Dubai: Champion South African handler Mike de Kock extended his dominance of the Group 2 Al Rashidiya, the feature event of Thursday night's Dubai World Cup Carnival meeting, when he saddled stable star Vercingetorix claim a seventh success in the $200,000 contest.
The South African-bred five-year-old, who was making his first appearance on the track since finishing second to the world's top rated horse, Just A Way, in the Group 1 Dubai Turf (former Dubai Duty Free) at Meydan 277 days ago, pulverized his six rivals to post a going-away two-length victory.
The winner was ridden with supreme confidence by top Belgian jockey Christophe Soumillon who was completing a big-race double, having earlier in the evening landed the Group 2 Cape Verdi Stakes aboard the French-trained filly Cladocera.
Soumillion described Vercingetorix as 'one of the best horses in the stable' and said that he went into the race full of confidence.
"He was only beaten by an amazing horse [Just A Way] the last time he ran here, so I was very hopeful coming here today," he told the Dubai Racing Channel.
True Story, the local favourite trained by Emirati Saeed Bin Surour, finished second, but the trainer had every reason to celebrate after Hunter's Light bounced back from a 306-day lay-off to capture the concluding race on the card.
Bin Surour, a seven-time champion trainer at the Carnival, also recorded a meet double with I'm Back winning the opening Emirates Global Aluminium Trophy.
Bin Surour indicated that Hunter's Light would next head to the Jebel Hatta, before more plans are made for the son of Dubawi for the rest of the Carnival.
"He's a very genuine horse and always runs well fresh," said the handler. "It's nice to see that he's still hungry to win races, and that was a tough race as well. He beat some very nice horses so we have got to be happy with him."
Dubai-based American handler Doug Watson also completed a double on the night with One Man Band in the Emirates Global Aluminium Billet Trophy and Muaanid in the Emirates Global Aluminium Casthouse Trophy.
Legendary French trainer Alain De Royer Dupre was delighted to win a second Cape Verdi with Cladocera, a horse that he always believed would be at her best in Dubai.
"She's perfect to race here where the weather is warmer, and she does not like soft track like we have back home at the moment," he said. "We'll run her in the Balanchine and hopefully take her to the big race on Dubai World Cup night, the Dubai Turf."