Al Quoz Sprint

(Group) 1

A NOSE separated The Right Man from the fast-finishing Long On Value at the line in the straight six-furlong, $1 million Al Quoz Sprint on turf. Back in third was the track record holder Ertijaal, a length and a quarter adrift. Fourth was Jungle Cat who beat The Right Man in a prep race at Meydan in March.

The Didier Guillemin French-trained winner was ridden by Francois-Xavier Bertras in the colours of Pegase Bloodstock. This was the ninth victory for the five-year-old son of Lope De Vega who was previously a Group 3 winner in France last November.

“I was always confident,” Bertras said. “I knew in the prep race that the horse was not 100 per cent fit and would come on from that. I got a good position and my horse was very brave right to the end. You live your life for moments like this.”

Guillemin added through a translator: “I was very emotional because it was an honour to be invited. To have such a finish and win it is absolutely amazing. We’re very proud of the horse. When he finished third here, we were very happy with that result and even happier that he’s won here tonight. Twenty years ago I would have never thought we would come here and win a Group 1. It’s absolutely majestic. I would like to thank the organisers. It’s fabulous what they do here.”

The Al Quoz Sprint is the second leg of the 2017 Global Sprint Challenge series, and Guillemin confirmed that travelling to Hong Kong and possibly Royal Ascot are on the cards for his gelding.

“We’re speechless,” Bill Mott said of the second. “To come over here, half-way across the world, and compete with the top sprinters on the globe, we are just absolutely thrilled. I know it’s a loss, but it feels like a win. The owners were true sportsmen to bring him over here and he did not let us down whatsoever.”