Dubai: Brown Panther raced away from the field early in the straight to win the Dubai Gold Cup by three-and-a-quarter lengths and give connections including ex-England, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Manchester United football star Michael Owen success with their first runner at the Dubai World Cup meeting.
“Unbelievable,” was the immediate reaction from Owen, who bred the six-year-old. Trainer Tom Dascombe had tasted success at the meeting in 2003 and 2004 as assistant to Mike de Kock, while jockey Richard Kingscote only recently returned to riding after sustaining serious injuries in a five-horse race pile-up.
Brown Panther, the highest-rated runner going into the race, was reappearing for the first time since an unhappy trip to North America last autumn, which included having to be withdrawn after bolting on the way to the start, but he showed no signs of being too keen in the preliminaries, where he was accompanied by a pony, or in the race itself.
Kingscote held Brown Panther in second place as Mushreq set a steady pace before edging off the rail on the run to the home turn, where he quickly sent his mount past the leader and into a three-length lead.
The move proved decisive and success in the $1m (Dh3.67m) race — the biggest for each of horse, owners, trainer and jockey — was assured a long way out.
Mushreq’s stablemate Star Empire, fifth and third in the race for the last two years, stayed on in the straight to take a short-head verdict over Ahzeemah for second place.
Havana Beat, who was always in the first half-dozen, and Dubday, who was caught wide on the home turn, were fourth and fifth respectively but no match for the leaders.
As cool as his horse on pulling up, Kingscote said: “He was really relaxed today and I soon got into a nice position. After that, he looked after me all the way round.
“Brown Panther has been unbelievably good for my career and it means a lot to be in the winning position today.”
Dascombe was associated with four winners at the meeting from the De Kock yard before starting training on his own account, and to win under his own name with his first runner was ‘something special’ he said.
Dascombe added: “After 100 metres I was confident this could be our day, and really well done to Richard Kingscote. He kept telling me he was fit for the ride after his injury and, although I was a bit sceptical, he’s proved his point — and how.”
Owen, who owns Dascombe’s stable, as well as Brown Panther, in partnership with Andrew Black, laid off all congratulations in the direction of his team.
“All I do is sign the cheques,” Owen said. “There’s a massive difference between horse racing, where I can’t really have any influence, and football, where at least I could do something about what went on on the field.”
