Dubai: The spotlight was on Sun Classique as the four-year-old chestnut filly under Kevin Shea gave Mike de Kock his second win of the night when she won the $5 million Sheema Classic, sponsored by Nakheel.
After Spring House had done all the running, favourite Viva Pataca took the lead as the pack of 16 headed for home.
But Sun Classique stayed within striking distance, thanks to a favourable draw. And once Spring House faded away, Kevin Shea was able to ease away from the inside to finish strongly ahead of favourite Viva Pataca.
De Kock, who had earlier in the night scored a memorable 1-2 in the UAE Derby, was spot on with his Fuji Kiseki filly in the 12-furlong race which fetched the winner $3 million out of the $5 million purse.
Classique won the Cape Verdi and Ballanchine, two Listed races in the Carnival, and those runs seemed to have been the perfect preparation as Kevin Shea brought the Australian-bred filly to produce a winning run. The winning time of 2:27:45 was just five hundredths outside the track record.
Viva Pataca was looking to make it a two-in-a-row for Hong Kong after Vengeance of Rain's win last year but the John Moore hope was well beaten by Sun Classique.
Heaven on earth
"This is heaven on earth. She had the perfect trip. She had weight in her favour. She was at the top of her game. What more can I say but that she was awesome and she must be one of the best turf fillies in the world," said winning jockey Shea.
Darren Beadman, who rode Viva Pataca, said: "He came into the race at the right time. He gave me a great ride all the way through the race. He came out at the top of the stretch and gradually wore them down. I thought I was going to win at the 200-metre mark but the filly just getting that little bit of an allowance told on him in the last quarter. A tremendous effort."
Third-placed Doctor Dino's jockey Olivier Peslier summed it up: "He ran very well. I had a good run. I tracked Viva Pataca and he ran on really well in the straight but we couldn't get to the winner."
German campaigner Quijano finished fourth and jockey Andrasch Starke felt he was unlucky in the run. "We found some trouble near the 200-metre mark and I think he probably should have finished second. He ran a very good race and with a better pace early on, I think he might have even won, " said Starke.
Soft fractions
Garrett Gomez, who was on Spring House which set the early pace, said: "I felt like we got away with some pretty soft fractions early on. I really didn't want to be on the lead but I didn't want to be caught out wide either. I ended up on the lead and when I wanted to quicken a little bit he did, but when it came down to the sprint home he really couldn't keep pace. Overall he ran a good race."
German campaigner Quijano finished fourth and jockey Andrasch Starke felt he was unlucky in the run. "We found some trouble near the 200m mark and I think he probably should have finished second.
RESULTS | ||||
RACE 6 Dubai Sheema Classic Nakheel (Group 1) | ||||
Thoroughbred (Turf) | ||||
Place | ||||
1 | Sun Classique (AUS) ( 115 ) | M de Kock | K Shea | 3 |
2 | Viva Pataca (GB) ( 122 ) | John Moore | D Beadman | 12 |
3 | Doctor Dino (FR) ( 119 ) | R Gibson | O Peslier | 15 |
4 | Quijano (GER) ( 119 ) | P Schiergen | A Starke | 2 |
5 | Youmzain (IRE) ( 123 ) | M Channon | R Hughes | 5 |
6 | Sushisan (AUS) ( 115 ) | H Brown | R Moore | 7 |
7 | Gower Song (GB) ( 115 ) | D Elsworth | T Durcan | 16 |
8 | Mourilyan (IRE) ( 115 ) | J Oxx | M Kinane | 13 |
9 | Better Talk Now (USA) ( 119 ) | G Motion | R Dominguez | 6 |
10 | Spring House (USA) ( 116 ) | J Canani | G Gomez | 11 |
11 | Latency (ARG) ( 113 ) | J Udaondo | J Mendez | 1 |
12 | Gravitas (GB) ( 113 ) | S bin Suroor | L Dettori | 8 |
13 | Oracle West (SAF) ( 119 ) | M de Kock | J Murtagh | 10 |
14 | Yellowstone (IRE) ( 117 ) | J Chapple-Hyam | J Egan | 9 |
15 | West Wind (GB) ( 116 ) | S bin Suroor | K McEvoy | 4 |
16 | Dansant (GB) ( 113 ) | G Butler | J Spencer | 14 |