Double delight as Durcan's tactics pay dividends for Weld
He won the Emirates Airline Cup on Mick Channon’s Pic Up Sticks and completed a double in the Emirates Airline Plate on the Dermot Weld-trained Evolving Tactics.
But it would have been a treble had he not weighed in light after finishing first in the Emirates Airline Trophy on Satish Seemar’s Feet So Fast.
In fact Durcan did have a treble of sorts as he had warmed up for the thoroughbred programme by winning the opening race for purebred Arab horses on Van Nistelrooy.
Feet So Fast’s race was awarded to Rashid Bouresly’s Cat Belling, who was registering her second win in eight days at the Dubai International Carnival under Willie Supple.
The four-year-old saw off eight of her rivals with a gritty display, but had no response as Feet So Fast swept past to what had appeared an easy victory in the extended six-furlong sprint until the weigh-in drama.
Durcan gained consolation when producing Pic Up Sticks with a perfectly-timed challenge to thwart the South African Super Brand and Gerard Butler’s Boston Lodge in another extended six-furlong handicap.
The winner is part-owned by former England footballer Alan Ball and was having his second UAE start, having been third over the same course and distance 16 days ago.
He was in rear early on, having appeared to break untidily, but always travelled well and was able to hit the front at the furlong pole.
Durcan completed his brace with a cool ride on Evolving Tactics, sitting in last place before producing the Irish challenger with a smooth run up the rails to get the better of Kundooz in a mile turf handicap.
The Skywards Stakes, an extended seven-furlong conditions event for three-year-olds, was turned into a procession by Godolphin’s Rosencrans, who made virtually all under a supremely confident Frankie Dettori.
He asked his mount to settle matters at the three pole and the son of Forest Wildcat did just that, fulfilling the promise of his third in the UAE 2000 Guineas.
The Italian was seen at his best in the Emirates Airline Stakes, a 10-furlong turf handicap, when coming from last to first on Jeremy Noseda’s Adiemus to spearheaded a UK 1-2-3.
Ed Dunlop’s pair of Swift Tango (Paul Hanagan) and Anani (Supple) filled the places.
Always travelling well on the six-year-old, Dettori was able to take the shortest route up the inside rail and always looked likely to get there as the horse won on his first turf start in the UAE, having twice run well on the dirt.
Dettori said: “He travelled very well off the pace and I knew we could pick them up in the straight. The gaps appeared and it all worked well. It is nice to ride a winner here for Jeremy (Noseda) after our Godolphin times.”
Saddad, winner of the Flying Childers Stakes at Doncaster as a juvenile for Michael Stoute, recorded his first triumph since when holding on from his Doug Watson-trained stable companion Sleeping Weapon by a fast diminishing short head in the Emirates Airline Classic Handicap over six furlongs on dirt.
Winning jockey Richard Hills said: “He has had a long time off and had a throat operation. It was nice to see him run well tonight as he would have needed that as he was probably only 85% back.
“That will do his confidence the power of good and there are plenty more races for him. There is a lot to look forward to.”
