Brilliant Buffering Takes Al Quoz Sprint
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Photo: Dubai Racing Club/Mathea Kelley
Buffering (outside #9) comes home strong to win the Al Quoz Sprint.
Australian sprint star Buffering thundered to victory in the $1 million Al Quoz Sprint (UAE-I) Sponsored By Meydan Hotels & Hospitality March 26 at Meydan.
The 8-year-old son of Mossman, 11-1 in U.S. pools, dug in to edge Sheikh Hamdan's Ertijaal (IRE) by three-quarters of a length as the field pressed in and finished the straight 1,000 meters (about five furlongs) on good turf in :56.34. Peniaphobia, the early leader, was a neck back in third in the field of 13.
U.S.-based multiple stakes winner Lady Shipman, the 2-1 favorite, finished seventh after a poor start in seeking her first graded win.
Ridden by Damian Browne for trainer Robert Heathcote, Buffering raced just off Peniaphohia and Ertijaal before the latter took over 300 meters out, but Buffering knuckled down to get the victory. He tallied a 13th stakes win and seventh at the highest level while taking his overall record to 20-9-8 from 52 starts.
"He was in terrific form before the race," Browne said."He broke really well, to be honest beforehand I was more worried about the first 200 meters, thinking some of the others might have been a bit too quick for him. Once he was able to travel I was pretty confident we were going to win."
Irad Ortiz Jr. said Lady Shipman looked to the side when the gate sprang open and broke slowly.
"She put me in a good position on her own," he said of the Midshipman filly. "She just didn't go on. That is not her race. She would have done well with a better break."
The winning Anabaa mare Action Annie is the dam of Buffering, who was bred in Australia by Racetree and is campaigned by a large ownership group.
Two races earlier on the card, the Aga Khan's Vazirabad flew past rivals in the stretch and caught front-runner Big Orange to win the $1 million Dubai Gold Cup (UAE-II) Sponsored By Al Tayer Motors
A 4-year-old homebred son of Manduro ridden by Christophe Soumillon, Vazirabad lost several steps after a poor start. Relaxed at the back of he field, he was full of run when asked and collared Big Orange 100 meters out to win by a neck for a sixth consecutive triumph.
The 3-5 favorite in U.S. pools, Vazirabad covered 3,200 meters (about two miles) on good turf in 3:19.56 while making his first start in since taking the Prix Royal Oak (Fr-I, French St. Leger) Oct. 25 at Longchamp.
"He was behind, but his main quality is his big turn of foot, and we are not afraid to use it," Royer-Dupre said. "He was a little tired at the end of the race; perhaps he came too early!"
Aga Khan's racing manager Georges Rimaud echoed Royer-Dupre's comments about the winner's turn of foot, saying: "I was a little anxious when he was behind most of the field, but he handled the turn very well and once he started to improve I knew his very good acceleration would come into play. The second horse has great stamina, so it was an excellent effort from our horse."
Certerach set the early tempo to the head of the stretch as Big Orange stalked from second. Big Orange soon took charge but could not withstand the rally of Vazirabad. Haafaguinea was third.
Bred in France from the Linamix mare Visorama, Vazirabad has six wins and a second from eight career starts for Alain de Royer-Dupre.