NEWS
Soneva takes Cape Verdi at Meydan
Posted: Friday, February 05, 2010 5:51 PM
SONEVA
Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club
To view the Cape Verdi, click here.
Multiple French Group 3 winner Soneva held off a late charge from Aspectoflove to score a neck victory in the $200,000 Cape Verdi (UAE-G3) on Friday at Meydan Racecourse.
Ridden precisely by Christophe Soumillon, the four-year-old Cherokee Run filly covered 1,600 meters (7.95 furlongs) in 1:38.40 on turf rated as firm.
The victory was the first Dubai International Racing Carnival triumph for trainer Marco Botti and the second Cape Verdi score for Soumillon, who won the 2007 running aboard Sanaya.
“She is a nice filly, who I obviously know from France,” the jockey said. “She had some very good form to her name and was fifth in the French One Thousand Guineas [Fr-G1]. Hopefully, she can build on this.”
Synergy finished third, 1¼ lengths behind Irish stakes winner Aspectoflove.
In the other turf race on Friday, Shadwell Farm homebred Group 3 winner Snaafy returned from an 11-month layoff to score a 1¼-length victory in a 1,600-meter (7.95-furlong) event under Richard Hills for trainer Musabah Al Muhairi.
It was the first start for the six-year-old Kingmambo horse since he finished seventh in the 2009 Emirates Airline Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1).
Hills said the horse, who won last year’s Intidab Burj Nahaar (UAE-G3) at Nad al Sheba Racecourse, may show up on this year’s Dubai World Cup card with a different target in mind.
"He is a much improved horse and that gives us plenty of options,” he said. “The 1,800 meters of the Dubai Duty Free [UAE-G1] would really suit him."
