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Ryusei Sakai aboard Bathrat Leon before the Godolphin Mile.

Dubai World Cup results
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Dubai Sheema Classic &
Dubai Gold Cup results
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Godolphin Mile results

2022 Godolphin Mile & Kahayla Classic Results

Date: 3/26/2022

The $1 million Nakheel Godolphin Mile (G2) featured a full field of 16 older horses go 1600 meters (about 1 mile) around one turn of the main track at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. Al Nefud was sent off as the 4-5 favorite off his second place finish in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 (G2). In to challenge him included 9-2 second choice Storm Damage, winner of the Business Bay Challenge and the Ras Al Khor, and 10-1 third choice Mubakker, second in the Burj Nahaar (G3) last out.


Bathrat Leon leads in the stretch
Jockey Ryusei Sakai sent 60-1 Bathrat Leon to the lead exiting the chute and he set the early pace of 23.34, 46.22, and 1:09.80 while pressed by Storm Damage and stalked by 25-1 Bankit and 18-1 Snapper Sinclair. In the stretch Bathrat Leon continued to lead through 7f in 1:22.33, and held onto his advantage to the line finishing 1 1/4 lengths clear of late-running 22-1 Desert Wisdom. It was another 3 1/4 lengths back to Storm Damage third, while favorite Al Nefud remained near the back of the pack early and was practically eased by Tadhg O'Shea in the lane to finish last beaten 72 lengths.

Results Chart for the race from Emirates Racing Authority which includes a link to the video replay. Results for US wagering: 


2nd RACE Meydan Racecourse - GODOLPHIN MILE (Group 2) 
 4  Bathrat Leon              123.70    53.00   24.60
 5  Desert Wisdom                       21.00    9.50 
15  Storm Damage                                 3.40

Running time - 1:36.03

$1.00 EXACTA  4-5             1,159.20
$1.00 TRIFECTA  4-5-15        7,099.60
$1.00 SUPERFECTA  4-5-15-14  81,517.40


Left: Bathrat Leon heads to the winner's enclosure. Winning trainer Yoshito Yahagi said, "He's a good strong front-runner and we know the bends well, so he got a good start and he pushed and he was able to keep it up to the line. We got our tactics right."

Right: Bathrat Leon heads back to the barn after the race.

Left: The trophy presentation for the Godolphin Mile. Winning jockey Ryusei Sakai said, “The plan was to go forward and just go quick. Everything worked out and the horse kept going. I think he preferred the dirt surface here more than in Japan. Mr Yahagi is one of the best trainers in the world. It’s a great result. This was my dream and dreams come true. He (was expected) to run a good race in the last three days. His concentration is very good. I got the lead easily. He was travelling very well. I still wasn’t very confident because you have American horses in behind who have speed and are very good.”

Right: Bathrat Leon in the walking ring.

Left: Second place finisher Desert Wisdom heads back to the barn after the race. The Ahmed Al Shemaili trainee improved his record to 2 wins, 3 seconds, and 0 thirds in 8 starts, earning $391,512 for owner Hassan Saleh Al Hammadi.

Right: Third place finisher Storm Damage heads out to the track before the race. The Saeed bin Suroor trainee improved his record to 5 wins, 0 seconds, and 1 third in 8 starts, earning $377,601 for owner-breeder Godolphin.


Last place finisher and beaten favorite Al Nefud heads out to the track before the race. Jockey Tadhg O'Shea said, “He has finished lame."


Kicking off World Cup night was the $1 million Ithra Dubai Kahayla Classic (G1), a 2000 meter (about 1 1/4 mile) trip over the main track for Purebred Arabian horses. Jockey Pat Cosgrave set Kerless Del Roc to the lead first time by through fractions of 26.73, 52.73, 1:18.99, and 1:46.52 while stalked by First Classs and AF Alajaj. Turning for home, jockey Ronan Thomas sent First Classs to challenge, gaining a short lead at the 1/8 pole through 9f in 1:59.87. The pair dueled to the line as First Classs outfinished Kerless Del Rock to win by a head in 2:14.24. It was a long 9 1/2 lengths back to Hadi de Carrere third, while 2-1 favorite RB Rich Lyke Me failed to fire and finished 13th beaten 41 3/4 lengths.

Results Chart for the race from Emirates Racing Authority.

Left: First Classs heads to the winner's enclosure. Winning trainer Alban de Mieulle said, "I have been placed before in this race and the Sheema Classic so to get a win on one of the biggest nights in global racing is amazing. He's a different horse and we've spent the last five or six months trying to make him better and he's really come along nicely. This means so much and I am so pleased that Qatar has been able to win a race at the Dubai World Cup meeting."

Right: First Classs heads back to the barn after the race. Winning jockey Ronan Thomas said, "We went very quickly and when we came round the bend I was very confident because last time at Sakhir I won quite easily. He came from America so he's tough on the dirt and he's just improving. I travelled very easily and when I asked him for a turn of foot he gave me everything to the post.  I was very confident of getting there because he won so easily last time out in Saudi Arabia. I beat some good horses and I beat them without using the whip and very easy. Today was another sport though because we were on the dirt and against a tougher field but we won by a neck and it was a great result.”


13th place finisher and beaten favorite RB Rich Lyke Me heads out to the track before the race. Jockey Adrie de Vries said, “After the start he shied away from the horse outside him and I thought we were going to go through the fence. We were knocked out of the race, we ended up so far back. It was very out of character for him.”  

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