Dubai: Horses running in the illustrious blue and white colours of Shadwell Stud continued their majestic sweep of the major races in the UK this season with Alkumait and Elarqam landing back-to-back wins at the 25th Dubai Duty Free Autumn meeting at Newbury Racecourse on Saturday.
After Godolphin’s Lazuli got the ball rolling for Dubai-owned horses when taking out the Dubai International Airport World Trophy Stakes (Group 3), Elarqam and Alkumait stormed home exciting winners of the Dubai Duty Free Legacy Cup Stakes (Group 3) (formerly The Arc Trial) and the Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes (Group 2) respectively.
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Elarqam and Alkumait were representing Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, who acquired Shadwell Estate in the mid-1980s.
This has been an epic year for Sheikh Hamdan, one of the world’s most passionate owners and breeders of high class race horses, with winners coming in regular intervals and at almost all the season’s prestigious racing festivals through Royal Ascot, Glorious Goodwood and York.
Sheikh Hamdan currently leads the British Flat Owners Championship with 84 wins and earnings in excess close to 2 million pounds with Godolphin second on 79 wins and over 1.5 million in prize money.
Alkumait looks another exciting prospect for Shadwell and trainer Marcus Tregoning after showcasing an impressive turn of foot to win the Mill Reef Stakes by three-quartes of a length in the hands of jockey Jim Crowley.
Fivethousandtoone took second with Rhythm Master back in third.
Alkumait was introduced into next year’s 2000 Guineas market at odds of 14/1 with Coral.
The victory give Crowley a second win in the Group 2 event, following Lord Shanakill’s win in 2008 and the jockey told ITV Racing: “I was very impressed, I’m glad he came back better than when he went down. I had to hack him down really steady, but in the race he switched off nicely. It was all so smooth and he showed a good turn of foot. He’s taken a massive step forward from Goodwood.
“He’s right up there with the best [two-year-olds this season]. Minzaal won the Gimcrack and this horse could’ve easily gone for that. It’s nice to have two very high-class six-furlong two-year-olds.”
Tregoning, who has been involved some of British racing’s greats added: “I think he’s pretty smart, he’s shown a good attitude today.
“He doesn’t mind a bit of cut but he’ll go on fast ground too. They’ve had a pretty strong year, Shadwell, with their two year olds, so we’ll see what they want to do.”
Meanwhile in Ayr, Scotland, Major General Sheikh Ahmed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Chief of Dubai Police and Public Security, won a big race double led by Nahaarr in the Ayr Gold Cup under Tom Marquand.
“He showed an exceptional turn of foot to pick up and, as we all know in these big handicaps, if you’re not travelling well enough to storm through those gaps you’re not going to get there,” said Marquand.
“He’s got the perfect mix of speed and ability to go for it.”
Earlier in the evening Marquand combined with trainer William Haggas and Sheikh Ahmed’s Addeybb to land the Jordan Electrics Doonside Cup Stakes (Listed Race) also at Ayr.
