Dubai Duty Free International Weekend concludes
Wings Of War and Adam Kirby (near-side) fend off a strong challenge from Hierarchy and Oisin Murphy to win the Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes
Dubai Duty Free, the title sponsor, supported five of the eight races on the program at Newbury Racecourse on Saturday, 18 September, with prize money totalling GBP 276,500.
Ten two-year-olds lined up for the six-furlongs race, though Gis A Sub became unsettled in the starting stalls and had to be withdrawn. In a memorable finish, Wings Of War just getting up in the closing stages of the race to beat Hierarchy by a neck.
Wings Of War trainer Clive Cox also won with Harry Angel in 2016, while this was jockey Adam Kirby’s third win at the event.
Rick Astley gave a post-race performance and also presented the trophies for the Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes in absence of the Dubai Duty Free Senior Management Team, unable to attend due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic travel restrictions
Hurricane Ivor took the lion’s share of the GBP 70,000 prize fund on offer for the Group 3 Dubai International Airport World Trophy. This horse was racing for the second time in seven days, which might have been troublesome, but the four-year-old won by three quarters of a length.
“I thought he was quite laid-back last week, but today he was brighter,” said the trainer’s wife, Maureen, adding, “He’s a lovely, straight forward horse.”
Meanwhile, Solid Stone lost the lead at the halfway stage of the mile-and-three-furlongs Dubai Duty Free Legacy Cup, but rallied strongly to beat Foxes Tales by a neck in “a stirring finish” in the distinctive blue and yellow colours of Dubai businessman Saeed Suhail. “He goes through the gears quite gradually. He’s really game and wanted to win,” said jockey William Buick.
Dubai-based property developer Mohamed Obaida also struck lucky when his Injazti won the hugely competitive Dubai Duty Free Handicap.
Dubai Duty Free Executive Vice Chairman & CEO Colm McLoughlin said, “Once again the Dubai Duty Free International Weekend has delivered top quality racing and first-class entertainment for the thousands of racegoers who attended the fixture.
“We are grateful to Julian Thick and his team at Newbury Racecourse for their enthusiastic promotion of our brand in our absence, and we look forward to renewing our friendships in the UK when we return to Newbury for the Dubai Duty Free Spring Trials Weekend next April.”
In addition to supporting two important and well established fixtures at Newbury this year, Dubai Duty Free continued to invest in sports sponsorship throughout 2021, despite the challenges bought about by the coronavirus pandemic, beginning in January with the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, won by British player Paul Casey.
