Cavalryman summoned a ferocious turn of foot to settle Saturday’s Group 3, $1
million Dubai Gold Cup in a matter of strides. By streaking three lengths clear
of Ahzeemah, the seven-year-old son of Halling handed Godolphin and trainer
Saeed bin Suroor the exacta.
Most recently a close third in the Group 2 Dubai City of Gold at about 1 1/2
miles, Cavalryman loped along off the leisurely pace here for Silvestre de
Sousa. Saddler’s Rock, whose saddle slipped early, tossed his head until Declan
McDonagh let him stride forward in the turf marathon. Tenenbaum moved up to
track the leader on the outside, while Imperial Monarch, the 5-2 favorite, was
reserved further back on the inside.
With the tempo no better than a crawl, the about two-mile test turned into a
sprint for home, and that played to the strengths of Cavalryman. The 7-2 second
choice cruised up ominously, simply steamrolled the leaders in the stretch, and
stopped the clock in 3:25.31.
“Everything went to plan for me,” de Sousa said. “It was a bit slow to
halfway and I was happy when the pace quickened. My horse traveled well and
quickened up nicely. It’s a big night but the pressure will come later. At least
the (Godolphin) horses are running well.”
“We had tried him over the two miles last year,” bin Suroor said, “and he got
the trip well when winning (the Esher Stakes) at Sandown, so we were very happy
with the horse. The reason I was confident tonight was that the horse has a very
good turn of foot.”
Ahzeemah kept on for runner-up honors, a neck ahead of the French filly
Verema. Jutland, Star Empire, Imperial Monarch, Saddler’s Rock, Tenenbaum,
Averroes and Seismos concluded the order under the wire.
Jockey Ryan Moore offered that Imperial Monarch didn’t cope with his first
attempt at this marathon distance.
“I am not sure of he saw the 3,200-meter trip out,” Moore said. “He traveled
well enough and had every chance at the top of the straight.”
McDonogh commented on his problematic passage aboard Saddler’s Rock.
“I couldn’t ride him the last two furlongs,” McDonogh said. “The saddle
slipped at the barrier — it slipped back six inches. I was in trouble most of
the way around. It was pretty bad. That was a pity.”
Cavalryman advanced his record to 30-7-4-4, $2,437055. A top-class
three-year-old when trained by Andre Fabre in France, he captured the Group 1
Grand Prix de Paris, Group 2 Prix Niel and Prix Matchem and finished third in
the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. He failed to prosper in his first two
seasons with bin Suroor, but was rejuvenated when stepping up to stayers’ events
last year, landing both the Grand Cup at York and the Esher at Sandown.
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