Dar Real thing!

Dubai: It was another great home-coming story of the night and this time jockey William Buick, who was based with the Jebel Ali Stables before being signed on by John Gosden, was on song to win the Dubai Sheema Classic (Group 1) on Dar Re Mi.

After trainer Julian Smart returned to win the Kahayla in the first race of the day, Buick who was on duty during the early part of the season with trainer Dhruba Selvaratnam, made no mistake on Dar Re Mi, a 5-year-old daughter of Dubai World Cup winner Singspiel.

Keeping Dar Re Mi just off the pace in the 16-strong field after Presious Passion had done all the running, Buick came with a fine run from the outside and then galloped home to keep the battling Japanese filly Buena Vista at bay.

"It is a great start to the season. She's done it so well and she's given me such a great ride," Buick said after winning the joint richest turf race in the world.

"She's so straightforward, I mean it's a very good race, lot of good horses and good prize money, but the easier races are very often harder to ride," he said.

Confidence

"She gave me so much confidence all the way out, getting across. She broke well, like I said she's so straightforward," said the winning jockey after Dar Re Mi posted her 6th win in 16 starts.

"It's amazing. I can't really believe it yet," he said after outclassing a field that included last year's winner Eastern Anthem which finished 6th under Ahmad Ajtebi.

Spanish Moon, second last year, had to be content with the third place in a close finish yet again.

"Keeping her warm in England wasn't easy, so it was quite a challenge. I think she's come here and really enjoyed the weather the whole of last week, but she likes to train at home where she knows," Gosden said after the win.

"It's wonderful to see the fillies finish first and second and they were second and third in the Breeders' Cup Turf so it was a marvelous race and I'm delighted the way she has been ridden," he added.

"She was given a beautiful ride by William Buick. He knows what he is doing and he has a lot of brains which not a lot of jockeys have," Gosden said.

"There's a long straight over here and a good old American horse made a proper case of it," he added.

— With inputs from Duane Fonseca