A first win for Qatar’s Wathnan Stables at Dubai World Cup was a shot in the arm for the Gulf operation.
Hit Show’s stunning win over Mixto and the Saudi Cup winner Forever Young at Meydan on Saturday has put the spotlight on Wathnan Stables, backed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim, and the nation which has influence in the industry through owners and sponsors across the world.
On an action-packed day in Dubai, Florent Geroux pushed Hit Show for a strong late run from the back of the field to clinch the $12 million feature race.
Geroux, who rode Gun Runner to second behind Arrogate eight years ago, was content to settle Hit Show behind the crowd, as Mickael Barzalona and Walk of Stars set the pace with Mixto under Frankie Dettori.
It was not until the runners approached the final bend that Geroux and Hit Show showed signs of progressing from the back, weaving through the tiring horses ahead to cross the line first and deny Dettori a record fifth win in the Dubai World Cup.
With the victory, Hit Show earned an all-expenses-paid trip to the Group 1 Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar on November 1.
“Only at the 100m did I think I could win ... when I passed a lot of horses. Forever Young was my target and he was not travelling at all. I tried to find another horse to follow, from there my horse was game. For some reason, he just runs for me all the time, he is amazing,” Geroux said.
“I’ll be honest with you, I was running for a place and he gave me more. I can’t quite believe it. I’ll take it though! Gun Runner (second to Arrogate in 2017) was such a great horse and he couldn’t do it, it was a very tough beat, but Hit Show has done it.”
Hit Show’s American trainer made no secret of his surprise at winning his first Dubai World Cup.
“I still can’t quite believe it, it’s unbelievable,” trainer Brad Cox said. “I would have loved to be there but just with so much going on with these three-year-olds and trying to get to the [Kentucky] Derby, I couldn’t make it.
“However, he was in good hands with the people I sent over with him. It’s a great accomplishment and we have a great team that allows us to spread ourselves out and travel when the opportunities are there.
“He ran a great race in California and it set him up well. The mile and a quarter is his trip, he ran well in the Kentucky Derby and out to a mile and a half in the Belmont but he hasn’t got out in trip properly until his last two starts.
“We always knew that ground was his thing, the further the better. He’s a classy horse, he’s shipped all over and now he’s a Dubai World Cup winner.”
Hit Show’s biggest career success took his record to nine wins in 18 starts, and above all, his name in the Dubai World Cup roll of honour.
Dettori’s bid to become the all-time leading jockey in the Dubai World Cup failed to materialise. The Italian shares the record of four wins with the now-retired American Jerry Bailey.
“There's good prize money for second! He ran superb. He was a genuine outsider. I knew he was underrated because he’s a good old warrior who loves the distance and he loves an outside post,” Dettori said of Mixto.
“I had the perfect trip. I couldn’t complain. It’s just a shame he got beaten on the line.”
Doug O’Neill, his handler, added: “I thought Mixto ran lights out and Frankie is just a legend for so many reasons. He had him in a great spot without having to use much of him. I thought he had enough in the end but he got outrun late. He ran super. I’m very proud of everybody.”
Forever Young’s jockey Ryusei Sakai said: “We had to win this race and I am disappointed. He ran a great race in Saudi and I expected him to win if he ran his race but it was a tough race as he was the horse to beat.
“It was tough and we did our best. He wasn’t traveling at all. It wasn’t an easy race and hard to keep winning.”
Bhupat Seemar, last year’s winning trainer with Laurel River, was all praise for the fourth spot of Walk Of Stars.
“Walk Of Stars ran a super race,” he said. “Maybe if he didn’t go to Saudi Arabia, he could have finished better. We saw that all the horses that participated at the Saudi Cup were beaten today. So it is not easy to do both races. He just got tired in the end.”
