A first win for Qatar’s Wathnan Stables at Dubai World Cup was a shot in the arm for the Gulf operation.
Hit Show’s stunning win over Mixto and the Saudi Cup winner Forever Young at Meydan on Saturday has put the spotlight on Wathnan Stables, backed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim, and the nation which has influence in the industry through owners and sponsors across the world.
On an action-packed day in Dubai, Florent Geroux pushed Hit Show for a strong late run from the back of the field to clinch the $12 million feature race.
Geroux, who rode Gun Runner to second behind Arrogate eight years ago, was content to settle Hit Show behind the crowd, as Mickael Barzalona and Walk of Stars set the pace with Mixto under Frankie Dettori.
It was not until the runners approached the final bend that Geroux and Hit Show showed signs of progressing from the back, weaving through the tiring horses ahead to cross the line first and deny Dettori a record fifth win in the Dubai World Cup.
With the victory, Hit Show earned an all-expenses-paid trip to the Group 1 Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar on November 1.
“Only at the 100m did I think I could win ... when I passed a lot of horses. Forever Young was my target and he was not travelling at all. I tried to find another horse to follow, from there my horse was game. For some reason, he just runs for me all the time, he is amazing,” Geroux said.
“I’ll be honest with you, I was running for a place and he gave me more. I can’t quite believe it. I’ll take it though! Gun Runner (second to Arrogate in 2017) was such a great horse and he couldn’t do it, it was a very tough beat, but Hit Show has done it.”
Hit Show’s American trainer made no secret of his surprise at winning his first Dubai World Cup.
“I still can’t quite believe it, it’s unbelievable,” trainer Brad Cox said. “I would have loved to be there but just with so much going on with these three-year-olds and trying to get to the [Kentucky] Derby, I couldn’t make it.
“However, he was in good hands with the people I sent over with him. It’s a great accomplishment and we have a great team that allows us to spread ourselves out and travel when the opportunities are there.
“He ran a great race in California and it set him up well. The mile and a quarter is his trip, he ran well in the Kentucky Derby and out to a mile and a half in the Belmont but he hasn’t got out in trip properly until his last two starts.
“We always knew that ground was his thing, the further the better. He’s a classy horse, he’s shipped all over and now he’s a Dubai World Cup winner.”
Hit Show’s biggest career success took his record to nine wins in 18 starts, and above all, his name in the Dubai World Cup roll of honour.
Dettori’s bid to become the all-time leading jockey in the Dubai World Cup failed to materialise. The Italian shares the record of four wins with the now-retired American Jerry Bailey.
“There's good prize money for second! He ran superb. He was a genuine outsider. I knew he was underrated because he’s a good old warrior who loves the distance and he loves an outside post,” Dettori said of Mixto.
“I had the perfect trip. I couldn’t complain. It’s just a shame he got beaten on the line.”
Doug O’Neill, his handler, added: “I thought Mixto ran lights out and Frankie is just a legend for so many reasons. He had him in a great spot without having to use much of him. I thought he had enough in the end but he got outrun late. He ran super. I’m very proud of everybody.”
Forever Young’s jockey Ryusei Sakai said: “We had to win this race and I am disappointed. He ran a great race in Saudi and I expected him to win if he ran his race but it was a tough race as he was the horse to beat.
“It was tough and we did our best. He wasn’t traveling at all. It wasn’t an easy race and hard to keep winning.”
Bhupat Seemar, last year’s winning trainer with Laurel River, was all praise for the fourth spot of Walk Of Stars.
“Walk Of Stars ran a super race,” he said. “Maybe if he didn’t go to Saudi Arabia, he could have finished better. We saw that all the horses that participated at the Saudi Cup were beaten today. So it is not easy to do both races. He just got tired in the end.”
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Family: He is the youngest of five brothers, of whom two are dentists.
Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.
Where he works: Liberty Dental Clinic
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Engine: 0.8-litre four cylinder
Power: 70bhp
Torque: 66Nm
Transmission: four-speed manual
Price: $1,075 new in 1967, now valued at $40,000
On sale: Models from 1966 to 1970
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Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
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• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
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How to vote
Canadians living in the UAE can register to vote online and be added to the International Register of Electors.
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Top tips
Create and maintain a strong bond between yourself and your child, through sensitivity, responsiveness, touch, talk and play. “The bond you have with your kids is the blueprint for the relationships they will have later on in life,” says Dr Sarah Rasmi, a psychologist.
Set a good example. Practise what you preach, so if you want to raise kind children, they need to see you being kind and hear you explaining to them what kindness is. So, “narrate your behaviour”.
Praise the positive rather than focusing on the negative. Catch them when they’re being good and acknowledge it.
Show empathy towards your child’s needs as well as your own. Take care of yourself so that you can be calm, loving and respectful, rather than angry and frustrated.
Be open to communication, goal-setting and problem-solving, says Dr Thoraiya Kanafani. “It is important to recognise that there is a fine line between positive parenting and becoming parents who overanalyse their children and provide more emotional context than what is in the child’s emotional development to understand.”
