DUBLIN trainer Ado McGuinness and jockey Ronan Whelan won Saturday's Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint in Meydan with A Case Of You, landing €780,000 in prize money for owner Gary Devlin and themselves.
What a star - A Case Of You strikes for more Group 1 glory in the Al Quoz Sprint!
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 26, 2022
Take a bow, @adomcguinness1 ?? @WhelanRonan #DWC22 pic.twitter.com/pLCSgwsco8
The Ado McGuinness-trained four-year-old was already a Group 1 winner, having sparked scenes of wild celebration at ParisLongchamp with victory in last season’s Prix de l’Abbaye.
He went on to finish fifth at the Breeders’ Cup and made a successful reappearance at Dundalk last month before finishing second to Man Of Promise in the Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint three weeks ago.
Man Of Promise was the odds-on favourite to complete a course and distance hat-trick for Charlie Appleby and William Buick, but could never quite get on terms with 11/1 shot A Case Of You, who galloped strongly against the rail to win a shade cosily under Ronan Whelan.
Richard Hannon’s Happy Romance came home to good effect to beat Man Of Promise to the runner-up spot.
McGuinness said: “Ronan, we call him Ronnie, is a world-class rider he’s proved it on this horse’s last two wins.
?? "I'm an overnight success after 20 years!"@adomcguinness1 in fine form with @MCYeeehaaa after landing the Al Quoz Sprint with A Case Of You #DWC22 pic.twitter.com/nRRreTMzRI
— Sky Sports Racing (@SkySportsRacing) March 26, 2022
“I told him we had to get out. We were behind the Godolphin horse, but we knew we had a huge help being on this side. His last furlong is his best, and even though the favourite was beside us we beat him well.
“It was soft ground when he won in Paris and quickish here, but good horses go on any ground.
“He will be okay over a fast five furlongs at Ascot (King’s Stand), but the big ones are the Abbaye and then the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland where the five and a half furlongs with a bit of juice in the ground would be ideal.”
Whelan said: “France was special for a number of different reasons, but we came here as a proven Group 1 horse and were chasing the win, not the prize money lower down.
“I thought I’d committed too soon but he pricked his ears and went again. I found a golden highway.”
Now, we're not sure... but we think connections of A Case Of You enjoyed that G1 win in the Al Quoz Sprint... what do you think? ??????@adomcguinness1 #DubaiWorldCup pic.twitter.com/wdmNBORJjW
— World Horse Racing (@WHR) March 26, 2022
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