WELL ARMED
©Feroz Khan
2009 - WELL ARMED
WinStar Farm's six-year-old Well Armed, trained by Eoin Harty in California and ridden by Aaron Gryder, continued the excellent record of American-trained horses in the world's richest race, the US$6-million Dubai World Cup.
The Tiznow gelding, the eighth American-trained winner of the 10-furlong race on dirt, was most impressive, making all to win by a record margin of 14 lengths.
Well Armed, who started his racing career with Clive Brittain in Newmarket, England, came into the 2009 Dubai World Cup joint top-rated on 119 with fellow American-trained raider Albertus Maximus, owned by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the brother of Godolphin's founder H.H. Sheikh Mohammed.
He had run well in the 2008 Dubai World Cup, finishing third to Curlin and just a neck behind Asiatic Boy who took up the challenge again.
Well Armed in fact ran the race of his life by drawing clear up the three-furlong straight at Nad Al Sheba to score in a time of 2m 1.01s with all 13 opponents - a record field for the Dubai World Cup - well beaten.
Albertus Maximus went after the winner from the start, as did the French-trained Gloria de Campeao but could finish no better than sixth after hanging and picking up a tendon injury.
Godolphin's My Indy tried to wear down Well Armed in the straight. Brought with a perfect run by Frankie Dettori to go second two and a half furlongs from home, My Indy looked a big danger until his stamina gave out as feared.
He was fifth while two horses trained in Saudi Arabia by Neil Bruss, Paris Perfect and Muller, came from a long way back to take third and fourth respectively as Gloria De Campeo kept on in second. Asiatic Boy met trouble at the start and finished 12th.
Eoin Harty, who started his training career when selected by Godolphin to train two-year-olds in America, said of Well Armed "I have always had faith in this horse, maybe not as much as the owner, but sure.
"It was always the plan to go to the front. I was floored by his performance. He was coming off two defeats this year but the way the track rode - very speed favouring - I knew that was his game.
"This horse chipped a bone in the UAE Derby and then he fractured his pelvis and the vets wanted to put him down. Two years on he has won the richest race in the world.
"I owe a lot to Sheikh Mohammed who got me started and plucked me from relative obscurity."
There was a sense of both history and sadness on Dubai World Cup night 2009 which saw the winners of five of the six Thoroughbred races trained in the Middle East - Well Armed's success in the feature being the only exception.
History in that racing in the United Arab Emirates has reached such heights and sadness because this was the 14th and final Dubai World Cup to be run at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse.
But any gloom will not last long because Meydan, the spectacular new racecourse being built in Dubai, hosts the 2010 Dubai World Cup.