The Bob Baffert-trained Arrogate was a sensational winner of the £8.1 million Dubai World Cup at Meydan on Saturday, after suffering trouble in running to score in the one mile and two-furlong event under Mike Smith.
A poor break from the stalls before being hustled up by his rivals saw Arrogate trail the field early on but in the straight, the four-year-old son of Unbridled’s Joy made stealthy progress under Smith to scythe through the field before careering away from the furlong pole to record a decisive victory from the Steve Asmussen-trained Gun Runner. Neolithic, trained by Todd Pletcher was a further five lengths back in third.
arrogate only began his career in April last year and after suffering defeat on his first start, ha gone on to win his next seven races in a row. That included a defeat of California Chrome by half-a-length in the Breeders’ Cup Classic in November before a rout in the world’s richest race, the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park in January.
Trainer Baffert was understandably proud of his charge and compared Arrogate to 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat in the aftermath of his victory at Meydan.
Baffert said: “I was so mad at myself thinking I shouldn’t have brought him – that’s the greatest horse I’ve ever seen run, it’s unbelievable. I can’t believe he won.
That is a great horse, Mike did a great job with him, he didn’t panic. When he turned for home I said ‘If he wins he’s the greatest since Secretariat’.”
Hobbs hits rivals for six
Also on the card, 2015 Irish Derby winner Jack Hobbs roared back to form with a facile victory in the Longines Dubai Sheema Classic for trainer John Gosden and William Buick in the one mile and four-furlong Group One.
Always traveling well, the five-year-old quickened up in taking fashion to lead two furlongs from home and showed a potent turn of foot to score by two and a quarter lengths at 4/1. Aidan O’Brien’s Seventh Heaven was second, with a further length and three-quarters back to 7/4 favourite and last year’s winner of the race, the Roger Varian-trained Postponed.
Other winners included Vivlos’ sensational win in the Dubai Turf, Vaziribad gaining successive victories in the Dubai Gold Cup and Thunder Snow winning the UAE Derby.
