Dubai: Lanfranco Dettori powered home on African Story and then pointed to the Grandstand where His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, whose Godolphin Stables was winning the Godolphin Mile (Group 2) for the eighth time, was seated.
None of his 12 rivals in the Tapeta contest over a mile could do much to bring about a twist in the African Story as the five-year-old scored his fifth win in 12 starts and got Godolphin off to a winning start.
Commenting on the win by the favourite, Shaikh Mohammad said: "He's been improving all year and he was the favourite so it wasn't a surprise. We will give him a few weeks' rest, he needs the rest now because as you said he was improving. We'll give him a few weeks' rest and then we'll take him back to England."
Dominated
Winning trainer Saeed Bin Surour, who has dominated this race and who with African Story's win was notching up his 10th victory, said: "Well, he was the best chance to give us a winning start for the night and he has done so.
"Last time he beat Musir convincingly and that gave us a lot of belief in him. I spoke to the boss [Shaikh Mohammad] and of course he is very happy to see his horses winning."
Like Godolphin and Bin Surour, Dettori has also enjoyed much success in this race and it was his seventh win.
"I am delighted with this win as it takes off some of the pressure on us tonight. It had a perfect draw and he was definitely the pick of my rides for tonight. It is now time to go and get some more going," said the Italian ace after performing his trademark flying dismount.
Mike de Kock's Viscount Nelson under Kevin Shea seemed to appreciate the drop in distance to run into second place, while Red Jazz was third for the second successive year.
Satish Seemar's Richard's Kid, after two runs in the Dubai World Cup, also relished the drop back to the mile and finished fourth.
"Richard's Kid was flying. I have said often that he is more suited to the mile and a quarter, but they won't listen. I hope tonight's speed will convince them," the Zabeel Stables trainer said.
Much was expected from the English raider Western Aristocrat, a Grade 1 winner in America last year, but the Jeremy Noseda runner, the second favourite after African Story, did not finish the race.
"I don't know what happened out there. It's a bit of a mystery to me. He simply lost his action and I thought he had picked up an injury. But we have seen him and it does not look like it," said jockey Ryan Moore.
— With additional inputs from Alaric Gomes, Senior Reporter, and Ashley Hammond, Staff Reporter.
