€400,000 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (Gr1): Dubai Honour first home with early flight
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Sunday, 30 June 2024, Saint-Cloud Racecourse (Hauts-de-Seine). – Another British victory in the €400,000 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (Gr1), a race for 4-year-olds and above run over 1m1/2, which has been won by British or Irish stables five times in the last six years. This year’s race was highly competitive, with Iresine (Manduro) as a shy favourite after a delayed but victorious return in Lyon. Starting from stall 7 and coming from the back of the field, he had to settle for 4th place with a strong finish.
The star of the day was the 6-year-old gelding Dubai Honour (Pride of Dubai), who took advantage of an ideal run behind the two leaders, the British Outbox (Frankel) and the Irish Point Lonsdale (Australia), to take the lead at the entrance of the home straight. He held on to win by nearly two lengths from Feed the Flame (Kingman), who stayed on to the end and kept himself out of reach of a very brave Point Lonsdale, 3rd at a neck.
The final time of 2’30’’3 is the slowest since 2014, and apart from the outsider Outbox, the first three were in the lead approaching the final straight.
Dubai Honour is nonetheless an exceptional winner. This was his first Gr1 success in Europe, but he has won twice at this level in Australia after winning twice at Group 2 level in France with the Prix Guillaume d’Ornano and the Prix Dollar in 2021. He also finished 2nd in the Champion Stakes (Gr1) in England and 3rd in the QE2 Cup (Gr1) in Hong Kong.
This was his 24th outing and his 8th victory, bringing his earnings to nearly €4 million.
This William Haggas trainee belongs to Mohamed Obaida. He was purchased by Rabbah Bloodstock for £110,000 at the Tattersalls yearling sales. He is the first foal out of the unraced Mondelice (Montjeu). This family hails from the Aga Khan breeding line, with the third dam being the notable Damson (Entrepreneur), Ireland’s champion 2-year-old filly in 2004.