Second G1 Winner for Pride of Dubai
Hot off the back of a stakes double last weekend, Pride of Dubai was back in the frame at Rosehill on Saturday when his imported Irish bred son Dubai Honour (5g Pride of Dubai x Mondelice, by Montjeu) thrashed the locals to win the $1million Group I ATC Ranvet Stakes (2000m) by a resounding four and a half lengths.
The William Haggas trained gelding was having his first run this year and was utterly dominant under Ryan Moore blitzing Group I winners Montefilia, Mo’Unga, Hinged and Melbourne Cup winner Gold Trip to win as he pleased.
William Haggas has a great record with his Australian runners and Dubai Honour will be given the opportunity to emulate the success of his previous star raider Addeybb (IRE), who won the Ranvet Stakes / Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 2020 and then returned the following year to win the Queen Elizabeth again.
"William's (Haggas) horses when they come down here they tend to perform very well," Ryan Moore said.
"He was a level above them really, class told.
"He picked them up well, the race was dead with 300m to run. Very good performance and I'm very happy with him.
"He's very straight forward, he won that confidently. The race was over with a furlong and a half (300m) to run. First run since October, but he's in very good shape, he put the race to bed very quickly."
Moore believes Dubai Honour can be a match for Anamoe in the Group I ATC Queen Elizabeth Stakes on April 8.
"Anamoe is an incredible racehorse, he's got a tremendous record," he said.
"From what I see he only really tends to do enough so you wouldn't be sure what's in the tank. That will be a different level opposition.
"I suppose strictly on form Dubai Honour, it would appear that he will give him a good race."
Purchased for 110,000 guineas at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale by Rabbah Bloodstock, Dubai Honour is a multiple Group II winner in France and been placed at Group I level in the UK and has the overall record of five wins and four seconds from 16 starts.
Dubai Honour is the first winner for Mondelice, an unraced half-sister to Frankel’s globetrotting Group III winner Last Kingdom (USA), who stands at Kooringal stud in Australia.
Dubai Honour is one of 18 stakes-winners worldwide for Pride of Dubai, who is enjoying a purple patch at present with stakes-winners Sirileo Miss, She’s Fit and quality two year-old Maharba all successful in recent weeks, while Pride of Jenni missed narrowly in the Group I ATC Coolmore Classic.
A dual Group I winning son of Street Cry, Pride of Dubai has sired seven Australasian stakes-winners this season headed by his Group I winners Bella Nipotina and now Dubai Honour.