Dubai: Dubai’s Khalifa Sat ran an absolute blinder for jockey Tom Marquand to finish a gut-wrenching second to runaway leader Serpentine in the 241st renewal of the Group 1 Epsom Derby, the greatest race on the planet.
Sent of at odds of 50/1, Dubai businessman Ahmed Al Shaikh’s lightly raced colt, ran the race of his life in only his third career start, finishing lengths behind the Irish-trained Serpentine, ridden by under Emmet McNamara.
“I got a bit of a freebie,” McNamara told Racing TV, UK, as he and Serpentine were led back to the winner’s enclosure.
Meanwhile, the Group 1 Investec Oaks was won in hugely impressive fashion by the Irish trained Love, ridden with aplomb by big-race jockey Ryan Moore, who was following up on previous two wins in the fillies Classic aboard Snow Fairy (2010) and Minding (2016.
“I couldn’t have been happier with Love, and I don’t think she could have been any more impressive today,” Moore told Racing TV, UK.
“You never expect to win an Oaks - I don’t know how far she won by [nine lengths], but it felt like a very long way.
“She was exceptional today, and hopefully she has got plenty to look forward to in the future. She would be a threat to anything.”
Earlier in the day, Maj. Gen. Sheikh Ahmed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Chief of Dubai Police and Public Security, saw his colours carried to victory in the opening Investec Woodcote EBF Stakes over two-year-olds over six furlongs, by Twaasol.
The son of Adaay, won by 1½ from Godolphin’s Modern News, to maintain his unbeaten record, having scored on debut at Windsor on 16 June.
Winning trainer Owen Burrows said: “Twaasol did it well. He is a neat little horse who is not overly big, but he has a great mind on him. He is a good mover and I am chuffed to bits with him.
“I wouldn’t get too carried away with him just yet, but he has done nothing wrong and is one to look forward to.
“It is great to have a winner on Derby Day.
Martin Harley commented: “Twaasol was pretty impressive with what he has done out there. Fair play to Owen [Burrows], he has primed the horse up twice now. I had full confidence going out there that he would improve from his first start, which he did, overall he was very professional.”
Godolphin’s Summer Romance made all the running under William Buick to win the Group 3 Princess Elizabeth Stakes by ¾ lengths from 1,000 Guineas runner-up Cloak Of Spirits, ridden by Andrea Atzeni for Derby-winning owner Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, finished a game second.
