Longines Dubai Sheema Classic (Group 1)

AS expected, the world’s highest-rated racehorse made a winning reappearance in the $6 million Dubai Sheema Classic last Saturday in Meydan.

Four months on from becoming the first foreign-trained winner of the Japan Cup in 20 years, Calandagan put Princess Zahra Aga Khan and trainer Francis-Henri Graffard through two and a half minutes of what must have seemed agony, as Mickael Barzalona spotted the leader West Wind Blows a lead in excess of 10 lengths at a pace which meant there was little chance of the runaway stopping.

Yet such is his confidence in Calandagan that Barzalona only gradually moved forward around the home turn, and still had four lengths to make up at the 400-metre mark.

When he finally said go, the result went from suspense to a formality in a matter of strides as the five-year-old home-bred stamped his abundant class on the race, running out an easy three-quarters of a length winner from the gallant West Wind Blows.

The pair finished almost four lengths clear of Marco Botti’s Group 1 winner Giavellotto. The Willie Mullins-trained Ethical Diamond finished a disappointing fifth of the six runners.

Asked how much she enjoyed watching the race unfold, Princess Zahra said: “No, not a bit of it! It was terrifying. They went slow, but Mickael has been riding him like that for two years, so we weren’t terrified until the final turn. Now we’re not any more.

“He has an amazing stride and he also has an amazing motor and a will to win. You can always tell with him, the last few strides, he puts his entire soul into it. It’s amazing to watch.”

Barzalona said: “I know him very well now and he always gives plenty in the end, I just need to trust him.

“I thought my main dangers were Giavellotto and the Mullins horse [Ethical Diamond], which was behind me.

“And, when I thought I was going much better than Giavellotto, it was my turn to go. I didn’t expect West Wind Blows to give me that hard a race.”

Irish-bred, Calandagan is a five-year-old gelding by Gleneagles.