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Summary of results and race reports from the 2016 Dubai World Cup meeting = Sheema Classic, Dubai Turf; Golden Shaheen; UAE Derby; Godolphin Mile. .

SHEEMA CLASSIC

Newmarket trainer Roger Varian and birthday boy Andrea Atzeni combined to land the $US6 million Dubai Sheema Classic with high class stayer Postponed.

Sicilian-born jockey Atzeni was celebrating his 25th birthday and was always travelling sweetly aboard the late maturing five-year-old.

After swinging wide into the straight he stretched away from Japan’s Duramente to record a thumping two lengths victory in a track-record time for 2400m of 2.26.97.

Fellow Japanese runner Last Impact grabbed third place with the Hong Kong Vase winner Highland Reel tiring to fourth after making the majority of the running.

“To win here is right up there with the best, and it is great for the team back home,” said Varian, celebrating his first Dubai World Cup meeting winner.

“This is one of the biggest nights on the global stage. The prize money is nice but it is winning these big races which excites us all.”

Varian inherited the Newmarket yard of the late Michael Jarvis in 2011 and has struck gold with Postponed, last year’s King George VI winner who only joined his team in September after owner Sheikh Mohammed Bin Obaid moved his 35-strong string from the Luca Cumani stable.

“He is a heck of a good horse. He is versatile and professional and ticks all the right boxes,” Varian added.

“I imagine the King George will again be his summer target with a run or two before.”

Atzeni said: “What a way to celebrate a birthday! It is massive to win here for Roger, all the team at home and for Sheikh Mohammed Bin Obaid.

“It was very straight-forward, he travelled brilliantly and was in a nice position all the way. I knew it would take a good horse to beat him.”

The five-year-old Postponed was purchased as a yearling by Charlie Gordon-Watson and John Warren for 360,000 guineas at the 2012 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale and now has earnings of over 3.5 million pounds with seven wins in 15 starts including five G1 and G2 contests.

Duramente, winner of Japan’s 2000 Guineas and Derby, was unlucky as he had a shoeing problem before the start.

His jockey Mirco Demuro commented: “It was very unfortunate he ripped a shoe off before the race and they could not replace it.

“He wasn’t comfortable on the ground with just three shoes and was changing legs but he still ran really well and was beaten by an excellent horse.”

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DUBAI TURF

Real Steel gave Japan a second success on Dubai World Cup night when he came with a well-timed run to take the $US6 million Dubai Turf.

The son of Japanese super sire Deep Impact had finished second in last season’s Japanese 2000 Guineas and fourth in the Japanese Derby and came closest to bagging a classic success when going down a neck in the Japanese St Leger last October.

Ryan Moore steered Real Steel to a half length victory from the Marco Botti-trained Euro Charline with the Godolphin favourite Tryster coming from last to finish two lengths back in third.

It was a dream result for Ritto-based trainer Yoshito Yahagi, who worried beforehand about being drawn in stall 14.

“I am so happy,” said Yahagi. “I really thought that my horse was the best in the field going into this race.

“Ryan rode him to perfection. Breaking from 14 wasn’t a problem at all.

“I think Ryan Moore is the number one jockey in the world and I trust him completely.

“At this point I’m not sure where we’ll go but Ryan said that any distance between 1600m and 2000m would suit him.”

Moore praised the toughness of the winer.

“He’s a beautiful horse, he’s got lots of quality.

“He never runs a bad race. He’s a very brave horse and had to do it the hard way.”

Earlier on the card Lani had won the UAE Derby for Japan.

GOLDEN SHAHEEN

Sheik Hamdan’s veteran sprinter Muarrab added the $US2 million Golden Shaheen to his splendid record when he overcame a tough three wide run to down the American star X Y Jet.

The seven-year-old Muarrab, a towering winner of the G3 Mahab al Shimaal Stakes at his previous start, settled three wide outside X Y Jet and locked into a head and head battle with the favourite over the final 200m.

He outgamed his much younger rival to win by a neck, leaving behind his reputation as a Jebel Ali specialist where he has proven nearly impossible to beat.

Finishing three and three-quarter lengths further back in third was Morawij with the 2013 Golden Shaheen winner Reynaldothewizard fourth.

Winning jockey Paul Hanagan said: “He’s such a star, this horse. They went hard and it suited him.”

“Those last 200m felt like a long way. Every time I got his head in front, the second horse kept battling back with me.

“But I knew my horse is so genuine and tough that he would give his all for me, which he did.”

Muarrab has now won 13 of his 24 starts with five placings for trainer Musabah al Muhairi.

“I am not surprised,” Muhairi said. “This horse just gets better.”

The seven year old son of Oasis Dream was purchased by Angus Gold at the 2010 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale for 280,000 guineas and is now the winner of 13 races and more than 1.1 million pounds prize money.

Trainer Jorge Navarro also praised his charge X Y Jet, suggesting there may be a rematch in 2017.

“I am very proud - you cannot ask for more than that,” Navarro said. “What he accomplished was big. We’ll come back next year.”

UAE DERBY

Japanese raider Lani could be bound for the Kentucky Derby after he recorded an upset win over hot favourite Polar River in the G2 UAE Derby.

Ridden by veteran Japanese star Yataka Take, Lani held off the filly Polar River by three parts of the winner with another Japanese runer Yu Change fending off Vale Dori for third.

The winner has a career record of 6-3-2-0 for owner Yoko Maeda and trainer Mikio Matsunaga. It was the Maeda family’s first win in Dubai after multiple tries with Transcend and One And Only.

The colt is known for being a handful during training and on the track. Before the race he was saddled in a private area away from the crowds and then went straight onto the track instead the parade ring.

Take said: “He is such a strong horse. He is a very difficult horse but he travelled very well after we recovered from the stumble at the start.

“He has a lot of potential to develop into an even more impressive horse. He gets better every time and I’d like him to go to Kentucky for the Derby.”

Koki Maeda, the son of owner Yoko Maeda, said a trip to the US was on the agenda.

“We would really like to win the Kentucky Derby. Based on how he ran over this surface, I think he’ll be able to run well in Kentucky if we go,” he said.

Polar River’s trainer Doug Watson was proud of her effort.

“She was tight for room at a critical point. Going forward she’s going to be a superb filly as she matures,” he said.

Japanese-trained Lani nearly ended his Derby dreams before they began as the gates went back but recovered to trail the field into the back stretch.

DUBAI GOLD CUP

French four-year-old Vazirabad recorded his sixth win in a row when he collared Big Orange to score by a neck in the G2 Dubai Gold Cup over 3200m.

Christophe Soumillon, riding the Aga Khan-owned Vazirabad 1kg overweight, oozed confidence as he kept Vazirabad in the second half of the field as the 2014 winner Certerach set the pace from Big Orange and Japan’s Neo Black Dia.

Early in the straight Big Orange went to the front but once in line for home Soumillon made ground on the outside and got to the leader 200m out.

Trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre welcomed France’s first winner of the race and his second on the world’s richest program after he won last year’s G1 Sheema Classic with Dolniya.

“His main quality is his big turn of foot and we are not afraid to use it,” said the Melbourne Cup winning trainer.

A late-developer, Vazirabad may have been sold out of Royer-Dupre’s stable but for starting his winning run last year that took him to G1 success in the equivalent of the French St Leger last October.

Royer-Dupre said the Gold Cup at Ascot may be too hard a race for the four-year-old, who could revert to middle-distances in Europe.

GODOLPHIN MILE

Champion UAE trainer Doug Watson dominated the G2 Godolphin Mile with a clean sweep of the placings.

The humble American from Ohio finished first, second and third with his three runners for his first ever win on the Dubai World Cup program.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” said Watson. “I don’t think it will set in for a while.

“The Maktoum family has given me an opportunity to train and I’m grateful for that.

“We’ve got a great group of owners who have given us some nice horses and we are very fortunate.”

The winner One Man Band is owned by Sheikh Saeed Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum and third placed Faulkner by Sheikh Ahmed Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum. The runner up Cool Cowboy is owned by Zaur Sekrekov.

One Man Band currently holds the track record at Meydan for 1600m.

“He has been in great form all season,” said Watson. “When he gets out in front and gets an easy lead he gets a big heart.”

Winning jockey Sam Hitchcott also earned his first victory on Dubai World Cup night.

Hitchcott has a perfect record of four wins from four starts aboard the winner.