DUBAI // Turkey's Suzi Gold never threatened to land a blow in the featured 1,800-metre Group 2 Balanchine Stakes on the Meydan turf on Thursday evening, but connections appeared happy enough with her effort and she will certainly be better over a greater distance judged on this effort.
The race was won in style by Cladocera, who was trained in France by Alain de Royer-Dupre and given a confident ride by Christophe Soumillon as the pair completed the big race fillies’ double. They won the 1,600m Cape Verdi three weeks ago.
Settled out the back by Soumillon, Cladocera made smooth progress as the runners turned for home and looked the likely winner from a long way out, finally hitting the front 100m out and winning going away.
“She is a good filly but going to be an even better one in time,” Soumillon said. “I was travelling strongly the whole way and she really quickened nicely when I asked her. It was a smooth effort over a trip, probably as far as she wants to go at this stage of her career.”
She is the third filly to complete that double, following Sun Classique (2008) and Sajjhaa (2013), with the former following up in the Dubai Sheema Classic and the latter in both the Group 1 Jebel Hatta and Dubai Duty Free.
Hunter’s Light provided Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor a third consecutive victory in the 2,000m Listed Dubai Millennium Stakes and a fourth in a row for the owners in a race named after Sheikh Mohammed’s favourite horse.
A Group One winner in Europe in 2012 and winner of the Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge R3 in 2013, when among the favourites, he had not won since before making a victorious reappearance, three weeks ago, over this 2,000m turf course and distance.
“He is a nice horse with a touch of class,” winning jockey James Doyle said. “I am not sure where he will go next, but he has plenty of options on both Super Saturday and Dubai World Cup night.”
Hunter’s Light broke the track record in the process.
The only Purebred Arabian contest, the Group 2 1,400m Bani Yas on dirt, was won emphatically by Manark, ridden by Paul Hanagan for his main employer, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid, and ridden by the owner’s retained jockey, Paul Hanagan.
The following 1,000m turf handicap provided the perfect opportunity for UK-based trainer Tony Carroll to open his UAE account at the third attempt with Caspian Prince, the first horse the trainer has campaigned locally. He made all under Richard Hughes.
Doug Watson and Pat Dobbs remain in great form and combined with Layl to win a 1,600m dirt handicap, with Dobbs oozing confidence throughout the race. They hit the front 300m and always looked in control.
The pair completed a double with the victory of Storm Belt in a 2,000m handicap, which was also on dirt.
sports@thenational.ae
Follow us on twitter at @NatSportlUAE