Grand Emporium staves off stiff challenge

South African trainer Mike de Kock extended his habit of winning the big races when strong favourite Grand Emporium, ridden by Weichong Marwing, won the $2 million (Dh 7.35 million) Godolphin Mile (Gr 1) yesterday.

The four-year-old South African horse by National Assembly staved off a spirited challenge from Godolphin's Qais and the Julio Canani-trained Tsigane to give new owner Shaikh Rashid Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum a winning start to the night's thoroughbred action.

Marwing looked to be in a spot early in the race and it was Tsigane and Qais which headed first into the home stretch.

But the De Kock favourite demonstrated his ability and came up with a blistering finish to deprive Dettori from completing a hat-trick of wins for Godolphin.

Dettori had won the previous two Godolphin Mile races on Firebreak and the stable had won seven of the last nine runnings.

For De Kock, it was another perfect start to the big night. Last year de Kock had completed a double and this year, with a total of 10 runners, the ace South African seemed to have started off in the best possible note.

"I am greatly delighted. He is a super horse and he fully deserved his win tonight." De Kock said.

"I thought every thing went very smoothly today. We knew Grand Emporium always had a good chance," said winning jockey Marwing.

"He is a really nice horse. When you ask him for it he kicks."

Commenting on the horse probably joining Mazin Al Kurdi's yard after Shaikh Rashid bought Grand Emporium on Thursday, Marwing said, "They will have a lot of fun with him".

"In the run up to this event he lost both races to Jack Sullivan, who is really good and is running later in the World Cup," added Marwing, for whom the Nad Al Sheba has been a happy hunting ground.

It was also his third win on Dubai World Cup night after his double last year.

Dettori said his horse, Qais, ran a good race. "He ran great. He went the same distance as the winner and was four kg off," he said, referring to the turn around in weights from the last start.

Tsigane's jockey Patrick Valenzuela said his horse sort of went to sleep initially but then took off well.

"He kind of fell asleep and put his head across the bars in the starting gate. So I had to shake him but then he got the lead and he ran really well," said Valenzuela.

The jockey added that the next target for Tsigane would be the Shoemaker Mile.

Germany's globe-trotting Martillo's jockey Michael Kinane said: "The horse stumbled leaving the stalls and landed on his head."

Results

$2 million Godolphin Mile (Gr 2)
Sponsored by Jebel Ali International Hotels
Thoroughbreds, (4yo+) 1,600m (Dirt):

1. Grand Emporium 11/4 (Mike de Kock) Weichong Marwing
2. Qais 11/2 (Saeed Bin Surour) Frankie Dettori
3. Tsigane 12-1 (Julio Canani) Patrick Valenzuela
4. Burnt Ember 40-1(Doug Watson) Aaron Gryder

Distance: 1.25 Length, 0.50L, 3.5L
Winning Time: 1:37.78