The stands might not have been filled as usual at Meydan on Saturday, but that didn’t stop Frankie Dettori from making his traditional flying dismount after the John Gosden-trained Lord North (IRE) lifted the $4m Gr1 Dubai Turf Sponsored by DP World in great style.
As expected, First Contact had gone to the lead in this 1800m race, while Dettori had positioned his son of Dubawi one off the rail towards the back of the field.
Frankie Dettori dismounts from Lord North after the Dubai Turf win (Credit – DRC & Mathea Kelly)
Coming out of the final bend, he kicked on and Lord North responded immediately, absolutely flying home all the way to the line to beat Japanese raider Vin De Garde, who produced a very good performance himself, by three lengths, while the Marco Botti-trained Felix finished an excellent third.
It was an impressive reappearance by the 2020 Prince of Wales’s Stakes winner at Royal Ascot and Thady Gosden, who has just entered a training partnership with his father John, said: “We were always hoping he would run well as he was in brilliant form out here. But he definitely put that race to bed very well from pretty far back. We will take him home now and then maybe give him a break and target the race he won last year at Ascot.”
Dettori, who was recording his second victory in the race that he won last in 1997 with Tamayaz, was equally impressed with the performance of the 5-year-old, who won the race in 01:46:46.
He said: “It was a nice pace. I had plenty of horse and I know he stays really well. So I kicked early and he flew. I didn’t do much else after that, he did the rest.”
Owned by HH Sheikh Zayed bin Mohammed Racing, the 5-year-old made his debut in handicaps before graduating all the way up to Group 1 level and his jockey added: “He was a handful in the early days, so he got gelded and he is much more focussed now. He is a horse for all the good races this year. I’m sure the Gosdens will have a plan.”
