Winter Lightning, Comicas light up the night at Dubai World Cup Carnival

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Winter Lightning, Comicas light up the night at Dubai World Cup Carnival
Light of the Lights, with jockey Christophe Soumillon, won the 4th race at Meydan on Thursday night.

Dubai - Light The Lights turns it on to beat Blair House by a neck in the fourth race

By James Jose

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Published: Thu 18 Jan 2018, 8:46 PM

Last updated: Thu 18 Jan 2018, 10:49 PM

The famed royal blue silks of Godolphin lit up Thursday night, winning both the main races in the second meeting of the Dubai World Cup Carnival at the Meydan Racecourse.

After seven-time Dubai World Cup-winning trainer and the home-grown Saeed bin Suroor saw his charge Winter Lightning win the UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Sponsored By Al Maryah Island, the first race of the evening, the Charlie Appleby-trained Comicas ended Reynaldothewizard's domination by clinching the upgraded Group 3 Dubawi Stakes.

In keeping with the theme, the chilly evening got off to a scintillating start with Winter Lightning clinching a thrilling first race in the seven-race card .

Winter Lightning, ridden by Patrick Cosgrave, triumph by a nose over Rayya, in the contest run over a 1400-metre distance.

It was Winter Lightning's maiden win on only her second start after she had finished second on debut at Newmarket last October, under Oisin Murphy.

It was pretty much a two-horse contest towards the end, so to speak, with Winter Lightning and Rayya, trained by Doug Watson and the ride of Patrick Dobbs, leaving the rest of the pack behind.

The fact that the third-place Expressiy, trained by Charlie Appleby and ridden by William Buick, finished 10 lengths behind Rayya, spoke of the how far ahead the lead contenders were.

Meanwhile, Salem bin Ghadayer's Yalta had led over My Catch with Satish Seemar's Reynaldothewizard, right at the last.

And although Reynaldothewizard, a four-time winner of the race, made a late rally under Richard Mullen, he could only settle for third, a length behind second-placed Muarrab, the ride of Jim Crowley.

"The team did a great job. They both dug deep on the straight. It was a fine comeback," Appleby said after the race.

"It was a strong gallop," said jockey William Buick.

It was Comicas' fourth victory in 14 starts.

Meanwhile, the Ali Rashid Al Rayhi-trained Janszoon made a late charge under Silvestre De Sousa to win the Yahsat Satellite Cup.

Salem bin Ghadayer's Montsarrat had set the pace for most of the 2000 metres until with 300 metres left to go, Janszoon, the four-year-old son of Dubawi, stepped up the pace before speeding away to win by five lengths over Rio Tigre, trained by Ghadayer and ridden by Royston Ffrench.

"I was quite happy with the way he came back," Silvestre De Sousa said after the race. Almerzem, Mr Khalid, Mubajal and Storyboard were non-runners.

Doug Watson completed a one-two in the CEPSA Energy Cup, race three on the seven-race card. Kimbear, the ride of Patrick Dobbs, won the 1600 metres contest by five lengths over Layl, ridden by Sam Hitchcott.

Rodaini, the ride of Silvestre De Sousa, and trained by Simon Crisford, finished third. Watson's Thegreatcollection, under Dane O'Neill was fourth.

Meanwhile, it was a yet another thriller in the fourth race of the evening, with Light The Lights turning it on to beat Blair House by a neck.

Mike de Kock's Sanshaawes had led the pack and it was tightly bunched up right up until the end, with Light The Lights lurking within the pack.

And as they headed towards the finish, Blair House, trained by Appleby and ridden by Buick, and Light The Lights broke away before the latter found that little bit more to edge the contest run over 2000 metres.

Saeed bin Suroor's Leshlaa, under Cosgrave, was third followed by Sharpalo.

james@khaleejtimes.com


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