Argentine-bred three-year-old filly Vale Dori will be pointed at the Gr2 UAE Derby over 1900m on dirt on Dubai World Cup night, 26 March, following her second to star filly Polar River in Thursday night’s UAE Oaks.
Mike De Kock – Derby success
Mike de Kock has won the UAE Derby several times, including with Vale Dori’s sire Asiatic Boy, and he commented: “As noted Vale Dori is a filly with plenty of ability and we were expecting a good run from her. She was unlucky, she wasn’t sound earlier this season but she is now and we’ll be going for the Derby.”
Polar River, trained by Doug Watson, has also set her sights on the UAE Derby, a race last won by a filly in 2011 when Godolphin’s Khawlah beat Master Of Hounds, Mahbooba and Zanzamar.
Polar River was eased down over the last 150m, allowing Vale Dori to get within 0.75-lengts of her at the line and jockey Pat Dobbs said: “She won her race in just a few strides. She idled somewhat in the final stages but has won comfortably enough. She travelled throughout the race better tonight and is still learning.
“We have to look forward to the UAE Derby which will be a stronger race and that should suit her. We did not learn much tonight but she is a lovely filly to have in the yard.”
Mike added: “Vale Dore will come on from this run, Christophe Soumillon feels she will be an ideal Derby runner. We’ll have to meet Polar River again, but it will be wonderful to do it with a daughter of Asiatic Boy who won the race for us in 2007. And of course we had a filly, Raihana, finish second in 2011. Vale Dori is good enough, she impressed us here.”
The old warrior Star Empire put in another solid performance in the Gr3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy over 2810m, taking third spot, while Tellina ran on well, just beaten out of the frame.
Both are contenders for the Dubai Gold Cup on World Cup night and Mike said: “I was very impressed with Tellina, the way he stayed on shows he is likely to see out two miles in the Cup. He didn’t have a trouble-free passage, Ryan Moore feels they could have run a place with more luck, he was complimentary about Tellina and we are chuffed about that.”
