Choisya surprises in Cape Verdi
Father-and-son training duo Simon & Ed Crisford join roll of honour for Group 2 race
DUBAI - There are new names on the roll of honour for the 850,000 dirham (S$317,000) Group 2 Cape Verdi Stakes (sponsored by Al Tayer Motors) over 1,600m, after Choisya upset the favourite Romantic Style.
The new etchings are that of father and son duo Simon and Ed Crisford, who have trained the five-year-old for all her 18 starts.
The Night Of Thunder mare only had four to beat, but they included Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (1,600m) fourth Romantic Style, sent off the hot favourite for Charlie Appleby.
She could find little in the straight, however, as Choisya extended the lead she had held for the whole race under Mickael Barzalona, cruising home by 5¼ lengths for her sixth career success.
Barzalona had won this race twice before, but victories do not come much easier than this and he was phlegmatic afterwards.
“I got an easy lead in front; it felt like a French race,” he said. “When I asked her to pick up, she did it very well.
“It would have been better to have a lead, but all of the others had the instructions to take back. Sometimes it is lucky to have horses who are versatile like she is.”
Choisya is now likely to line up in the Group 2 Balanchine, over 1,800m, on Feb 21.
Norway-based trainer Niels Petersen has won just about every major race in Scandinavia, but his Dubai record read 1/184 before Jan 17. Now, that one has become a two – thanks to Queen Azteca’s victory in the 400,000 dirham Cocoa Beach Stakes (sponsored by Land Rover), for three-year-old fillies over 1,600m on dirt.
Queen Azteca had run second to the re-opposing Flama Sunshine last time in the Shahama Stakes (1,400m) and that filly was poised to strike when Arigatou Gozaimasu began to falter after setting a furious pace.
Instead, Flama Sunshine emptied fast and Queen Azteca came with a determined run along the rail, winning by eight lengths from Taswaheen, who also closed late.
It was a second UAE win for Chilean jockey Carlos Lopez, based in Scandinavia for much of his career.
“It means a lot,” he said. “We’ve had very tough situation in Scandinavia (due to financial uncertainty), so this will bring a lot of happiness and I’m proud to be a part of it.
“I was very lonely when everyone went for the spot I wanted, but I decided to leave her there as I knew I had a horse for distance and she would get there. She has so much class and she will improve even more over more distance.”
It was a night to remember for dual UAE champion trainer Musabbeh Al Mheiri, who celebrated four wins.
The rout was started in race two when he saddled Legend Of Cannes, who cost Abubaker Kadoura just 45,000 dirham at the April Horses In Training Sale in April. The gelding won more than twice that when collecting 114,000 dirham in the Defender Handicap over 1,900m on turf.
Previously trained by Fawzi Nass, this was his third run for Al Mheiri and he survived travelling five wide into the straight under Silvestre de Sousa, getting up for a neck-win over Lunatick, with Emperor’s Star third.
“He showed a good willing attitude and he’s been well trained at home,” said de Sousa after his 14th win of the season. “He has run in a couple of good races and now he has slipped down to his own class.
“I always planned to be just behind the leaders and I was happy with the way he travelled. I thought they were going a bit quick, so I just rode my own race.”
De Sousa and Al Mheiri were back in the winner’s enclosure 35 minutes later when Echo Point landed the competitive Defender OCTA Handicap, over 1400m on turf. DUBAI RACING CLUB
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