By Emma Berry
With the team from Japan fully expected to play a major role on Dubai World Cup day at Meydan, it was an Irish-Japanese collaboration that struck early in the card when Masaaki Matsushima and the Coolmore partners' Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) swooped late to claim the G2 Dubai Gold Cup Sponsored By Al Tayer Motors.
The redoubtable 7-year-old is a seasoned world traveller for Aidan O'Brien. His previous five starts had come in Ireland, France, America, Hong Kong, and Qatar, but this was Broome's first appearance at Meydan, where he was tested over the two-mile trip for only the second time. He lacked no resolve when, under a typically shrewdly-judged ride from the maestro Ryan Moore, he steadily reeled in Siskany (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who had taken up the running as his fellow Godolphin campaigner Global Storm (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) relinquished pole position, leaving Quickthorn (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) and Subjectivist (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) in contention as the field turned for home.
Setting a new course record of 3:16.83, Broome crossed the line just a neck in front of the Charlie Appleby-trained favourite Siskany. The 2021 Dubai Gold Cup winner Subjectivist, who was making only his second start for Charlie Johnston following an absence of more than 600 days, held on gamely for third having once again been keen in the earlier stages. Ardakan (GB) (Reliable Man {GB}) ran home well late to take fourth for Marco Botti.
With O'Brien on duty at the Curragh as the turf season got underway in Ireland, Broome's part-owner MV Magnier was at Meydan and said, “Aidan, in fairness to him, was very confident that he would get the trip and Mr. Matsushima thankfully thought it was a good idea to bring him to Dubai. He's been all over the world now and he's a very genuine horse. He's been to every dance and we're lucky to have him.”
Of the Coolmore team's association with Matsushima, he added, “Hanako [Varian] and Patrick Barbe introduced us a few years ago and we've had a few horses together now. It's been very lucky; we're very honoured to have horses with him.”
Having ridden a Group 1 double in Australia last weekend, Moore continued to demonstrate his world-class credentials with an early victory on what he described as “one of the biggest nights of the year, no doubt about it.”
He continued, “It's always a pleasure to come here and it's hard to ride a winner.”
Moore added of his mount, who has now triumphed in seven group races, “He's a Group 1 winner and he has high-class form. The pace was strong and we just had to wait for a bit of room at the top of the straight. He puts his head down and he gave me everything. It's just a pleasure to ride a horse like him.
“He's done a lot of racing and he always runs his race but you're never quite sure until they come up here and do it, but he's such a brave horse and he always gives his best.”
Pedigree Notes
A full-brother to the G2 Futurity S. and Chesham S. winner Point Lonsdale (Ire), Broome was bred by Denis Brosnan's Epona Bloodstock and sold through the breeder's Croom House Stud for 150,000gns at the Tattersalls December Yearling Sale. Now the earner of more than £2 million in prize-money, he has raced in seven different countries.
His dam Sweepstake (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), a listed-winning and Group 3-placed juvenile, has produced four winners to date. Her current 3-year-old Saadiyat (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) was runner-up on her only start last season for Al Shira'aa Farms and holds entries for the French Classics. The 18-year-old mare has a 2-year-old colt by Frankel (GB) and was covered again by Australia last year.
Saturday, Meydan, Dubai
DUBAI GOLD CUP SPONSORED BY AL TAYER MOTORS-G2, $1,000,000, Meydan, 3-25, NH 4yo/up & SH 3yo/up, 16fT, 3:16.83 (NCR), gd.
1–BROOME (IRE), 127, h, 6, by Australia (GB)
1st Dam: Sweepstake (Ire) (SW & GSP-Eng, GSP-US,
$114,162), by Acclamation (GB)
2nd Dam: Dust Flicker (GB), by Suave Dancer
3rd Dam: Galaxie Dust, by Blushing Groom (Fr)
(€120,000 RNA Ylg '17 GOFOR; 150,000gns Ylg '17 TATDEY).
O-Masaaki Matsushima, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor &
Derrick Smith; B-Epona Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien;
J-Ryan Moore. $580,000. Lifetime Record: 2x Hwt. Older
Horse-Ire at 11-14f, MGSW & G1SP-Ire, G1SW-Fr, GSW-Eng,
GISP-US, $2,756,270. *Full to Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia
{GB}), MGSW & G1SP-Ire, $236,144. Werk Nick Rating: A+++.
*Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Siskany (GB), 127, g, 5, Dubawi (Ire)–Halay (GB), by Dansili
(GB). O/B-Godolphin (GB); T-Charlie Appleby. $200,000.
3–Subjectivist (GB), 127, h, 6, Teofilo (Ire)–Reckoning (Ire), by
Danehill Dancer (Ire). (62,000gns Ylg '18 TATOCT). O-Dr J
Walker; B-Mascalls Stud (GB); T-Charlie Johnston. $100,000.
Margins: NK, 4 3/4, 1HF.
Also Ran: Ardakan (GB), El Habeeb (Ire), Quickthorn (GB), Sisfahan (Fr), Enemy (GB), Giavellotto (Ire), Al Nayyir (GB), Al Qareem (Ire), Passion And Glory (Ire), Global Storm (Ire), Trawlerman (Ire), Get Shirty (Ire). Scratched: Sober (Fr). VIDEO.
Brilliant from Broome!
He sweeps aside his rivals in the G2 Dubai Gold Cup sponsored by Al Tayer Motors under a fine ride from Ryan Moore for Aidan O'Brien#DWC23 | #RacingDubai | @Ballydoyle pic.twitter.com/g8hNHKOjR6
— Dubai Racing Club (@RacingDubai) March 25, 2023
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