Dubai : Twenty-four hours after narrowly missing out on the $10 million Dubai World Cup, Emirati jockey Ahmad Ajtebi insists he is not likely to lose any sleep over what might have been had he not been drawn on the inside rail.
Riding UAE-trained Allybar, Ajtebi finished a nose and short-head behind the winner and runner-up, Gloria De Campeao and Lizard's Desire, in a blinding finish that left most onlookers breathless.
Even if it did not involve any of the ante-post favourites — Gitano Hernando (100/30) with sixth, Twice Over (11/2) 10th and Red Desire (6/1) 11th — it was perhaps one of the most thrilling finishes in a race that was celebrating it's 15th renewal.
Ajtebi, who earlier in the evening pulled a rabbit out of the hat when he rode 14/1 Calming Influence to land the $1 million Godolphin Mile (Gr 2), said he was happy to have played a role in such a memorable race.
"That's racing, you can't change the result," he said philosophically. "You can always say I should have done this, or I should have done that. But that's not me.
"I would have ridden the race the same way if it was to be run again. The horse [Allybar] did nothing wrong, he gave everything he had. I couldn't have asked for more.
"We can always reflect on what might have happened, but what's done is done."
However, Ajtebi does believe that being drawn in stall one on an all-weather course with sharp bends did him no favours. "When you have the inside post in a race with 14 horses you don't have much of a chance to get your horse to where he wants to be in the field," Ajtebi said.
"It was a hard draw and I was closed in on the rails for most of the race. When I did find the space I went for it and Allybar responded immediately.
Flying
"He was flying, absolutely flying, but so were the other two horses [Gloria De Campeao and Lizard's Desire]. I wasn't looking at either of them, but just the finish line, and I wanted my horse to get there first. He tried, very hard, but we just got beat.
"Kevin [Shea] on Lizard's Desire thought he had won and began to shout out excitedly. So I congratulated him. But the camera gave the race to the horse on my left. It was a tense couple of minutes for both the other jockeys before Tiago [Pareira] was named the winner."
Ajtebi said it would have been a great result to win the Dubai World Cup for new Godolphin trainer Mahmoud Al Zarouni, but that it was still a big achievement to saddle finish in the frame.
