Dubai Sheikhzayedroad, interestingly named after Dubai’s iconic motorway, notched his fourth Group race victory when landing the 250th Doncaster Cup, the two and a quarter-mile contest that was the feature race on the third day of the St. Leger Festival.
Owned by Dubai businessman Mohammad Jaber, the seven-year-old son of Dubawi, scored by a nose from Roger Charlton’s Lonsdale Cup winner Quest For More.
An elated trainer David Simcock said: “He’s given us a lot of good days and has been consistent all his life. He’s a tough old warrior. We absolutely love him to bits at home.
“We don’t over-race him and he’ll have one more run this year, be it in Canada or at Ascot (British Champions Long Distance Cup) and then he’ll do the same next year — go to Dubai and run at Ascot (in the Gold Cup) — it will be the same routine and he enjoys it.
“We keep him fresh and he takes no training. He’s as slow as a hearse at home, but he’s very lovable and really special to the yard,” he added.
“These stayers are great. You can give me 10 of these horses over a five-furlong horse all day long.
“They’re fun to watch and fun to train.”
The third day of the St Leger Festival, Doncaster Cup Gentlemen’s Day, saw the feature race, the 250th Doncaster Cup, go to David Simcock’s globetrotting seven-year-old.
Meanwhile, Simon Crisford’s Rodaini completed a double for Dubai breeder and businessman Abdullah Saeed Al Naboodah, when taking the Flying Scotsman Stakes, thanks to a brilliant ride from champion jockey Silvestre De Sousa.
The Brazilian rider was registering his 92nd winner of the season, leaving him one behind Jim Crowley [93 winners] in the British Flat Jockeys’ Championship, which culminates at Ascot on Champions Day on October 15.
Earlier in the afternoon Al Naboodah saw his colours carried to victory by rankie Dettori aboard Ardad in the Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes.
Trained by John Gosden, Ardad won the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.
Fellow Newmarket handler Sir Michael Stoute gained his first victory of the meeting, courtesy of the lightly-raced Khairaat in a Classified Race.
The winner was ridden by Paul Hanagan in the colours of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance.
Josephine Gordon showed that she has the potential to mix it with the more publicised male jockeys when producing a nice ride aboard Wall Of Fire to win the Mallard Handicap for Hugo Palmer.
