DUBAI MAR 3 - GODOLPHIN DOMINATE AGAIN

By Dubai Racing Club | Saturday, March 3, 2012

It was a case of déjà vu at Saturday's Commercial Bank Of Dubai-sponsored Dubai World Cup Carnival meeting with the Godolphin trainers again dominating, just as they did on Thursday at the meeting sponsored by the same company.

Mahmoud Al Zarooni saddled Simon De Montfort to win the feature, the Al Dana Wealth Management, the only turf race and a US$175,000 Handicap with Mickael Barzalona on the winner who set the course record when winning under the same conditions last January.

This was his first win since but he was always travelling strongly under Barzalona and, once they found racing room about 200m out, they flew down the outside to win going away.

Barzalona explained: "This is a very nice horse with an excellent turn of foot and the trainer told me to settle him in last and produce him late. We were short of room for a moment but he quickened well and won nicely."

Saeed bin Suroor was in double form and the victory of Tahaamah in the 2200m all-weather Mustaqbali Handicap was a landmark one for jockey Frankie Dettori who was riding his 100th Carnival winner.

Never far off the pace on the progressive four-year-old, Dettori went for home early in the straight and never looked likely to be caught.

The Italian said: "The horse was very unlucky last time and deserved a change of fortune. He carried me nicely to the front and then quickened to win his race before perhaps getting a bit lonely in front.

“It is great to register the 100 winners and it has been a real team effort since the first Carnival in 2004."

Bin Suroor later completed a double with Silvestre De Sousa in the saddle on Wealthy who won the concluding 1900m Al Dana Visa Infinite Card Handicap, also on the all-weather.

Last season’s champion trainer Ali Rashid Al Raihe made the perfect start to the evening and saddled Hadba to gain a deserved success in the opening 1200m Attijari Al Islami Maiden after a couple of luckless efforts earlier in the season.

De Sousa, initiating his own double was in the saddle and said: "She is a small filly but has a big heart and was brave when she needed to be to go when it was a bit rough at one stage."

Al Raihe then completed a quickfire double with Rutland Boy who proved far too good for his rivals in the 1600m CBD World MasterCard handicap.
Jamie Spencer rode the winner positively and the pair recorded an easy win with Spencer saying: "He did that very well indeed and seems to be improving. He won well last time over 1400m but has really appreciated the extra 200m and there could be more to come."

Musabah Al Muhairi saw his runners fill second place in the first three races before saddling Celtic King to land the 1200m Attijari Points Rewards Program Handicap under Mirco Demuro who said: "That was close but luckily we just got there in time. Luckily they went very quick early on which has really helped him and he stayed on strongly."

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