The jaw-dropping highlight of the Dubai World Cup meeting was reserved for the US$12 million feature, when the lightly raced Laurel River (USA) gave last year’s winner Ushba Tesoro (JPN) and Saudi Cup hero Senor Buscador an eight-and-a-half-length thrashing.
Given a positive ride by Tadhg O'Shea the Juddmonte homebred son of Into Mischief was a dozen lengths in front on the home bend and barely conceded an inch down the long straight.
The winner of one of two starts at three for Bob Baffert, Laurel River won his two starts at four, including the Grade II seven-furlong Pat O'Brien Stakes at Del Mar.
After missing the entire year in 2023, Laurel River was next seen in the barn of Bhupat Seemar in Dubai.
Following a 517-day break, the 6-year-old entire made an inauspicious debut when beating just two home in a 1200m Group III at Meydan in January, but that changed in March when he was stepped up to a mile in the Burj Nahaar and romped to a six and three-quarter lengths victory.
“I’m still coming to terms with what’s happened,” Bhupat Seemar said.
“I think it’ll probably sink in in another day or two. It’s absolutely amazing. Tadhg said this morning ‘we’re drawn 12, I’m not going to be two-minded about it, I’m going to go forward.
“He’s got so much natural pace. He comes out of the gate and this is why we ran him over six furlongs.
“Tadhg was able to get some easy fractions, and then I saw Defunded coming on his outside, but he just kept on going further. I expected to see all the closers flying at him but he kept going.
“I was a small kid when I watched these colours win some of the biggest races in the world. What the late Prince Khalid Abdullah has done for racing is amazing. I couldn’t believe I was going to be training the horse for that farm and in those colours. And now, to win one of the world’s great races for them is unbelievable.”
Tadhg O'Shea said he was overjoyed just to get a ride in the race.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to have had Dubai World Cup night winners, but you don’t get many opportunities and I’m going to be forever grateful to Juddmonte for keeping me on the horse, they could use anyone and they’re a worldwide operation that’s really successful,” he said.
“When he had his first run for the stable we thought he’d disappointed, but we never lost faith. He was explosive last time and I said the other morning to Bhupat, I pulled him aside and said I’d never ridden a horse with his ability ever. And he’d just done an easy work on his own.
"With the dirt you can’t be half-hearted, you have to go forward. If he didn’t stay, he didn’t stay. We were aware of that. The main thing that won the race, it’s easy to say when you win, but I was able to keep filling him up and filling him up.”
By the 5-time champion American stallion Into Mischief, Laurel River is the best of three winners from as many to race for the Empire Maker mare Calm Water, a sister to Emollient, a three-quarter to stakes-winner Coutier (Pioneer Of The Nile), and half to stakes-winner Hofburg (Tapit).
This is the revered family of the blue hen Coup De Folie, a daughter of Northern Dancer’s half-sister Raise The Standard.
