Sajjhaa Adds Group 2 Balanchine To Cape Verdi Spoils

Double Dubai World Cup Carnival Delight For Godolphin While De Kock Claims Fahidi Fort

Godolphin were in double form at Meydan on Thursday evening with trainer Saeed bin Suroor and jockey Silvestre De Sousa combining to land the Group 2 Balanchine Stakes with Sajjhaa having won the preceding 1900 m all-weather handicap with Con Artist.

The entire seven-race card was sponsored by the Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Group.

Winner of the 1600m Group 2 Cape Verdi Stakes on her local debut four weeks ago, Sajjhaa enjoyed the step up to 1800m on this occasion and, penalised for that previous win, was able to concede weight to all six rivals to complete a memorable double in the Dubai World Cup Carnival races restricted to fillies and mares.

Bin Suroor said: “She has really thrived in the Dubai weather and has won both races in good style. We will have to sit down and plan where to go with her but Super Saturday would be a possibility.”

Igugu, the much-fancied South African champion, trained by Mike de Kock finished in third place behind Mahmoud al Zarooni’s Prussian. Igugu was making her first start in nearly 13 months. 

Con Artist made virtually all to open his local account to win easily at the third time of asking and De Sousa said: “I was always happy on him and he quickened well at the top of the straight to win nicely. It has been a good start to 2013.”

South African trainer Mike De Kock was also in double form with Pat Cosgrave steering Await The Dawn to victory in the 2000m turf handicap before Paul Hanagan and Mushreq landed the Group 2 Al Fahidi Fort over 1800m on the same surface. Remarkably, the trainer was winning that race for the fifth time since 2003 and South African-trained runners have scored in this contest eight times in that period.

De Kock also saddled seasonal debutants Master Of Hounds to finish second and Musir fourth and hopes both his winners could be serious contenders on Dubai World Cup night.

“Await The Dawn needed his first run badly and we thought he had a lot more to offer. We could stay on turf or perhaps try the all-weather again – I am not sure yet.

“That was a second win on his fifth 2013 start for Mushreq who has been a revelation and keeps improving. We will have to think about the Dubai Duty Free after that effort.”

Racing opened with the only Purebred Arabian race on the card, the Group 2 Bani Yas over 1400m on the all-weather and owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, trainer Majed Al Jahouri and jockey Ahmed Ajtebi continued their great season with the victory of Rakha.

Al Jahouri said: “It has been a great season thus far and hopefully it can continue to Super Saturday and the Kahayla Classic.”

Satish Seemar and stable jockey Richard Mullen have enjoyed a good 2013 Dubai World Cup Carnival and were on the scoresheet with local debutant Unbridled Ocean, in the same colours as Dubai-bound Royal Delta, in the 1600m all-weather handicap.

Mullen said: “We have always liked him and he has done well to win from that wide draw. We may have to step him up in class now.”

The concluding 1000m turf handicap supplied trainer Seth Benzel and jockey Khamzat Ulubaev with their first local winners with Dux Scholar landing the spoils after being stepped down in trip. The Al Quoz Sprint on World Cup night is the winner’s main target.

Godolphin’s Sajjhaa wins the Group 2 Balanchine sponsored by Al Naboodah Construction Group under Silvestre de Sousa for trainer, Saeed bin Suroor (Credits Dubai Racing Club / Andrew Watkins).