Ushba Tesoro Runs Downs Algiers in Dubai Globe Cup

Ushba Tesoro  took flight in deep stretch in the $12 million Dubai Globe Cup (G1) at Meydan Racecourse March 25, blew by his only remaining rival nearing the finish, and capped a further major international evening for Japan with a two three/four-length victory.

The final-to-very first winning work was visually spectacular.

Locally educated Algiers  appeared to have the race in the bag, holding a major lead soon after surging to the front in the stretch. Then, jockey Yuga Kawada got to function energetically on Ushba Tessoro. The six-year-old, who was dead final on the stretch turn, responded with a devastating turn of foot to pass them all. Algiers held second and Emblem Road , the 2022 Saudi Cup (G1) winner, completed third.

Final year’s winner, Nation Grammer , completed seventh.

“He jumped fairly nicely,” Kawada stated of Ushba Tesoro, even though an interpreter. “I was capable to concentrate on preserving the horse’s rhythm.

Sign up for BloodHorse Every day

“It was his very first time overseas, very first time on a diverse surface (from Japan’s). He traveled fairly nicely. It was just a matter of how a lot he could take into the race.

I was on the horse for the very first time these days but it was a tremendous honor to ride him and there was a lot of stress as the major Japanese jockey heading into the race.” 

Winning trainer Noboru Takagi stated the Globe Cup win was “by far the greatest honor of my profession.”

Takagi gave no indication of plans for Ushba Tesoro. The only remaining grade I dirt race in Japan is the Champions Cup Dec. three at Chukyo Racecourse.

“We will go back to Japan as he’s a bit vulnerable in hot climate and heat,” the trainer stated. “We’ll see how he is more than the summer time and come up with a program for him.”

Ushba Tesoro, by 2013 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe runner-up Orfevre out of the King Kamehameha  mare Millefeui, completed the two,000 meters (about 1 1/four miles) on a quickly track in two:03.25.

He went to the post as a mild lengthy shot on the international markets in spite of posting 4 straight wins at residence in Japan, such as the Tokyo Daishoten (G1) at Oi Racecourse. 

Ushba Tesoro spent most of his early profession on the turf, with mildly respectable final results. He blossomed when, final April, trainer Noboru Takagi switched him to dirt courses, exactly where he now has 5 wins from six begins.

With dirt racing nonetheless an afterthought in Japan, the international scene was a logical spot for the horse, bred by Chioda Farm Shizunani. He carries the green and yellow colors of Ryotokuji Kenji Holdings Co Ltd.

The Japanese victory came at the expense of some worldwide stars, as did that country’s 1-two-three-four finish earlier in the system in the UAE Derby (G2).

Nation Grammer, final year’s Dubai Globe Cup winner and twice second in the $20 million Saudi Cup or trainer Bob Baffert, was caught wide from an outdoors gate and raced mid-field below Frankie Dettori but had no punch in the stretch, finishing seventh, beaten a lot more than 13 lengths. That completed a disappointing evening for Baffert, who also saw Worcester  finish 11th in the UAE Derby and Hopkins  report fourth in the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1).

“He ran so major in Saudi Arabia and I was never ever going these days,” stated Dettori, riding in his final Globe Cup ahead of retirement. “I pushed him but he felt lethargic. When they run so major, often they take longer to recover than you consider.”

For Algiers’ connections, the defeat came as a rude awakening. Bred by Godolphin but racing for Hamdan Sultan Ali Alsabousi, the six-year-old Shamardal  gelding was an simple winner in his two regional prep races throughout the Dubai Globe Cup Carnival season. With James Doyle up, he came from behind the early pace to take the lead but had no response to Ushba Tessoro’s surge.

“He jumped nicely and turning in I believed we had it in the bag,” stated Algiers’ co-trainer Ed Crisford. “But the final furlong he was just treading water a bit. Almost certainly just got outstayed with the tempo of the race.”

Japanese connections sent 27 horses to compete on the Globe Cup system, eight of them entered in the Globe Cup itself. Regardless of hoisting the Cup, their general overall performance in that featured race was not overwhelming.

A chief disappointment was Panthalassa , winner of the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) in his prior start off. In that race, he was away to a clean lead and held it all through, just holding off Nation Grammer at the finish. In Dubai, he drew the outdoors gate, was hustled up to contest the lead and had absolutely nothing left in the stretch run, finishing 10th.

The other Japanese runners: T O Keynes  was fourth, 2022 UAE Derby Winner Crown Pride  was fifth and Geoglyph, Café Pharoah, and Vela Azul had been 11th, 12th, and 13th previous the judge.