luck in this race. This time he again came from well back but got a clear run to win from River Jetez  and Wigmore Hall.

Cumani intends to send Presvis to Hong Kong for the Group 1 QE II Cup before heading to Singapore for the SIA Cup, both 2000m and both in May. After a spell, the Cox Plate will be considered.

The Golden Shaheen win by Rocket Man (b g 5, Viscount-Macrosa (NZ), by McGinty (NZ)) compensated for his unlucky defeat last year by American Kinsale King (a late scratching this year), and broke his international Group 1 duck after four narrow seconds – he has won two domestic Group 1s at Kranji and will return to Singapore to try to win his first home-track international Group 1 in the KrisFlyer (1200m) on May 22. Before then he will run in the Singapore Group 1 $500,000 Lion City Cup (1200m) on May 1.

He has run second in the KrisFlyer the past two years, to Hong Kong’s Sacred Kingdom and Green Birdie (fourth in the Golden Shaheen this year).

Rocket Man’s trainer Patrick Shaw is eyeing a spring clash with Black Caviar, in November’s G1 Patinack Farm Classic (1200m) at Flemington on the last day of the Melbourne Cup carnival and/or in the G1 International Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin in Hong Kong on December 11.

Rocket Man was beaten a head by South African JJ The Jet Plane in Hong Kong last December. JJ franked that form with a win in the turf sprint, the $US1 million G2 Al Quoz Sprint (1000m) at Meydan at the weekend.

Another Singapore horse, Better Be The One, trained by Australian Michael Freedman and ridden by Danny Beasley, was a head and a head way third behind JJ and War Artist.

The run attracted Royal Ascot recruiter Nick Smith.

“Nick Smith immediately asked us after the race to come to Royal Ascot,” Freedman told www.turfclub.com.sg. “He said we would need to make a decision in about three week’s time.

“I want to get the horse home first and let the dust settle and then make plans after that.”

Better Be The One (b g 4, More Than Ready (USA)-Common Smytzer, by Snippets) raced in Australia as Common Interest.

Freedman had a big weekend with two wins at Kranji in Singapore on Friday and another on Sunday. Australian jockey Vlad Duric returned from suspension on Sunday to ride a treble. He leads the jockeys’ premiership with 28 wins from last year’s champion, Brazilian Joao Moreira (21).

Freedman (14 wins) is one of 14 trainers grouped on 10-20 wins. Perennial champion Laurie Laxon is on top with 20 from another New Zealander, Mark Walker (17).

DUBAI RESULTS

$1m G2 Al Quoz Sprint (1000m): JJ The Jet Plane (M. Houdalakis, B. Fayd’Herbe) 1, War Artist 2, Better Be The One 3.

$1m G2 Godolphin Mile (1600m): Skysurfers (F. Dettori, S. bin Suroor) 1, Mufarrh 2, Red Jazz 3.

$2m G2 UAE Derby (1900m): Khawiah (M. Barzelona, S. bin Suroor) 1, Master Of Hounds 2, Mahbooba 3.

$2m G1 Golden Shaheen (1200m): Rocket Man (F. Coetzee, P. Shaw) 1, Euroears 2, Sunny King 3.

$5m G1 Dubai Duty Free (1800m): Presvis (R. Moore, L. Cumani) 1, River Jetez 2, Wigmore Hall 3.

$5m G1 Dubai Sheema Classic (2400m): Rewilding (F. Dettori, M. Al Zarooni) 1, Redwood 2, Calvados Blues 3.

$10m G1 Dubai World Cup (2000m): Victoire Pisa (M. Demuro, K. Sumii)1, Transcend 2, Monterossa 3.