The Dylan Cunha-trained Prague (green colours closest) fails by half-a-length to win a Gr 3 at Haydock on Saturday (Picture: John Grossick (Racing Post))
Trainer Dylan Cunha and owner-breeder Gaynor Rupert flew the South African flag in the U.K. this weekend with respective Gr 3 second and third place finishes.
Dylan Cunha shouldn’t be long in winning a Group race in the U.K. as he clearly has a talented Group class horse in the Galileo colt Prague, who was purchased in training out of the Aidan O’Brien yard for a mere 10,000 Gns before he had raced.
On Saturday Prague ran in the Gr 3 Betfair Exchange Superior Mile Stakes at Haydock under Daniel Tudhope and took a bit of hold despite being dropped out to be one of the back two. However, he came into the straight still full of running. He initially could not get a clear run and when the gap presented itself he had to switch inward as the eventual winner crossed him. It probably did not effect the result. Nevertheless, it was a fine run and justifued the betting support he received, which saw him shorten from into 10/20 favourite.
Prague is entered in the Gr 2 Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Joel Stakes over a mile on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket on Friday, September 27.
South African trainers have a good record in this race with Mike de Kock having won it twice. De Kock’s Eagle Mountain, ridden by Kevin Shea, won it in course record time in 2008 and his stalwart SA-bred colt Soft Falling Rain won it under Paul Hamagam in 2013.
Also on Saturday the Gaynor Rupert homebred Dubawi colt God’s Window ran in the Gr 3 Unibet September Stakes over a mile and four furlongs on the Kempton All Weather track.
The Dubawi colt was the John and Thady Gosden yard’s chief Epsom Derby hope this year, so he has been a touch disappointing, although he had a Gr 1 third as a two-year-old and this season added a Gr 3 third on Saturday to a Listed fourth place finish.
On Saturday he dwelt and was near the rear but stayed on to finish a modest 5,25 length third in the seven horse field.
