Take Cover made every yard of the running to win the Dubai International Airport World Trophy Stakes and was later hailed “an absolute legend” by his trainer, David Griffiths.
Caspian Prince, another notable front-runner, could never get on terms having slightly missed the break and finished 10th. David Allan, re-routed from Ayr, was able to keep enough up his sleeve on the 8-1 winner to fend off all-comers, with Cotai Glory giving chase throughout before going down by three-quarters of a length. Muthmir, carrying a penalty, suffered traffic problems but stayed on and wound up third.
“I don’t know what to say, everything went right and he stuck on,” Griffiths said: “He’s an absolute legend. He’s won four listed races, two Group Twos, a Group Three now and been placed in a Group One, he’s just unbelievable. He’s got two speeds, slow and flat out. He’s not a complicated horse, but he’s strong. David gets on so well with him so it was lucky for us Ayr was off.”
Allan said: “Thanks to Dave and the owners for letting me switch on to him. Not many were happy Ayr was off, but I was. If the stalls didn’t open I’d have taken them with me as I timed taking the blinds off just right, as soon as they are off he jumps. Normally horses his age are on a downward spiral, but he keeps coming back.”
At Newmarket, Who Dares Wins got the better of his Alan King-trained stablemate Coeur De Lion to win the Betfred Cesarewitch Trial.
As is so often the case in these marathon handicaps, jump trainers were to the fore with dual-purpose performer Shrewd back in third.
Coeur De Lion was sent off as the 9-2 favourite, but the smart juvenile hurdler struggled briefly three furlongs from home under Hollie Doyle.
While he responded to pressure, Who Dares Wins (7-1) and Tom Marquand made rapid headway up the far rail.
The two stablemates came close together inside the final furlong but Who Dares Wins, who had finished fourth in the Chester Cup and third in the Ascot Stakes, finally landed a big pot by a length and three-quarters.
Shrewd filled the same position as 12 months ago, with the veteran Oriental Fox staying on to finish fourth.
