Dubai: Cannock Chase, an astute yearling purchase by Emirati businessman Saeed Suhail, has rewarded his owner a handsome return by winning the Grade 1 $1 million (Dh3.67 million) Canadian International at Woodbine Park in Toronto, Ontario.

Suhail, who famously won the Group 1 English Derby at Epsom in 2003 with Kris Kin, paid £400,000 for the son of Lemon Drop Kid at Newmarket who following his Canadian victory has taken his career earnings past that figure.

Cannock Chase was ridden by Ryan Moore who made history by becoming the first jockey to win the 2,400 metre contest three times in a row following Joshua Tree in 2013 and Hillstar in 2014. It was also the third success in the race for Newmarket-based Zimbabwean trainer Sir Michael Stoute after Singspiel in 1996 and Hillstar last year.

Cannock Chase scored by one and a half lengths from Up With the Birds, Canada’s Horse of the Year in 2013, and Sheikhzayedroad, who is also owned by Emirati businessman Mohammad Jaber and trained in England by David Simcock.

Both Cannock Chase and Sheikhzayedroad raced under the banner of Rabbah Bloodstock, a company created in 2006 by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to manage the racing interests of his friends and business associates.

“He had a good turn of foot today. He’s a good horse at this distance. The owner picked him out at Newmarket [yearling sale] for £400,000 and it was a good buy,” said Rabbah’s racing manager Bruce Raymond. “Ryan Moore, he’s the best. We’re lucky to have him.”

Moore, who was completing a Grade 1 double having earlier in the day steered the David Wachman-trained Curvy to win the E.P. Taylor Stakes, said: “I’m very lucky. I get to ride very good horses. It worked out well today. I thought this horse was impressive. As soon as he got a bit of room, he quickened. He won easy.”

The last jockey to win both the E.P. Taylor and Canadian International in the same year was Hall of Famer Gary Stevens in 1998, who rode Zomaradah in the E.P. Taylor and Royal Anthem in the International.

Cannock Chase has now won three of his first four starts, including the Group 3 Tercentenary at Ascot in June of 2014 before being side lined by ‘some niggles in his feet, but nothing serious,” as Stoute explained.

The International was Cannock Chase’s first Grade/Group 1 victory in 10 career outings.

Jockey Martin Lane, who rode Sheikhzayedroad, was delighted to finish third. “I had a wall of horses in front of me going around the bend so I had to switch wide, which is never ideal, but he galloped all the way to the line,” he said. “He was game, as he always is. He ran a very good race. With a bit further, we might have got second but looking at the winner, that’s the best we could have done on the day.”

The International is part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge series with the winner automatically qualifies for the Breeders’ Cup Turf. It was also the final race for the legendary Secretariat who triumphed in 1973.