Gloria de Campeao survives by the skin of his teeth
Brazilian horse Gloria de Compeao provided a perfect finish to an exhilarating evening of great racing action at the magnificent Meydan, in front of a capacity crowd on Saturday. Gloria de Campeao, who had finished second best in the last edition of the race, almost made the entire running and survived by the skin of his teeth to hold off a late surge from unheralded Lizard`s Desire to win the racing`s richest race, the Dubai World Cup.
The Pascal Bary trained Gloria de Campeao went on a stamina testing mission of doing all the front running and then dug deep into his reserves to win in a three horse finish, a nose and a short head separating the first three runners. Until the judge announced the final verdict, it was difficult to guess as to who had won the race as Shea Lea on the runner up too was pumping his fist in the air at the finish. First it looked like a dead heat but it was not to be as the Brazilian horse under Pereira had landed the spoils by the shortest of margins.
A spectacular show preceded the 14th running of the World Cup. A laser show depicting the cultural history of Dubai, an amazing display of aerobatics and an aerial ballet and fantastic fire works set the tone for the grand finale. The three horse breath taking finish was a fitting end to a great day of racing. The Meydan had sprung up in record time and the tracks were laid at amazing speed. For one who had attended the last year`s World Cup at the old venue which was hardly two furlongs away, the integration of the new race track and the amazing structure which is perhaps the best in the world all spoke of immense commitment of the rulers of Dubai to the spot.
For Brazilian-based owner Stefan Friborg of Estrela Energia Stables the disbelief at having lost the race so narrowly gave way to delirious delight. “I don`t have words for it,” a beaming Friborg said of the six-year-old Brazilian-bred whose name means “Glorious Champion” in Portuguese and who had finished second to Well Armed in last year`s Dubai World Cup. “It was fabulous. The plan was to go to the front, and he is very tough. He enjoys a fight and he never gives up.”“He always tries. He has a heart like that,” said an emotional Bary while holding his hands wide apart.
Ridden by Tiago Pereira, Gloria de Campeao covered the 2000 meters in 2:03.83 and officially won by a nose. Lizard`s Desire, who trainer Mike de Kock said “was the winner a jump past the line,” finished a short head in front of Godolphin`s third-placed Allybar, with American champion Gio Ponti fourth, 1¼ lengths back.
“I thought I had won, but as we passed the post, I looked across and the second jockey was celebrating so I thought I`d keep quiet and wait for the result,” said Pereira. “(Gloria de Campeao) was so brave and this is all just a dream.” In fact, one could see the expression of disbelief by jockey Pereira even as Shea went about celebrating.
Kevin Shea, who rode South African-bred Lizard`s Desire, said his mount “gave me everything but the winner got it soft up front.“It`s a very bitter pill to swallow, but I`ve got to swallow it,” he added. “When I looked up it was just after the line and I was in front and I thought I`d got it.”
Gloria de Campeao`s win marks a new era for the Dubai World Cup in its first running at Meydan and the first on an all-weather track. His victory marked the first time a horse not owned by Americans or the Maktoum family has won the world`s richest race.The first three finishers had all raced during the Dubai International Racing Carnival, with Gloria de Campeao winning the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1and just missing by a nose when caught at the finish line by the Japanese filly Red Desire in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3.
Red Desire was one of the disappointments of the Dubai World Cup, finishing 11th as one of the early favourites following her Maktoum Challenge victory. Jockey Christophe Soumillon had hustled Red Desire out of the gate and into a forward position early in the World Cup running even though she had raced from farther back previously.
“When she came out, she didn`t accelerate in the stretch,” Soumillon said.Ramon Dominguez, who rode Gio Ponti, another one of the favourites, also said the slow pace Gloria de Campeao was allowed to set hurt the chances of the American champion.“I had a great trip,” Dominguez said.
“I was very proud of how my horse ran. They were setting a very modest pace up in front of me; that really affected my horse. I wish there had been a little more pace.”Following Gio Ponti across the finish line were, in order: Mastery, Gitano Hernando, Richard`s Kid, Mr. Brock, Crowded House, Twice Over, Red Desire, Vision d`Etat, Amor de Pobre and Furthest Land.
The Pascal Bary trained Gloria de Campeao went on a stamina testing mission of doing all the front running and then dug deep into his reserves to win in a three horse finish, a nose and a short head separating the first three runners. Until the judge announced the final verdict, it was difficult to guess as to who had won the race as Shea Lea on the runner up too was pumping his fist in the air at the finish. First it looked like a dead heat but it was not to be as the Brazilian horse under Pereira had landed the spoils by the shortest of margins.
A spectacular show preceded the 14th running of the World Cup. A laser show depicting the cultural history of Dubai, an amazing display of aerobatics and an aerial ballet and fantastic fire works set the tone for the grand finale. The three horse breath taking finish was a fitting end to a great day of racing. The Meydan had sprung up in record time and the tracks were laid at amazing speed. For one who had attended the last year`s World Cup at the old venue which was hardly two furlongs away, the integration of the new race track and the amazing structure which is perhaps the best in the world all spoke of immense commitment of the rulers of Dubai to the spot.
For Brazilian-based owner Stefan Friborg of Estrela Energia Stables the disbelief at having lost the race so narrowly gave way to delirious delight. “I don`t have words for it,” a beaming Friborg said of the six-year-old Brazilian-bred whose name means “Glorious Champion” in Portuguese and who had finished second to Well Armed in last year`s Dubai World Cup. “It was fabulous. The plan was to go to the front, and he is very tough. He enjoys a fight and he never gives up.”“He always tries. He has a heart like that,” said an emotional Bary while holding his hands wide apart.
Ridden by Tiago Pereira, Gloria de Campeao covered the 2000 meters in 2:03.83 and officially won by a nose. Lizard`s Desire, who trainer Mike de Kock said “was the winner a jump past the line,” finished a short head in front of Godolphin`s third-placed Allybar, with American champion Gio Ponti fourth, 1¼ lengths back.
“I thought I had won, but as we passed the post, I looked across and the second jockey was celebrating so I thought I`d keep quiet and wait for the result,” said Pereira. “(Gloria de Campeao) was so brave and this is all just a dream.” In fact, one could see the expression of disbelief by jockey Pereira even as Shea went about celebrating.
Kevin Shea, who rode South African-bred Lizard`s Desire, said his mount “gave me everything but the winner got it soft up front.“It`s a very bitter pill to swallow, but I`ve got to swallow it,” he added. “When I looked up it was just after the line and I was in front and I thought I`d got it.”
Gloria de Campeao`s win marks a new era for the Dubai World Cup in its first running at Meydan and the first on an all-weather track. His victory marked the first time a horse not owned by Americans or the Maktoum family has won the world`s richest race.The first three finishers had all raced during the Dubai International Racing Carnival, with Gloria de Campeao winning the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1and just missing by a nose when caught at the finish line by the Japanese filly Red Desire in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3.
Red Desire was one of the disappointments of the Dubai World Cup, finishing 11th as one of the early favourites following her Maktoum Challenge victory. Jockey Christophe Soumillon had hustled Red Desire out of the gate and into a forward position early in the World Cup running even though she had raced from farther back previously.
“When she came out, she didn`t accelerate in the stretch,” Soumillon said.Ramon Dominguez, who rode Gio Ponti, another one of the favourites, also said the slow pace Gloria de Campeao was allowed to set hurt the chances of the American champion.“I had a great trip,” Dominguez said.
“I was very proud of how my horse ran. They were setting a very modest pace up in front of me; that really affected my horse. I wish there had been a little more pace.”Following Gio Ponti across the finish line were, in order: Mastery, Gitano Hernando, Richard`s Kid, Mr. Brock, Crowded House, Twice Over, Red Desire, Vision d`Etat, Amor de Pobre and Furthest Land.
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