Roses in May was in fifth place early with the field being taken along by the Mike de Kock-trained Yard-Arm. Roses in May, trained by Dale Romans and ridden by John Velazquez, came around the outside and took the lead into the straight and from that moment on there was no looking back. Dynever, trained by Christophe Clement and ridden by Jose Santos, came with a late burst of speed to take second from the Jeff Mullins-trained Choctaw Nation, the mount of Victor Espinoza. Gerard Butler's Jack Sullivan ran the race of his life under Darryll Holland to take fourth ahead of the Dick Mandella-trained Congrats.
Winning trainer Dale Romans, "I thought the only way we could get beat was if we had some bad luck, I wanted to take the race to them, I knew he had the stamina and that no one else could catch him. I hope I can bring him back here next year, I love this nation."
Winning owner Ken Ramsey said, "I feel like I have climbed a mountain tonight. We knew our horse had so much stamina that if they wanted to run with him early they were not going to last "
Dubai Duty Free (Gr.I), sponsored by Dubai Duty Free
Australia celebrated their first winner in Dubai when the Tony Vasil-trained Elvstroem made all to win the US$2,000,000 Dubai Duty Free (Gr.I), sponsored by Dubai Duty Free, over 1,777 metres on the turf.
Partnered by Nash Rawiller, Elvstroem, set a steady pace with Whilly, trained by American Doug O'Neill, tracking in second. Elvstroem went clear 400 metres out and stayed on to win by two and three quarter lengths from Whilly with last year's Dubai Duty Free (Gr.I) winner Right Approach in third.
Vasil said, "Great feeling to come all this way and have a win. It was a 17 ½ hour trip and he lost a bit of weight, but he has been here a week and has slowly picked up. To come all this way and win is a thrill. If ever there was a horse to come all this way with it is him. He has a wonderful temperament and easy going, he takes it all in his stride. He has done Australia proud. We could look at the Lockinge Stakes in Britain in May and then perhaps Royal Ascot, we will take each race as it comes."
Rawiller said, "My confidence grew before the race and he jumped well, it would have taken a great horse to have beaten him."
Dubai Golden Shaheen (Gr.I), sponsored by Gulf News
Saratoga County, trained in America by George Weaver and ridden by Javier Castellano, landed the world's richest sprint race when claiming the US$2,000,000 Dubai Golden Shaheen (Gr.I), sponsored by Gulf News, over the straight 1,200 metres on the Nad Al Sheba dirt.
Saratoga County raced in fifth early with the Brazilian-bred race favourite Pico Central setting the pace, Saratoga started making progress from the half way point and taking the lead 200 metres from home, running on to a length win over Tropical Star, trained by Ali Rashid Al Raihe, with Godolphin's Botanical, under Frankie Dettori, in third.
Castellano said after the race, "I waited for the right time to move. I always had a lot of confidence in this race." Weaver, for who this was his biggest career win, said, "It doesn't get any better than this. It is a big, big feeling."
Royston French, who partnered Tropical Star to finish second said, "He ran really well. He's a real trier and that's half the battle."
Pico Central's jockey Alex Solis said, ""He didn't get a hold of the track. He kept switching leads and just wasn't himself today. Right at the quarter pole My Cousin Matt and the winner (Saratoga County) came in on me. It cost me a better place, but I couldn't win."
