2013

IT looked an ideal opportunity for Champagne Fever to secure his status as one of the country’s top novices, but instead the Slaney Novice Hurdle witnessed a display of some quality from Rule The World, who lived up to his name with a resounding victory.

The Mouse Morris-trained Rule The World had already established himself as a novice of note. However, last season’s Cheltenham bumper hero Champagne Fever looked impossible to oppose as he stepped up to two and a half miles following his second to Jezki in the Royal Bond. The 1/4 favourite was well below his best and was found to be suffering from a respiratory tract infection.

This should not detract from Rule The World as he emulated his half-brother Venalmar (winner of this race in 2008) to look a horse of prodigious potential. Following this unextended 16-length dismissal of Minsk, Rule The World is as short as 8/1 with Ladbrokes for the Neptune Investment Management Novices Hurdle, although plans for the Gigginstown House Stud-owned gelding are fluid.

From the outset, Champagne Fever cut out a decent tempo up front and he was pressed throughout by Minsk as Rule The World bided his time in third. Before the straight Champagne Fever had already come under strong pressure and, shortly after rounding the final turn, he dropped to a weary third.

At this point Minsk held the lead, but travelling ominously well in his slipstream was Rule The World who sauntered to the front for Davy Russell after two out. Without coming under pressure, the Sulamani gelding sauntered clear of Minsk, while Champagne Fever finished some 24 lengths adrift of the runner-up.

“He’s a nice horse but he’s a big, raw sort and we will take it handy with him. I’ll have a chat with the owner about where we go. I wouldn’t rule out Cheltenham but we’ll just see. He jumped super while Davy gave him a super ride,” said Morris after welcoming back the 7/1 shot.

[Rule The World found just The New One too good for him at Cheltenham, returned to Naas a year after this win to add the Grade 3 Limestone Lad Hurdle to his tally, and later he achieved fame after he gained his only success in a chase when beating The Last Samuri, Vics Canvas and Gilgamboa to win the 2016 Aintree Grand National]

Marvellous Meydan

2008

AT last year’s Dubai World Cup meeting, Sheikh Mohammed spoke of his decision to develop a new racecourse to surpass the current Nad Al Sheba track.

The complex, including the racecourse, a new city and an extensive business park, will be known by the name Meydan. The word means a meeting place where people come to discuss, compete and achieve. The racecourse will span 76 million square feet and feature a state of the art dirt and turf track, a world-class grandstand (with a hotel) and a capacity for approximately 60,000 people.

Dubai Racing Club chief executive Frank Gabriel has travelled extensively, examining all the world’s top-class racetracks, and, after consultation with jockeys and trainers, it has been decided to put the one-mile, four-furlong turf course on the outside of the eight and three-quarter furlong dirt track. ‘‘We also bore in mind that 67% of races at the Dubai Carnival are on grass, which will be brought closer to the public.’’

The Meydan Racecourse will be a stone’s throw from Nad Al Sheba, and will include a five-star hotel, more than 10 restaurants, several private hospitality suites and boxes, the new home of the Godolphin Gallery, the Dubai Racing Club, a state of the art racing museum, as well as covered car parking for approximately 10,000 cars.

A four-kilometre canal, which will run from Dubai Creek, will offer racegoers an opportunity to arrive by boat.

Meydan City is located nearby to Meydan Racecourse, and is conceived as a phased development consisting of commercial and residential plots, retail outlets and arcades with canal, waterfront and promenade views.

Meydan Marina is to be located in the centre of the development, allowing for berthing facilities for approximately 80 leisure yachts and boats.

Meydan Business Park will offer 2.9 million square feet of office space in 17 blocks, the office pods to be set in single pedestrian podium with architecture, design and colour creating an environment-friendly workspace. There is also an impressive workspace lobby which is an expansive 12-hectare landscaped podium, while the plaza conceals a 3,400-carpark facility for resident workforce.

Meydan Business Park, along with Meydan Racecourse and Meydan City, is being designed by leading Malaysian firm Teo A Khing (TAK) Design Consultants. Banyan Tree Holdings Limited, the leading developer, designer, and operator of top-tier hotels, resorts, spas and galleries, has been chosen as the horseracing city’s hotel operator.

The timetable of construction means that the new venue should be ready to host the 2010 World Cup, which will be worth approximately €6.8 million in prize money. Dubai authorities have not been forthcoming on the cost of the racecourse, but judging by the size, shape and quality of design and materials, costs are estimated to be about €680 million, compared to the starting point of the new Ascot at €278 million.

Unlike other racecourses, Meydan will probably not have to strain itself to maximise the use of its facilities. Given the extreme heat of the area in June, July and August, the racecourse facility will effectively be out of action during that time, and Dubai’s racing season lasts only five months.

Race meetings in November and December are quiet and the Carnival does not easily pull in five-figure crowds. World Cup night, which includes a good many corporate customers, usually hosts a crowd of about 35,000.

[Meydan opened on March 27th 2010. The Dubai World Cup that year was the 15th running of the race, and the winner was Stud Estrela Energia’s Brazilian-bred Glória De Campeão, a seven-year-old trained in France by Pascal Bary and ridden by T. J. Pereira. Glória de Campeão’ had been trained in Brazil in the early part of his career before being transferred to the Bary’s French stable in 2007.

He was campaigned internationally, finishing second in the 2009 Dubai World Cup on dirt and winning the Singapore Airlines International Cup on turf. In the 2010 Dubai World Cup he won by a nose from the South African gelding Lizard’s Desire, with the Godolphin runner Allybar a short head away in third]

Mathet passes away

1983

FRANÇOIS Mathet, one of the great names in French racing, died in his sleep on Wednesday morning at the age of 74.

After a distinguished riding career as an amateur, Mathet turned to training at the end of the War. The highest honours did not come his way immediately, but from 1949 until his death Mathet was leading trainer in France, either in races won or in prize money earnings, and often in both categories, every single season.

Among the 3,200 or so winners that he sent out in his distinguished career were the Derby heroes Phil Drake (1955) and Relko (1963). Sicarelle triumphed in the 1956 Oaks and Bella Paola landed the 1000 Guineas-Oaks double in 1958. Match III won the 1962 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and, in 1981, Vayrann was the controversial winner of the Champion Stakes.

His career ended in a blaze of glory when Akiyda won a memorable Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with Yves Saint-Martin riding one of his greatest races. Akiyda thus gave Mathet his fourth victory in France’s premier race. Tantieme (1950 and 1951) and Sassafras (1970) were previous victors.

There will have to be some furious re-thinking by owners of where to allocate their horses before the French season starts in six or seven weeks. The Aga Khan alone had some 100 horses in Mathet’s care. One possible successor is Alain de Royer-Dupre, who has been training in Chantilly for two years and who already looks after some of the Aga Khan’s string.