Horse Racing: Presvis's fifth victory in Dubai
Group 2 Al Rashidiya, the 1m1f turf feature of the third Carnival meeting of the season at Meydan, was won by Dubai Carnival regular Presvis ridden by Ryan Moore. The victory came about in a surprising and spectacular turn of events as the horse that seemed
to be bringing up the rear, came out to be on top.
The event was open to horses of age three and above. This is the third consecutive Carnival victory for the horse currently seven years old and trained by Luca Cumani, while British colt Steele Tango and Godolphin’s Caymans, though put on a great show, came
in at second and third place respectively.
Riding Presvis jockey Moore held about him an air of self-assurance akin to arrogance, which turned into pride and glee when he won the race. This was the same man who rode Bronze Cannon to victory in the previous Al Rashidiya event, making this his second
uninterrupted carnival win.
The exaggerated victory was rather impressive, even by Presvis’s standards, as the horse won by at least a difference of four lengths from the other participants in the race. The win came unexpectedly as even after Presvis skipped a break – it is unclear
if this was unintentional – from the outside gate in a field of thirteen runners for the event that cost 200,000 dollars, he stayed ahead of the others.
Even though all other racehorses gave brilliant performances as they competed for the lead, including the outsiders Tam Lin and Tequilla Heights, the runner-up for the 2009 Duty Free, Presvis easily and swiftly covered ground on the turn for home and Moore
had almost no trouble guiding the horse straight to the finish line.
The colt ran as a bolt, making this win his fifth victory in Dubai, well clear of Steele Tango who put in all its will to overtake Godolphin’s Caymans and finally did so, reaching home inside the last furlong.
South Africa’s champion, Irish Flame, who reached the age of three years just last year, was as short as 13-8 for the Al Rashidiya event and proved to be a formidable opponent, though briefly, wide on the outside. Irish Flame finished the race taking the
fourth position, not too far behind Caymans, in close contest with the remaining nine horses still in the race.
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