NEWS
Frenchman wins $150,000 in Godolphin Seven Stars contest
Posted: Monday, December 17, 2001
Hamid Benzerrouk,a 38-year-old resident of France, won the Godolphin Seven Stars Internet competition and will receive $150,000, a trophy valued at $50,000 and an all-expenses paid trip to Dubai for the $6-million Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) on March 23.Benzerrouk won with a fantasy stable of Godolphin runners that included Cartier European Horse of the Year Fantastic Light, Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1) winner Sakhee, Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner Tempera, Sussex Stakes (Eng-G1) winner Noverre, UAE Two Thousand Guineas winner Street Cry (Ire), Dubai Champion Stakes (Eng-G1) and Hong Kong Cup (HK-G1) runner-up Tobougg (Eng-G1), and Mamool.
Benzerrouk, 38, said he has followed the Godolphin stable of Dubai's ruling Maktoum family since its inception in 1994.
"Following one of the biggest international stables with runners in all top international events is very much my hobby—while others follow football, racing is my passion," Benzerrouk said. "I made my selection of the older horses through my knowledge of form. Choosing the two-year-olds was obviously more of a guessing game and I went with what my heart told me."
His stable earned 599 points to beat runner-up Alan Queripel of England by 26 points. Benzerrouk will stay for seven days in Dubai at the luxurious Burj al Arab Hotel.
"I am very proud and happy to have won the Godolphin Seven Stars competition and am excited about discovering Dubai," Benzerrouk said. "I am already looking forward to Dubai World Cup night and meeting (Godolphin jockey) Frankie Dettori."
Queripel, the head waiter at Trinity College in Cambridge, will also make the trip to Dubai and stay at the Burj al Arab and collects $100,000 for his second-place finish. Other winners were Paul Flanagan of Australia, who was third with 554 points and wins $50,000 plus two tickets to Dubai and a stay at the Burj al Arab; Suzanne Ellett of Briain, fourth prize of $25,000; Clint Zammit of Australia, fifth prize of $20,000, and Tol Sakaki of Japan, sixth prize of $15,000.
Brian Dorn of the United States finished seventh and collects $10,000.
