Last year’s Gr1 Prix Royal-Oak winner Subjectivist (GB) ended a 22-year hiatus on Dubai World Cup night for Britain’s winning-most trainer of all time, Mark Johnston, with a brilliant victory in the US$750 000 Gr2 Dubai Gold Cup Sponsored by Al Tayer Motors at Meydan on Saturday.
Johnston’s longstanding stable jockey Joe Fanning tracked the early leader For The Top before hitting the front around 1200m from home and powering clear to a five-and three-quarter lengths success from German-trained runner Walderbe. Away He Goes was a head further back in third.
The winning time was 3:17:77.
Subjectivist takes the Dubai Gold Cup for Joe Fanning and leading UK trainer Mark Johnston (Pic – DRC & Mathea Kelley
“We’ve had Carnival winners but this is the first success on World Cup night for 22 years,” said Johnston, whose last success was Fruits Of Love in the 1999 Dubai Sheema Classic.
“But frankly, we hadn’t been bringing the right horses. We came here today thinking surely he was the one to beat. He was a Group 1 winner on his last outing, he didn’t have to improve – he just had to run up to his best.
“People doubted him on the ground but he’d just never run on anything this fast. When I walked the course I didn’t think I’d seen a turf track in the world in a better condition than this.
“All the ducks were in a row and there was no reason he shouldn’t run up to his best, which he has done.”
For Fanning it was a first success on Dubai World Cup night from his first mount. “He’s a good horse and there was a bit of juice in that ground, which suited him,” said the jockey.
“He settled well and I was always going so easy before the turn in. He stays very well. I rode him out here yesterday and thought the ground was good. I think he’ll go on any surface. He’s a good horse and has loads of ability and I think he’s a better horse this year.”
