Race Recap – Sand Castle Fee Duty
It was an enthusiastic, yet sober crowd who gathered for the big day in Dubai for the richest day of racing in the world, despite the gloomy conditions, with light raining persisting for much of the evening.
A cracker field had been assembled for the $5,000,000 Sand Castle Fee Duty, headlined by the likes of STREET LEADER, OUTBACK ANDY and top class fillies STASH YOUR GOLD and MAMBO DE CALLE. The wild card of the field was surely a returned to form MISS TIMOSHENKO, who was back to her best after a disappointing end to 2012.
Breaking from the gates, it was MAMBO DE CALLE who began with speed from post 1 and quickly put a space on UNSILENT KILLER who sat just behind her. The roughie of the field, EXBOURNE’S HELIOS, took a forward position, with OUTBACK ANDY and MR. FUJI sitting just off the speed. Back at the rear of the field early on was GRAXIS, who set himself a task from the very beginning with a very slow start. MISS TIMOSHENKO went back to her usual back marker position along with WEEKEND ROMANCE and GOLOHNRO. SILENT LEADER sat just worse than midfield, and was within striking distance.
At the half way mark of the race, UNSILENT KILLER had MAMBO DE CALLE beaten a long way out, and started to make his move well before the turn for home. MR. FUJI and OUTBACK ANDY made their runs together while EXBOURNE’S HELIOS began to feel the pressure of the biggest race of his career.
Meanwhile, at the back of the field there wasn’t too much action, with GOLOHNRO beginning to pick up a few positions and GRAXIS slowly making some ground, but the winner looked like it would come from the leading division. The morning line favourite, STREET LEADER, was left a little flat footed when the heat went on, and was going to need to do a lot of work to be a threat.
The home stretch turned into a battle in two, as UNSILENT KILLER swept to the lead on the turn for home, while MR. FUJI was quickly on the scene to threaten. They stole a break on OUTBACK ANDY who was battling away in third. GOLOHNRO was rocketing home late, while STREET LEADER looked to be only passing the tiring front runners.
MR. FUJI got the upperhand with 100m to go in the stretch and UNSILENT KILLER surrendered the lead, but not without a brave fight, going down by just ½ length. The first two passed the post running SPs of 116 and 115. OUTBACK ANDY held off GOLOHNRO for third who was left with far too great a task after a slow start. A ROYAL STORM and WEEKEND ROMANCE never came into the race, and MISS TIMOSHENKO had a shocker, failing to beat home a single runner.
MR. FUJI successfully made the switch back to turf, after two starts on dirt in which he won a Grade III and was then 2nd in a Grade I. This win is added to his previous Grade I victory in the New Zealand 2000 Dark Beers, which he won by the same margin after sitting just off the leader and then pushing through for a tough win back in November last year. It also boosts his earnings up to just over $4mil, by far the most of any of his sire, Fuji Kiseki’s progeny. Being only a 4yo, and showing such versatility on either surface, the $5mil badge looks like being added next to his name in only a matter of time. Congratulations to MR. FUJI’s trainer, John5539, who certainly has a star on his hands with a big future.