Dubai: Emirati jockey Ahmad Ajtebi continued his phenomenal assent to the pinnacle of world horse racing when he delivered another virtuoso performance to bag the $2million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita, California late Saturday evening.
The 27-year-old former camel jockey, who took the racing world by storm in March by winning two major races on Dubai World Cup night, was at the peak of his powers when upstaging American top dog Garret Gomez aboard the favourite Looking At Lucky, by a head in the mile and a half contest on the fast pro-ride surface.
It was a wild finish to a race that is recognised as an early pointer to the Kentucky Derby, and Ajtebi has given the Godolphin stable belief that they have a horse than can break their jinx in the race when it takes place in Louisville, Kentucky next May. Godolphin have sent six horses to the Derby but they closest they have come to winning is a seventh place.
But Godolphin racing manager called for a cautious approach given that the race is six months away.
“We need to make it through the next stage first before we can make any firm commitments,” Crisford said on the ESPN website. “But of all the 2-year-olds we have right now, he would be the one we’re looking at Churchill Downs.
“But handling the synthetic surfaces and racing on the dirt surface are two completely different things. But he certainly booked his ticket to be given the respect to try to get there anyway.”
An Irish-bred trained by Saeed bin Surour in Newmarket, Vale of York was winning for the third time in six starts. He finished second last time out in the Group 1 Gran Criterium in Italy. He runs in the colours of Godolphin, which is an international stable championed by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Ajtebi was ecstatic with his latest triumph and acknowledged that it was the greatest moment in his career.
“This is beyond my wildest dreams,” Ajtebi told Gulf News. “I am absolutely over the moon, to win a race at the World Championships is unbelievable. I don’t think it will seem real until I wake up tomorrow.
“I can’t thank High Highness Shaikh Mohammad enough for giving me the opportunity to ride for his stable at such an important race meet. He has been my greatest supporter and I thank him from the bottom of my heart for that.
“Vale of York is a great horse. I’ve been riding his ever since Godolphin had him.
“He won a good Listed race at Goodwood last September and was a good second in soft ground (Gran Criterium, Italy). Today he showed how good a horse he is.”
