While fans at Rosehill Gardens lauded another brilliant performance
by Dubawi's tenacious daughter Catkins in the Group II Emancipation Stakes, it
proved little more than an appetiser for Dubawi at Meydan when his son Mubtaahij
earned a ticket to the Kentucky Derby following an eight-length win in the UAE
Derby, then the biggest prize of all when Prince Bishop stormed home to win the
Group 1 Dubai World Cup.
An 8yo gelding, Prince Bishop was slowly into stride under
William Buick and looked anything but the winner as Buick was hard at him from
the start just to stay in touch with the field.
But as several contenders began to feel the pinch 800 metres
from home, Buick continued to circle the field on the son of Dubawi and was a
menacing presence on the home turn.
Kentucky Derby hero California Chrome hit the lead down the
long straight but after a three-wide trip without cover had no answer to Prince
Bishop's finishing run.
In an amazing display of stamina, Prince Bishop defeated
California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) by two and three-quarter lengths by with
another American contender Lea (First Samurai) a length and a quarter back in
third. (photo Reuters)
Formerly trained by Andre Fabre, Prince Bishop won the Group III Prix Du Prince
D'Orange and the Group II Prix du Conseil de Paris, beating Cirrus des Aigles
(Fr) in consecutive starts as a 3yo in 2010.
Transferred to Saeed bin Suroor the following year he
initially struggled in his new environment.
He contested the Dubai World Cup in 2012, finishing a well
beaten seventh behind Dubawi's Monterosso and again two years later when
clocking in ninth behind African Story.
The well-travelled gelding moves his overall record to 11 wins,
3 seconds and 3 thirds from 28 starts for earnings of $7,061,632.
It was the eighth win in the world's richest race for
trainer Saeed bin Suroor who trained Dubawi's sire Dubai Millenium to win the
2000 edition.
"I knew the horse had the class to win this race. Some
horses improve with age, and it's great to see him win. This is great for me and
for everybody here," Suroor said.
Winning jockey William Buick said;
"I can't believe it. This is surreal."
"Saeed and the whole team had a lot of faith in (Prince
Bishop) going into the race today. He has a very unorthodox way of racing, so I
took him out of the kickback in the back, and when I got onto California
Chrome's tail, he picked up the bridle and listen, he ran on well in the end,"
Buick said.
The dam of Prince Bishop, North East Bay (Prospect Bay), is a
half-sister to Grade II San Antonio winner Blingo (Red Ransom) and Hold To
Ransom (Red Ransom) a 5-length winner of the Listed Sandringham Stakes at Royal
Ascot who has proved a jewel in the Darley crown in Australia.
Hold To Ransom is the dam of three stakes-winners from her
first four foals, Retrieve, Reparations and Abduction.
The Australian-bred Amber Orchid completed Dubawi's super Saturday
when the 5yo Darley-bred mare scored a surprise victory in the Group III
Jacaranda Handicap at Turffontein, South Africa.
