Dubai Thursday 28 January

must say Sabre was surprised he missed the summersault?

Are you getting auzie Jim comentating? he used to be good..

Someone else did the last race, an english guy. The regular caller did the previous races. Anyone can have a bad call though, probably just a once off.

That was ozzie Jim BBC commentator..

PE horses have a good record in Dubai. Bold Silvano for 2011? BTW, Lizards Desire was Timeform's highest rated horse in that field.

Well done Jaroslaw ur a Star.......

Mike De Kock's well-thought of filly Raihana became the first thoroughbred winner at the $2 billion Meydan Course.

She was made the 11-4 Jolly for the UAE 1000 Guineas Trial and although she was badly drawn on the wide outside and had to run right round them on the home turn she quickened well and stormed to a three and a quarter lengths victory for Christophe Soumillon and owner Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum.



The team followed up in the very next race when Lizard Desire (9-4 favourite) outpointed stablemate King Of Rome in the Intadab handicap.

The trainer said: "It is nice to win the first thoroughbred races and we were hopeful of a good evening. We have a nice string this year and I am happy with their condition."

Good to see they can win from anywhere. Very fair track, wish we had a few like it here!

Glad no one noticed i had Lizard Island winning today..quick edit..lol

The magical De kock team has kicked into top gear,will be following with intrest.

British trainers dominate opening night at Meydan

Report: UAE, Thursday

Meydan

BRITISH trainers wasted no time leaving their mark when they landed three of the seven thoroughbred races on the opening night at futuristic Meydan on Thursday.

Kieren Fallon partnered his first-ever winner at the Dubai Carnival when he brought Drunken Sailor from well back to take the 1m3f handicap for Luca Cumani before Sir Gerry and Leahurst completed the treble for British yards on the new all-weather Tapeta surface.

Formerly trained in Ireland by Paul Flynn, Drunken Sailor set the ball rolling when scoring on his debut for Cumani, who had three winners at the carnival in 2009 courtesy of Presvis (twice) and Swop.


Despite drifting across the track in the final furlong after a ground-saving ride from Fallon, Drunken Sailor looked a horse to follow as he scored by 2 1/2 lengths from former Cumani-trained Monte Alto.


"We hoped he would run well but we are still learning about the horse," said Cumani.

"We only bought him in October and we brought him out here in mid-December with the rest of the team so we're very pleased with that effort.

"He obviously liked the surface and Kieren was in exactly the right place - it's great that our first runner on the new racecourse is a winner."

Fallon added: "He has travelled nicely and quickened well. It was a good performance in what looked a competitive race."
Disappointment of the race was Frankie Dettori's mount Bab Al Salam, asked to challenge on the home turn before fading in theMeydan straight.


The 2007 Gimcrack winner Sir Gerry (John Best/Ted Durcan) swamped his rivals in the closing stages to snatch a 25-1 success in the next.

Given a finely judged ride from a double-figure draw by multiple UAE champion Ted Durcan, the five-year-old was last entering the final furlong before being delivered wide and late to grab Musaalem close home.

Proud owner Gerry Galligan did not travel to Dubai but had never lost faith in Sir Gerry, who had suffered a cracked pelvis earlier in his career. He said: "If Sir Gerry had fingers he would put two of them up to a few people!"

Durcan added: "I rode him work the other day and he is a decent horse with good form in the book," said the rider.

"I was always happy taking my time and he quickened nicely when I asked him on a surface he clearly enjoys."

There was drama just after the start when Ahmed Ajtebi crashed to the floor, dislodged from Godolphin's Desuetude on leaving the stalls.

Having drifted in and out of consciousness, Ajtebi was taken to Sheikh Rashid hospital for x-rays but course officials later no broken bones were reported.

Jeremy Noseda and Ryan Moore gained quick compensation for the narrow defeat of Forgotten Voice in the Maktoum Challenge when Leahurst took the concluding 7f handicap in powerful fashion from Spanish-trained Aranel.

Moore stalked the pace before committing for home just over a furlong out on the dual Polytrack winner, identified as a potential carnival star by several pundits.

The distinction of training the first thoroughbred winner at Meydan went to a familiar figure in Dubai in Mike de Kock, by far the most successful overseas trainer in the history of the Dubai Carnival.

The South African and his new retained rider Christophe Soumillon drew first blood when highly regarded Raihana, mentioned as a UAE Derby possible, outclassed her rivals in theUAE 1,000 Guineas Trial over 7f.

Sent off 11-4 favourite, the daughter of Elusive Quality made light of her outside gate, overwhelming a 13-runner field in the straight before scoring by just over three lengths from Saudi Arabia's Waasemah.

De Kock and Soumillon went on to complete a quickfire double of winning favourites when 9-4 shot Lizard's Desire ran out a decisive winner of the1m1/2f handicap.

Runner-up in the Grade 2 Gold Circle Derby in his native South Africa on his most recent outing, Lizard's Desire was always well to the fore on the inner, just behind stable companion Bennie Blue, who cut out the pace.

Lizard's Desire, who could well make his mark in Group company later on, slipped through on the rail to score by 21/2 lengths over stablemate King Of Rome, who stayed on for second.

Like Raihana, Lizard'sDesire is owned by major De Kock patron Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum.

De Kock said: "It has been a great start to the 2010 Carnival and we were hopeful of a good night as we thought the horses were fitter than at this time last year.

"Raihana is the best three-year-old filly we have brought to Dubai, while Lizard's Desire has plenty of scope."


The thought of Godolphin not having a winner on Meydan's opening night would have been close to unthinkable and Sheikh Mohammed's team duly opened their account when Frankie Dettori partnered Whispering Gallery to a dominant all-the-way victory in the 1m2f handicap.

Dettori dictated matters from the front on the 6-4 favourite, a four-year-old son of Daylami formerly trained by Mark Johnston.

Although he was taken on until halfway, Whispering Gallery was able to establish a lead rounding the home turn before stretching away from the gallant Halicarnassus in the straight.

Dettori said: "It has taken until race six so it is nice to get off the mark. I was always happy dictating matters and he quickened nicely turning for home after which I was pretty confident. He is a progressive type and can hopefully build on this."

Good for PE racing...Paris Perfect 2nd in World Cup last year...and now another PE raider winning in Lizard's Desire...come on sheik where's my offer on the DJ...????? I'ts small change for you...lol