Report: Nad Al Sheba, Thursday
BRITISH trainers may have drawn a blank on Day 3 of the Dubai Carnival at Nad Al Sheba, but champion jockey Ryan Moore spared the nation's blushes with a double on Dynamic Saint and Strategic News.
With his father Gary watching in the stands, Moore struck for the second time at the carnival after Presvis last week when bringing Dynamic Saint to collar long-time leader Moonquake inside thefinal furlong of the Dubai Billet 2000, a 1m2f dirt handicap.
Now the winner of five of his 17 starts, the six-year-old is trained by UAE champion Doug Watson, also completing a double after taking the opener with Fares.
"I really hoped he would win as he has been going well at home," said Watson. "He has a lot of ability but is not always the easiest."
Hardly anything got into the race after Moonquake was sent to the front in the early stages by Royston Ffrench.
Under a rail-hugging ride, Moonquake established a clear lead turning for home with most of his rivals under pressure but 7-1 chance Dynamic Saint ranged alongside about a furlong out and had too much for his gallant rival.
The winner carries the colours of local businessman Malih Al Basti, who was accompanied by training legend Henry Cecil.
The second half of the Moore double came in the concluding Dubai Casthouse Handicap when Strategic News came with a fantastic late burst to lead close home.
But it must have been a race of mixed emotions for winning trainer Herman Brown, whose other runner Perfect Season unseated Daragh O'Donohoe in the straight when they appeared to clip heels.
Fortunately, both horse and jockey emerged unscathed after a race in which the Queen's Banknote was prominent before fading into tenth in the home straight.
Strategic News was completing a South African double in the last two races after Mike De Kock claimed the Al Rashidiya with Silver Mist, who just got the better of Third Set in a thrilling finish to the Group 3 feature over 1m1f on turf.
For a moment after entering the straight it looked as if Richard Hills might have stolen the $200,000 event on front-running Mashaahed before Silver Mistchallenged three wide.
But the winner was appropriately named as the 9-4 favourite loomed out of a descending mist to lead a furlong out and score under hard driving from Kevin Shea.
De Kock said: ""That was his second run in three weeks and that may be enough for now.
"We have several others for the upcoming big racesand we could even put him away for now. He is a Group 3 winner now and we would have settled for that before the carnival."
Third Set was a half-length behind in second, with Godolphin's Kirklees flying from the rear to deny Mashaahed third place.
Punters betting outside the UAE were hit by a string of shock results when none of the first three races went to horses priced shorter than 20-1 with British bookmakers.
The Doug Watson-trained Fares, formerly trained by Clive Brittain, was the 25-1 winner of the opening Dubai Ingot 1600, a 1m dirt handicap, scoring comfortably under Daragh O'Donohoe.
Never far off the pace, they hit the front over a furlong out and were always going to hold the late challenge of veteran Grand Hombre.
"We were a bit disappointed with him last week but he is tough and does not mind turning out again quickly," said O'Donohoe.
There was also a shock in the Dubai Trophy which was won easily by Richard Hills on the Erwan Charpy-trained Ragheed.
Like Fares, Sheikh Hamdan's five-year-old had also run with little obvious promise on the previous week's card - and he was duly sent off a virtually unconsidered 33-1 shot.
Drawn one, Hills never left the aluminium and, when a gap opened a furlong out, his mount responded quickly to shoot through and the pair were never going to be caught.
"That is how you have to ride him and the gap opened when I needed it and he really picked up well," said the jockey.
Charpy and Hills were denied a quick double when Tawaassolwas caught in the last stride in the 5f Dubai Power Dash by Royston Ffrench on the Ali Rashid Al Raihe-trained Change Alley, a 20-1 chance.
Ffrench explained: "This is very much his minimum trip and his stamina has probably gained the day at the end as he really stuck his neck out when I asked him."
British-trained horses took second and third in the Dubai Potline Trophy over 1m4f on the turf - but they finished well adrift of Age Of Reason, who became Saeed Bin Suroor's fifth winner of 2009.
Always handy, the 13-2 winner tackled front-running Detonator a couple of furlongs out and scored eased down by five lengths under Ted Durcan.
Old favourite Young Mick just held Love Galore on the line to claim second, but the race was over by the time either of them attempted to deliver a challenge.
"He has done that well and quickened up nicely," said Durcan.
"They did not go very quick and that has suitedhim as we were never far away."
The well-fancied Bon Spiel folded tamely in the closing stages after holding every chance two out under Ryan Moore.
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