Saeed knew this Story would end in World Cup triumph

Joy Chakravarty 10:28 30/03/2014
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  • Destiny: Trainer Saeed Bin Suroor said he always knew African Story had the potential to win the Dubai World Cup.

    Saeed Bin Suroor has had to wait eight years for his sixth Dubai World Cup success – but he had every confidence African Story was the horse to end his drought.

    The celebrated trainer last tasted success in the world’s richest race with Electrocutionist back in 2006.

    Since then he has had to be patient, but last night he revealed that African Story’s triumph in the Godolphin mile two years ago convinced him it was only a matter of time before win No6 arrived.

    He said: “I have had five winners in the Dubai World Cup before this, but this one took a lot of time to come. There was a lot of pressure from a lot of people who kept asking me when will we have a winner again in the Middle East.

    “The reason we did not win in all these years was because we did not have the right horse.

    “But I always knew we would win again with the right horse. This horse, when he won the Godolphin Mile two years ago, I told the boys in the stable that I knew in my heart that this horse would win the World Cup one day.

    “About 10 days before the race, the boss (Sheikh Mohammed) asked if we have a horse to win the World Cup, and I told him that African Story had the class to deliver on the big night. Thank God he did.”

    As for their plans for the race, Bin Suroor said: “Luckily, he got a good draw from No6, which helped him a lot. I told Sylvester that the moment you jump, take a nice position and take him behind the pace. I know the horse has good turn of foot and when I saw him three furlongs out, I knew he’d win.”

    Bin Suroor added that nothing was planned in the future for African Story right now, apart from the fact that he flies back to Europe.

    “He is very special. We will take him back to Europe now and we will keep the options open for him. I think we will bring him back in the second half of the season for Europe,” he added.

    Apart from the World Cup triumph, Godolphin was also crowned leading owner at the Dubai World Cup Carnival for a seventh consecutive year with 23 wins during the festival.

    Bin Suroor also gained a seventh successive trainers’ championship for his 17 victories, while de Sousa took the leading jockey title for a second time with 13 wins.

    A delighted Bin Suroor brandished the golden whip he won and said: “This gold whip, I will give it to my mother as a present.”

    A relieved Silvestre De Sousa, who rode African Story to his first Dubai World Cup win and Godolphin’s only triumph of the night, said it was a “perfect run” in the richest race in the world.

    He said: “He really travelled so well and answered all the questions I asked him. It’s so special to win this race. I am over the moon, and also relieved. It really was the perfect race for me.”

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