Cover image courtesy of Dubai Race Club
In the hands of Yuga Kawada, the Noboru Takagi-trained Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) raced past a weakening Algiers (Ire) (Shamardal {USA}) over the concluding stages to hand Japan its first win in the G1 Dubai World Cup since Victoire Pisa (Jpn) in 2011.
Not only was it the third victory on the night for the nation who took home five trophies 12 months ago it also gave Japan a sweep of the world’s two richest races, following Panthalassa’s (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) stunning all-the-way success in the G1 Saudi Cup in Riyadh four weeks ago.
Emblem Road (USA) (Quality Road {USA}) was third while defending champion Country Grammer (USA) (Tonalist {USA}) finished midfield.
“Everything went as planned. Actually, when he first got here he was actually quite nervous and a bit toey, but that was expected and as the days went by, he gradually got used to his environment and ran a great race,” Takagi said.
“This is by far the greatest honour of my career.”
“This is by far the greatest honour of my career.” - Noboru Takagi
Kawada added: “It was his first time running overseas and there were queries on whether he’d travel, as well as the fact it was his first time on the surface.
“He was training quite well over here this week and I knew the horse was in good condition, so it was just a matter of the horse keeping his head in the race and he did that very well.
“Thanks to the effort of the horse, he fought on very well and I’m very proud of myself as the leading Japanese jockey for winning the leading race in the world.”
Usbha Tesoro is from the King Kamehameha (Jpn) mare Millefeui Attach (Jpn) - a three-time winner, while the second dam, Sixieme Sens (USA) (Septieme Ciel {USA}), was a Grade 2 victress in the US.
Ushba Tesoro is one of three Orfevre (Jpn) stakes winners out of mares by the late King Kamehameha.
Equinox smashes course record in Dubai Sheema Classic romp
Less than an hour before Ushba Tesoro’s heroics, Japan’s Horse of the Year Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) produced a jaw-dropping victory in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic.
Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) | Image courtesy of Dubai Race Club
It was easy work for jockey Christophe Lemaire, as the Tetsuya Kimura-trained 4-year-old lowered the course record previously held by Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) by exactly a second, stopping the clock at 2:26.65.
G1 Irish Derby winner Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}) was 3.5l back in second, while the French-trained Zagrey (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) placed third.
Lemaire said: “I knew he was the best horse and so I was happy to make the pace.
“I’m really happy for all of the connections.
“It’s been a long time since I won the Sheema; the last time was with Heart's Cry, and he passed away two weeks ago, so I am very grateful for this horse; he has allowed me to pay tribute to Heart’s Cry.
“Race after race, he’s going up the rankings of the horses I have ridden. It was a great, great performance against these kind of horses at the top level. I couldn’t be happier.”
“Race after race, he’s (Equinox) going up the rankings of the horses I have ridden. It was a great, great performance against these kind of horses at the top level. I couldn’t be happier.” - Christophe Lemaire
Kimura had already saddled his stable star to win the G1 Tenno Sho and G1 Arima Kinen in the last six months, but even he appeared staggered by the ease of Equinox’s triumph.
“It was a tough field with some very strong horses but he’s a champion and he was just the best. He got the job done and made it all look so simple,” he said.
A son of the young Shadai stallion Kitasan Black (Jpn), whose sire Black Tide (Jpn) is a brother to the great Deep Impact (Jpn), Equinox is the third foal of his Group 3-winning dam Chateau Blanche (Jpn) (King Halo {Jpn}). His year-older half-brother Weiss Meteor (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) won the G3 Nikkei Sho, and the mare has a 3-year-old colt whose sire Just A Way (Jpn) won the Dubai Turf of 2014. Chateau Blanche’s current 2-year-old filly is a daughter of Kizuna (Jpn), and she is due to foal a full-sibling to Equinox this season.
The Astrologist game in defeat
Australian sprinter The Astrologist had to settle for second in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint, but the gelded son of Zoustar can hold his head high after a mighty effort.
As expected, The Astrologist rode the speed, and the 5-year-old kept finding in the run to the line under Damian Lane, but Danyah (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) proved too strong, providing local trainer Musabbeh Al Mheiri an upset victory with the Shadwell homebred.
The Astrologist's managing owner, Nathan Bennett, said, “We mapped out a plan back in Australia. We thought the horse was good enough to come over and he proved that when he ran (sixth) in the G1 Newmarket H. He’s flown the flag well for the Aussies back home. We’ve been invited to Royal Ascot, so he won’t go back to Australia, he’ll go to Newmarket and to Marco Botti.”
Fellow Australian-bred Sight Success (Magnus) finished fourth for Hong Kong-based trainer John Size.
Danyah is Invincible Spirit’s (Ire) 75th Group winner and 22nd Group 1 winner.
The 6-year-old is bred on the same cross as Coolmore Stud’s shuttle stallion Magna Grecia (Ire), who won the G1 2000 Guineas and G1 Futurity Trophy and recently celebrated his first winner with his first runner.
Danyah’s deceased dam, Cuis Ghaire (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who won Group 3 races in both England and Ireland as a juvenile, progressed to run second in the 2009 G1 1000 Guineas.
In Group 1 other results, the G1 Dubai Turf was won by John and Thady Gosden’s Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), while Sibelius (USA) (Not This Time {USA}) was much the best in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen.
Elsewhere, Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) touched off Siskany (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) to take out the G2 Dubai Gold Cup, Isolate (USA) (Mark Valeski {USA}) hacked up in the G2 Godolphin Mile, while Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits {USA}) thrashed his rivals in the G2 UAE Derby.
