Surfer Sails home in the Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge Under Richard Mullen

Bigg N Rich in the lead
(file photo)

8 January 2015, Dubai ~ Meydan Racecourse staged the opening fixture of the 2015 Dubai World Cup Carnival on Thursday evening 8 January, where Surfer, trained by Satish Seemar won the Group 2 Thoroughbred race, and Bigg N Rich trained by Eric Lemartinel took over the Group 1 Arabian race.

Victorious in the Listed Dubai Mile Creek over the same course and distance 21 days earlier, Surfer, under stable jockey Richard Mullen, has also been placed in the second and third rounds of the Al Maktoum Challenge in the past.

Mullen was positive, sending his mount for home about 700m out but the pair had to work hard to deny Frankyfourfingers who looked a big danger at 300m.

“This horse just loves the dirt,” said Mullen. “He always worked well on it at home and has shown a real liking for it here at Meydan. He ran some great races here on the old all-weather surface but this is really his game.”

Group 1 Purebred Arabian race

The Group 1 Purebred Arabian equivalent, the opening race on the card, saw Majed Al Jahouri’s amazing nine-race winning streak in local Group One Purebred Arabian contests come to an end.

He won all eight last season, and the first one of this campaign but his Rizaq was only second behind Bigg N Rich (FALINA DES FABRIES (FR) x Viraac (US) by Virgule Al Maury) trained by Eric Lemartinel under jockey Wayne Smith.

The pair hit the front and were still traveling well halfway up the straight when they quickened away from old rival and previous leader, AF Lafeh.

“Everything went right for him this evening whereas I could not get a clear run last time when AF Lafeh beat us. I was always going best and then he quickened when I asked him.”

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