Sport | Horse Racing
Haya's Huntdown puts on great show
Huntdown got the opening stage of the two-day Dubai Duty Free sponsored race meeting off to flying start at Newbury on Friday with a stunning winning performance in the first division of the Dubai Duty Free Golf World Cup Maiden Stakes, and provided the first leg of a double for jockey Frankie Dettori.
- Staff Report
- Published: 23:52 September 20, 2008
Berkshire: Huntdown got the opening stage of the two-day Dubai Duty Free sponsored race meeting off to flying start at Newbury on Friday with a stunning winning performance in the first division of the Dubai Duty Free Golf World Cup Maiden Stakes, and provided the first leg of a double for jockey Frankie Dettori.
Huntdown is owned by Princess Haya Bint Al Hussain, wife of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice- President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
The John Gosden-trained colt, who sidestepped a race at Yarmouth twenty-four hours earlier in favour of this six furlongs contest, was a wide-margin winner, beating the Stephen Drowne-ridden debutant All About by seven lengths.
"He's a very nice horse and a serious prospect for next year," beamed winning rider Frankie Dettori, who was cheered all the way to the finishing line on the heavily-backed favourite.
Dubai Duty Free's Sinead Al Sibai, Manager, Advertising, Media and Events was on hand to present the trophies to winning connections after hosting a lunch for duty free industry media, UK horseracing press and trainers.
Trainer Roger Charlton gained swift consolation for the defeat of All About when Blue Monday snatched a narrow victory over Spanish Moon in the Dubai Duty Free Arc Trial, a race the gelding won two years ago.
Satisfying
"That has to be my most satisfying winner of the season," said Charlton, who explained that the seven-year-old had suffered several niggling problems since he returned from Australia where he finished down the field in the Melbourne Cup.
"It's just great to see them come back like that," he added.
Kalahari Gold, who was stepping up in class, will be upgraded again next month after overhauling Godolphin's Il Warrd in the closing stages, to take the seven furlongs Dubai Duty Free Cup.
Trained locally to Newbury at Kingsclere, the gelding will now be aimed at the Group 2 Challenge Stakes at Newmarket next month.
Said trainer, Andrew Balding: "He's an improving horse and should be even better next year. He's got to fill out physically, and will get a mile eventually.
Balding was full of praise for Liam Keniry who he said was a much underrated jockey.
"He's a very reliable and thoughtful rider and often does not get the praise he deserves," he added.
The Haynes Hanson and Clark Stakes has a reputation for producing top class colts and the race may have unearthed another star in Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minster of Finance and Industry's Taameer, who was given a 33-1 quote for next year's Epsom Derby after springing a 20-1 surprise victory in the hands of top British lady rider Hayley Turner.
Slowly away, the Marcus Tregoning-trained newcomer quickened to lead inside the final furlong and ran on well to beat Her Majesty The Queen's Full Toss by half a length with the odds on favourite Palavicini back in third place.
"He's a very nice horse and had been working well before the race," said Tregoning, who was winning this mile event for a fourth time.
"This is the perfect race to introduce potential classic winners, and I hope that he might be another one, but there's a long way to go yet," he added.
Another newcomer Lassarina, trained by Barry Hills, lowered the colours of several potentially good horses when taking the Dubai Duty Free Full of Surprises EBF Fillies' Conditions Stakes after a slow start, and Dettori completed a double when winning the second division of the Dubai Duty Free Golf World Cup on Wave Aside, who looked capable of further improvement and is one for the notebook.
Warm sunshine greeted the many thousands of racegoers attending the opening day of the meeting and is set to continue into day two of the fixture which features the Group 2 Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes and the Group 3 Dubai Duty Free 25th Anniversary World Trophy.
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