DUBAI STEWARDS NEED TO CRACK DOWN ON DANGEROUS RIDING

There were so many incidents in running at last week's Dubai World Cup meeting that the Stewards' Report would fill this entire page. In the five most valuable races alone 41 of the 70 runners encountered or caused one or more traffic problems according to the Stewards.

In four of the six big races run around a turn the winner was simply the horse lucky enough to find itself in front entering the straight. It then won a flat out sprint finish which gave its pursuers little chance to gain significant ground while they got in each other's way.

None of the winners clocked a time fast enough to merit a proper Group 1 speed rating, not even when I adjust for the sprint finishes. So I have to believe that they all scored simply because they were among the minority to enjoy a trouble free passage and that there were one or more horses behind them that would have beaten them with a clear run.

It seems pretty clear to me that when you offer such enormous prize money it has to be accompanied by the threat of severe sanctions to jockeys who attempt to barge their way into the winner's enclosure. As it is I'd bet every jockey riding was aware of the incredibly liberal interpretation of the rules on interference which seem to be in place in Dubai, such that no pattern race winner has ever been disqualified for interference at Nad Al Sheba or Meydan as far as I can trace.

I've noted before the 42% increase in traffic incidents that coincided with the near 75% reduction in disqualifications in Britain in recent years due to the new policy of penalising jockeys rather than winners. By following the British example the Dubai Stewards turned the World Cup meeting into something more akin to a demolition Derby than the World's most important race meeting.

Perhaps it would be good to make the surface slower. This would expand the lengths between the runners and reduce interference. It would also be a smart idea to put in a false rail entering the straight to force the runners to fan out as they do in South Africa. Lowering the field sizes is another obvious idea. But the main thing surely is to get tougher on the jockeys. Right now they're clearly thinking more about earning a year's income by winning a single race than they are about the insignificant penalties they might possibly incur though hampering a rival.

In the circumstances I think it's best to focus on the horses that might have won with a clear run rather than the winners. The winners were mainly slow and unlikely to repeat their performances in more fairly run races. Many of the losers were unlucky and likely to improve past the winners.

One such horse was ENAK (34) who finished fourth in the UAE Derby. Early on Enak had plenty of racing room. But rounding the final turn things started to get horribly crowded down on the inside where he was racing. He was clearly not keen on racing so close to the other runners and his jockey had to ride him along to discourage him from backing off the traffic jam in front.

It was only inside the final furlong that the worst traffic incident in the race fortuitously opened up a gap for Enak to take. Two of the placed horses swerved across Izaaj, causing that one to be snatched up which left a gap for Enak. He surged forward but given the short distance remaining and the fact the first three were sprinting it's not surprising he couldn't gain much ground.

I've noted before that Enak clocked an extraordinarily fast time when winning Argentina's top two year old race over a mile - just a second off the brilliant Candy Ride's course and world record. He's clearly built for middle distances and may well be able to win another Group 1 or two for Godolphin in Europe this year.

Another obviously unlucky loser was ROCKET MAN (39) in the Dubai Golden Shaheen. He was level with the Japanese speedball Laurel Guerreiro. But his jockey seemed keen to back off a speed duel with that one and took a couple of looks over his shoulder before letting his mount drop in behind the leader. Unfortunately once he'd dropped back two horses came together in front of him, creating a pocket that he had to manouver out of in the straight. He rallied strongly once clear and was gaining all the way to the line to lose narrowly for only the second time in his ten race career. I've little doubt that Rocket Man will show he's better than this later on.

BUENA VISTA (40) was desperately unlucky to lose the Dubai Sheema Classic. She had to swing wide as the field fanned right out entering the straight then needed to weave in and out like a rugby fly half to find a way through in the closing stages. Her late rush fell short by under a length and she was clearly the best horse in the race.

It's a shame that Buena Vista had such a rough time as she's one of the best Japanese horses to run outside Japan in quite some time. There are few races that offer enough prize money to attract the top Japanese runners away from the rich pickings in their homeland and what happened to Buena Vista here is hardly likely to encourage them to make more sorties abroad.

If Buena Vista does ever run outside Japan again in something like the Arc or the King George I'll be very interested in her chances.

The result I'd take with the biggest pinch of salt is the Dubai World Cup itself. The runners went slow in this race which caused the field to be incredibly packed and crowded rounding the home turn. Everything was basically locked in position when the front running Gloria De Campeo began the flat out sprint for home. A few horses managed to find a run late but none of the more fancied runners did. The one that caught my eye most was GITANO HERNANDO (37) who was surging full of run in the last 75 yards. I'm going to be very interested in his chances of taking big ten furlong races on turf if he stays in Europe.