Jockey Joe Fanning and trainer Mark Johnston teamed up with Subjectivist to win the Dubai Gold Cup at Meydan on Saturday.

The four-year-old, winner of the Group 1 Prix Royal-Oak on heavy ground when last seen at ParisLongchamp in October, demonstrated his adaptability on this much quicker surface, and put down a marker for all this summer’s top staying races.

Joe Fanning had the 5/1 shot prominent throughout as For The Top initially led the Group 2 field.

Subjectivist took over to go clear in the straight and had a yawning five and three-quarter lengths to spare at the line – as outsiders Walderbe and Away He Goes stayed on best of the well-beaten rest to be second and third respectively.

Bred by sports promoter Barry Hearn at his Mascalls Stud in Britain, Subjectivist is a son of Teofilo, who stands at Kildangan Stud in Co Kildare.

"We’ve had Carnival winners but this is the first success on World Cup night for 22 years," said Johnston, whose last success was Fruits Of Love in the 1999 Dubai Sheema Classic.

"But frankly, we hadn’t been bringing the right horses. We came here today thinking surely he was the one to beat. He was a Group 1 winner on his last outing, he didn’t have to improve – he just had to run up to his best.

"People doubted him on the ground but he’d just never run on anything this fast. When I walked the course I didn’t think I’d seen a turf track in the world in a better condition than this.

"All the ducks were in a row and there was no reason he shouldn’t run up to his best, which he has done."

For Fanning it was a first success on Dubai World Cup night from his first mount. "He’s a good horse and there was a bit of juice in that ground, which suited him," said the jockey. "He settled well and I was always going so easy before the turn in. He stays very well. I rode him out here yesterday and thought the ground was good. I think he’ll go on any surface. He’s a good horse and has loads of ability and I think he’s a better horse this year."