Racing at Meydan on Thursday was highlighted by a quality 1600m handicap, the CNN Travel, in which Doug Watson-trained The Great Collection, despite conceding weight to his 10 rivals, was able to take full advantage of a drop in class to win easily. One race earlier, the defending UAE champion trainer won the other co-feature in impressive fashion with Lytham St Annes.
Sporting considerable back-class, The Great Collection tracked the early pace under Sam Hitchcott in the colors of Zaur Sekrekov before overpowering his rivals in the final 600m, making up for a fourth-place finish two weeks prior, to African Ride.
In the Race 4 Feature: CNN Business, Lytham St Annes took advantage of his good start and advantageous post inside the other speed, holding his own throughout, before powering clear in the straight under Pat Dobbs. Defeating nine rivals in what was labelled the CNN Business Handicap over 1200m, he was followed home by Beachcomber Bay, who was well-fancied on the international market.
“We could not really get him right last season, but he started this campaign well before running a bit flat,” Watson said.
The meeting kicked off with the CNN Style, a 1400m maiden, won in imperious fashion by debutant Blockchain, confidently ridden by Adrie de Vries for Fawzi Nass. In doing so, he provided owner Khaled Rahim with a maiden UAE winner at just the third attempt, but first since the Dubai World Cup at the end of March in 2010.
The longest race on the card, a 2200m handicap titled the CNN Arabic, developed into a duel throughout the final 400m when Grand Argentier, who led from the outset under Pat Dobbs, was about to be challenged by Richard Mullen and Welford. It took Mullen’s mount about 100m to get past, and claim victory over Grand Argentier.
Connections were back in the winner’s enclosure after the 1400m handicap, the CNN Health, with Tadhg O’Shea aboard Speedy Move, owned by Touch Gold in partnership with Sean Ewing, winning cosily.
The finale, a 2000m handicap, the CNN Sport, was won in impressive style by Gundogdu and jockey Xavier Ziani, who was never challenged and won for fun in the end, sprinting clear after leading comfortably throughout.
“I didn’t expect to win by that far,” Ziani said. “Last year when he won his maiden, I said on TV that he has quality. I really like this horse.”
All seven races were on the Meydan dirt surface at what was the final fixture at the UAE’s iconic flagship racecourse before the $35 million Dubai World Cup card in just over two weeks.
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