Certerach upsets troubled Cavalryman in Dubai Gold Cup
drama
Paul Rooney’s Certerach, no match for Cavalryman in the March 1 Nad al Sheba
Trophy, turned the tables on the unlucky favorite in a dramatic conclusion to
Saturday’s Group 2, $1 million Dubai Gold Cup. The drama occurred both on and
off the course: a troubled passage, narrow margin of victory, jockey’s
objection, and a surprising withdrawal of the objection in the stewards’ room.
Drifting in while rallying beneath Jamie Spencer, Certerach crossed into the
path of Godolphin’s Cavalryman, the defending champion, and forced him to tap on
the brakes and alter course. Cavalryman recovered to finish fast, but the Irish
stayer just held on by a neck at odds of 29-1.
Cavalryman’s rider, Silvestre de Sousa, was quick to claim foul for the
apparent interference. The stewards were just beginning their televised
proceedings, and preparing to review the video in the presence of Spencer and de
Sousa, when Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor appeared. In a stunning turn of
events, bin Suroor withdrew the objection, and the original result was thereby
allowed to stand.
Certerach was one of two in the Dubai Gold Cup for trainer Michael Halford.
Younger stablemate Dabadiyan kept stable jockey Shane Foley in the irons, while
Certerach picked up Spencer’s services. Although a handicap winner here on
January 23, Certerach had yet to win a stakes, his best results being a pair of
placings in the past two runnings of the Nad al Sheba Trophy. The son of Halling
was runner-up to Ahzeemah in that prep a year ago, and a soundly-beaten third,
seven lengths adrift of Cavalryman, last time. But this first attempt at about
two miles, in a messy race, brought about a new career high.
The early going of the turf marathon witnessed a few lead changes. Joshua
Tree initially took up the pacesetting role, with Simenon in close attendance
from his wide post. Now We Can then moved up to strike the front, only to pass
the baton on to Ralston Road.
Meanwhile, Cavalryman was nestled just behind the front runners, well within
striking range. Turning into the homestretch, he was being stoked up by de
Sousa, but Certerach got the jump on him. As Cavalryman began to wind up, his
momentum was briefly interrupted by the lugging-in Certerach. Once angling
further out, Cavalryman kicked into gear, erased the deficit with each and every
stride, and fell just short.
Certerach stopped the clock in a course-record 3:23.14, bettering the mark of
3:23.73 set by Opinion Poll in the inaugural Dubai Gold Cup in 2012.
“Certerach has a tendency to idle when he gets to the front and the last 100
meters seemed very, very long,” Halford said. “He shifted in slightly but Jamie
said we had nothing to worry about.”
“I wasn’t sure we’d won,” Spencer said, “but I heard the commentator say we
had, so I took his word for it. He’s a huge horse. The instructions were to let
the horse find his rhythm wherever you’re happy. They were going slow. The reins
were dangling so I knew once we woke him up, he’d have plenty. For a big horse,
he’s not stuck to the ground. He quickened well to get to the lead.”
De Sousa was blunt about Cavalryman’s experience.
“He was unlucky,” de Sousa said. “The other horse came across us 200 yards
out and it cost us the race.”
Bin Suroor was more diplomatic.
“He was unlucky but he ran well,” the Godolphin trainer said. “The trip suits
him but he was beaten by a better horse on the night. He tried hard but was
unlucky tonight. We will take him back to England now.”
There was a gap of 2 1/4 lengths back to Star Empire
in third. The filly Moment in Time finished fourth, followed by Ralston Road,
Dabadiyan, Songcraft, Ernest Hemingway, Sheikhzayedroad, Seismos, Joshua Tree,
Now We Can, Saddler’s Rock, Jamr and Simenon.
While a few riders commented on the strangely-run race, Pat Smullen pulled no
punches about his view from Simenon.
“We knew there would be no pace, so we took the decision to go forward from
his outside draw, but it didn’t suit him,” Smullen said. “He needs cover behind
a strong pace. It was a bit of a farce. He ran OK.”
Certerach, who now sports a mark of 19-4-1-5, has yet to run a bad race at
Meydan. A close fifth in his local premiere a year ago, he followed up with a
near-miss third in a handicap. Denied by a scant neck by Ahzeemah in the Nad al
Sheba Trophy last March, he was unplaced in three outings back in Europe, but a
return to Dubai has energized him. After his aforementioned handicap score, he
was a close third to Excellent Result in a February 6 handicap, where he was
giving Godolphin’s subsequent Dubai City of Gold hero 10 pounds.
“Staying and fast ground is his forte, so we will look at the Ascot Gold Cup
and, further ahead, the Melbourne Cup,” Halford said. “I have never had a runner
in Melbourne and I think the owner would love to go too.”
Bred by Newberry Stud Company in Ireland, Certerach is out of the
stakes-winning Danehill mare Chartres, a half-sister to multiple stakes victor
and Group 1-placed Pugin. His third dam is Dark Lomond, winner of the 1988 Irish
St Leger, and his fourth dam is Group 3 queen and multiple classic-placed
Arkadina.
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