Sunday, 29 March 2009:
Triple Group One winner
Niconero has fared best of the two Australians in the Dubai Duty Free finishing fourth with Tuesday Joy ninth.
The race was won by Gladiatorus to give trainer Mubarak bin Shafya and local apprentice Ahmed Ajtebi a Group One double with the pair also combining to win the Sheema Classic with Eastern Anthem.
Niconero's jockey Craig Williams was rapt with the way his horse hit the line.
"What a great run," Williams said.
"He closed really well, it was a tremendous effort.
"For about 400 metres he was the ham, cheese and pineapple in the sandwich.
"They just didn't stop, they just didn't give him any room, he was hemmed between four horses where there was probably enough room for about two and a half.
"You'd go to war with him. He was fantastic."
Tuesday Joy's rider Darren Beadman said the mare found the pace too sharp.
"She was run off her legs," he said.
"She's just a bit dour now after her last couple of runs and is looking for more ground.
"In the end, it was a creditable effort."
First prize in the world's richest race, the Dubai World Cup, went to American horse Well Armed who stretched out to a record 14 lengths over runner-up Gloria de Campeao from Brazil.
The victory was so comfortable, jockey Aaron Gryder had time to give the six-year-old several pats down the neck 10 strides before the line.
"This horse really showed everyone in the world how good he is," Gryder said before asking "Who was second?"
It was just the seventh win in 23 starts for Well Armed who is trained by Eoin Harty and owned by Kentucky's WinStar Farms.
But it was huge.
Well Armed broke for the lead from the gate and led at the halfway mark and with 600 metres left he began to pull away with each stride.
"His best performance ever," Gryder said. "He just kept extending himself."
Well Armed finished third to Curlin in 2008.
Earlier Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed expanded his Kentucky Derby options with the upset win of Regal Ransom over Godolphin stablemate Desert Party in the UAE Derby.
Godolphin has had five entries at Churchill Downs since 1999 - most recently Essence of Dubai, who finished ninth in 2002.
The meeting was the last to be held at Nad Al Sheeba racecourse with construction the state-of-the-art Meydan complex underway.
