Dunaden rides to Melbourne glory
Dunaden’s win in today’s Melbourne Cup has not sated the desire for further success in Australia’s greatest race for trainer Mikel Delzangles or owner Sheikh Fahad Al Thani.
Both Frenchman Delzangles and Qatari Prince Fahad have said they want to come back and have another crack at the Cup in coming years having prevailed in the tightest finish in the Cup’s 151-year history with the six-year-old.
“I’d like to come back with this horse and other horses as well,” the Sheikh said after the race.
“It is one of the biggest races in the world to win. We got into the game to try and compete at the top level. In my operation, it is all about the horse.
“If this is the right race for the horse, then we would come here. If it wasn’t the best race, then we wouldn’t have brought it here.
“We don’t really target the race until the horse tells us which race is the best race to go to. His profile is the best profile for the race.”
Delzangles revealed he was initially a sceptic about going to Australia, but was convinced to have a go at the AUD$6m race by the horse’s owner after a meeting with him in May.
“We knew he was a good stayer since his win at the beginning of the year in France. I have to say, it is the Sheikh who thought it would be a good idea to go to Melbourne,” he said.
“Personally I thought it would be too difficult, there is so much travel. That was my big worry, but thanks to the Sheikh and thanks to Americain’s efforts last year, we decided to come over.”
Sheikh Fahad said Delzangles initially had designs on tackling the Gold Cup at Ascot last June, but the passionate and knowledgeable owner was wary of his horse getting too much attention from the handicapper with a strong performance in Europe’s best staying race.
“I said the Melbourne Cup this year and Gold Cup next year,” he said.
“But this is a handicap and we wanted to preserve his handicap mark, and if he had run in the Ascot Gold Cup he might have won it and it would have prevented the horse to win this race.”
Sheikh Thani’s success in the race gives him Persian Gulf bragging rights over Dubai powerhouse Godolphin, who have tried many times to win the race but have only managed second on three occasions.
Today their horses, Lost in the Moment and Modun, finished sixth and last respectively.
Perhaps in order to finally get that success they might look at purchasing some French stayers given that they have won the past two Melbourne Cups.
Delzangles said that he believes the tempo of racing in France is similar to Australia and that is the key to the successes of Dunaden and Americain.
“Definitely the way the races are run in France is similar to the way they are run in Australia. It is certainly a help,” the trainer said.
You need to have a horse who is able to quicken in the last furlong.”
