Music Maker! Moonwalk In Paris wins the Gr2 Firebreak Stakes (copyright Andrew Watkins, Dubai Racing Club)
The Oratorio gelding Moonwalk In Paris stormed through a gap on the rail for a convincing two-length win in the $200,000 Firebreak Stakes Presented by Range Rover (UAE-II) at Meydan on Thursday evening.
The win was sweet timing for leading South African stud Avontuur, who are taking delivery of the former Coolmore stallion today from his quarantine station at Kenilworth Racecourse in Cape Town.
Making his first start in Dubai for Godolphin and trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni, the former French-owned and trained runner took charge from front-runner Elderly Paradise to lead at the 300-meter mark and outfinished stablemate Fulbright in a one-two finish for Godolphin.
Barbecue Eddie, winner of the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 (UAE-II) last month, finished third.
Ridden by Ahmed Ajtebi, Moonwalk in Paris covered the 1600 meters in 1:36.39 for his first victory since capturing the Prix Edmund Blanc (Fr-III) last April at Saint Cloud for trainer Jean-Claude Rouget.
The 5-year-old Oratorio gelding was ready to fire after following up his half-length win in the Edmund Blanc with three placings in group stakes.
He began with a runner-up finish in the Prix du Chemin de fur du Nord (Fr-III) in June at Chantilly, followed by a third in the Prix Messidor (Fr-III) in June at Chantilly, and entered the Firebreak off a runner-up effort in the Prix Quincey (Fr-III) in August at Deauville. He easily held back Fulbright, who came in off a dead heat for third in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 behind Barbecue Eddie and Out Of Bounds.
Barbecue Eddie, the 4-to-1 co-second choice with Daddy Long Legs, finished a neck back in third in the 14-horse field while Out of Bounds, the 5-to-2 favorite, had no rally in a 10th-place finish.
Coolmore’s Daddy Long Legs, last year’s United Arab Emirates Derby (UAE-II) winner and a hopeful for the 2013 Dubai World Cup (UAE-I), could not improve on his early position in mid-division and finished 13th.
English-bred Moonwalk in Paris, who is out of the Singspiel mare Shining Glory, has five wins, five seconds, and a third from 12 career starts.
He was bought by Godolphin for 310 000 euros at Arqana in Oct 2012.
Avontuur’s General Manager Pippa Mickleburgh said that she was thrilled and confirmed that Oratorio’s first book was practically full, following his outstanding finishes on the European tables at the end of the 2012 season.
