By Emma Berry
An American quinella and a first winner in Dubai at the first time of asking for Irish ex-pat trainer Brendan Walsh was the story of the G2 UAE Derby, a prestigious race in its own right and one which carries with it the extra lure of 100 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby. And Churchill Downs is where the winner Plus Que Parfait (Point Of Entry) is now almost certainly heading after scoring a three-quarter-length victory over Gray Magician (Graydar) at Meydan.
“That's the horse that we thought he was. I'm not totally surprised,” said Walsh of Imperial Racing LLC's representative. “He's been so well since he's been over here. I had it in the back of my mind not to get too pumped up over it as we know what this game is like but it's a thrill to come back here and to win a race like that. We've had a tough year–a few personal things have been a little tough–so I'm a little bit emotional today, I'm afraid.”
Asked if Kentucky is now the destination for Plus Que Parfait, who will return to America in a week's time, he replied, “I guess it's going to be hard not to go now. All along we knew he was a very good horse. I can't really pinpoint why things went wrong in Louisiana but he's been showing in his work that he was a very good horse unless he proved otherwise, and I think he has proved that he is. I saw him the other day and I didn't think he could look a whole lot better than he did. He's just done great. My team has done a fantastic job- it's down to them.”
Walsh, who knows Dubai, well having worked as a track rider for Godolphin for 10 years before a stint in Newmarket, added, “I was at the second World Cup and to come back and to win like this is unbelievable.”
Jockey Jose Ortiz was likely experiencing a similar feeling of disbelief. Riding at the Dubai World Cup for the first time he took out the first race of the Thoroughbred card, the G2 Godolphin Mile, on Coal Front (Stay Thirsty) before bagging the double in the Derby. He said, “He was running well and around the turn I was trying to find spaces. I was happy that I saved ground in the race and when I was able to find a way through, he responded really well, so I am happy, and very happy for Brendan. He works so hard and he gave me so many shots and we haven't been lucky, but now I was able to deliver for him. I have been blessed to have two winners.”
A winner at third asking over a fast Keeneland strip last October, Plus Que Parfait was a neck second in the slop in Churchill's GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. on Nov. 24. After stumbling at the start of the GIII LeComte at Fair Grounds in January, the chestnut ridgling endured a bumpy trip and eventually came home fifth before a non-factor 13th in the GII Risen Star S. there on Feb. 16.
Pedigree Notes
Plus Que Parfait's dam Belvedera (Awesome Again) was unplaced in her only foray on the racecourse and is a daughter of the GIII Astoria Breeders' Cup S. winner Forever Land and a half-sister to Canadian Oaks winner Touch Dial (Phone Trick). A $135,000 Keeneland September yearling, he was bred by Calloway Stables LLC and is to date his 9-year-old dam's sole winner.
Saturday, Meydan, Dubai
UAE DERBY SPONSORED BY SAEED & MOHAMMED AL NABOODAH GROUP-G2, $2,500,000, Meydan, 3-30, 3yo, 1900m, 1:58.41, ft.
1–PLUS QUE PARFAIT, 126, r, 3, by Point of Entry
1st Dam: Belvedera, by Awesome Again
2nd Dam: Forever Land, by Badger Land
3rd Dam: Lullaby Song, by T. V. Lark
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. ($24,000 RNA Wlg '16
KEENOV; $135,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP). O-Imperial Racing, LLC;
B-Calloway Stables, LLC (KY); T-Brendan Walsh; J-Jose Ortiz.
$1,500,000. Lifetime Record: GSP-US, 7-2-1-2, $1,590,400.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
Rating: B.
2–Gray Magician, 126, c, 3, Graydar–Burg Berg, by
Johannesburg. ($18,000 RNA Ylg '17 FTKJUL). O-Wachtel
Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners & Gary Barber; B-Twin
Creeks Farm (KY); T-Peter Miller. $500,000.
3–Manguzi (Fr), 126, c, 3, Planteur (Ire)–My Girl Charlie (Ire), by
Kodiac (GB). (€45,000 Ylg '17 ARAAUG; €60,000 2yo '18
ARQMAY). O-Ahmad Al Shaikh; B-Ecurie Haras De Beauvoir
(FR); T-Ali Rashid Al Rayhi. $250,000.
Margins: 3/4, NK, 5 1/4.
Also Ran: Derma Louvre (Jpn), Swift Rose (Ire), Stubbins, Walking Thunder, Superior, Van Beethoven, Razeena, Jahbath (GB), Al Hayette, Divine Image, Golden Jaguar.
Click for the Emirates Racing chart, the AM Wager PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Emirates Racing Video.
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