Isivunguvungu (nearest) was a close up third in Saturday’s Turf Dash.
Isivunguvungu put up a fine preparation run for the Gr 1 Al Quoz Sprint on Dubai World Cup night when staying on for a close up third in the US$117,500 Turf Dash over five furlongs at Tampa Bay Downs on Saturday.
The Graham Motion-trained Narrow Creek Stud-bred What A Winter gelding won the Da Hoss Stakes at Colonial Downs on debut in the USA last September and then ran a most unlucky seventh in the Gr 1 Breeders Cup Turf Sprint in early November, before being given a month’s break as he fell ill after the latter race.
So he would have needed Saturday’s run and carried joint second topweight of 120 pounds from the widest draw of all in the nine horse field.
He was in midfield on the outer before the turn and then started making up ground under a hands drive from Samuel Marin.
He started making inroads in the straight after being given a couple of slaps by Marin, but that he needed it was shown in that he didn’t find extra after reaching Horsepower, who was in second place.
The winner Rouki, who was prominent throughout after getting a good break was tiring, but still doing enough on their inside.
Rouki beat Horsepower by half-a-length and there was then a neck back to Isivunguvungu.
It was the perfect run for the five-year-old Isivunguvungu as it should put him in just the right place for his continued preparation towards his April 5 engagement in Dubai.
Meanwhile, the world’s richest race, the US$20 Million Saudi Cup over 1800m on dirt produced possibly the race of the millennium between Forever Young (Real Steel) of Japan and Romantic Warrior (Acclamation) of Hong Kong on Saturday night at the King Abdulaziz Racecourse,.
From an inside draw Romantic Warrior was switched wide for the final turn from a prominent position and after sweeping around he hit the front in the straight ahead of the always prominent Forever Young.
It looked race over as he opened a gap but the imposing Forever Young switched to the outer and his giant stride started eating into the leeway.
The rest of the field were a mile back as they drove to the line with Forever Young prevailing by neck.
It was the seven-year-old Romantic Warrior’s first ever race on dirt, which is the regular surface for four-year-old Forever Young.
In Hong on Sunday the horse regarded as the world’s best sprinter, Ka Ying Rising (Shamexpress), stepped up to 1400m for the HK$13 million Gr 1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup and with Zac Purton out injured Karis Teetan rode him for the second time. Ka Ying Rising found extra from the front to win the weight for age event by 1,50 lengths to record his tenth successive victory and his eleventh overall.
