Trade Fair Takes Over Dubai
Saturday night at the Meydan Racecourse in Dubai belonged to the WA-based stallion Trade Fair.
Trade Fair’s five-year-old son Trade Storm continued his brilliant form winning the featured Group 2 $US250,000 Zabeel Mile and is now strongly favoured for the $5 million Group 1 Dubai Duty Free.
And another son, the six-year-old Plantagenet, won the $US150,000 Gloria De Campeao Handicap (10 furlongs), named in honour of the 2010 $10 million Dubai World Cup winner.
Trade Storm, trained in England by David Simcock, went into the Zabeel Mile as 5/2 second favourite after having won the $US150,000 Jaguar XF Trophy (nine furlongs) by 3 3/4-lengths at his previous start.
He was slow into stride, was still last with just 400m to go and stormed home between runners to win by 1 1/2 lengths without being shown the whip by jockey Jamie Spencer. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum’s Australian-bred 9/4 favourite Musir (Christophe Soumillon) was second with Godolphin’s Fulbright (Mickael Barzalona) third.
“That was very, very impressive,” said Spencer. “He’s improved so much.
“He was a lot more relaxed tonight. He was much more anxious last time.”
Trade Storm’s 2012 season was compromised because of unusually wet conditions in Europe. He has thrived racing on Meydan’s firm turf surface.
Trade Storm is from Frisson, by Slip Anchor.
Plantagenet, a 10/1 chance prepared by Spanish trainer Guillermo Arizkorreta, also settled at the rear, took off three furlongs out and hit the front close to home to and score by a neck for jockey Jose Martinez.
“He’s a very nice horse,” said Martinez. “He quickened well off not a fast pace. He would have preferred a faster gallop.”
Irish-bred Con Artist, ridden by Ryan Moore, was second with the US-bred Out Of Bounds, ridden by Kieran Fallon, third. The minor place getters are both prepared by the leading UAE trainer Saeed bin Suroor for Godolphin.
Con Artist had beaten Plantagenet by 3 3/4-lengths in the Al Naboodah Trophy (nine furlongs) at their previous start.
Plantagenet is from Crafty Buzz, by Crafty Prospector.
. The WA-bred Trade Fair, Cougar Nights, from Mahawangsa, by Bletchley Park, won the WAROA Owners Bonus Day Maiden (1410m) at Bunbury on Sunday by 1 1/4 lengths as the $2 favourite at just his second start.
