By Duane Fonseca -
Aidan O’Brien clinched the Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup sponsored by Al Tayer Motors for the second consecutive year after Tower Of London powered home down the straight to win the only staying race on the Dubai World Cup card.
It was a title defence for jockey Ryan Moore in the 3200m contest, the Ballydoyle pair winning last year’s race with Broome in record-setting fashion.
Having sat off the pace, Trawlerman, trained by John and Thady Gosden for Godophin, seemed to have the race wrapped up turning for home, but after George Doleuze’s Al Nayyir (Christophe Soumillon) emerged along the rail and tired him down, Tower Of London, winner of last month’s Longines Red Sea Turf Handicap at Riyadh, resurrected his hopes from the standside and after stretching fully was two lengths clear of the post.
Al Nayyir finished second with Trawlerman taking third, a further length and a half in arrears under Kieran Shoemark.
Winning trainer Aidan O’Brien said: “You would have to be very impressed with that. He has become a very classy horse. He is very pacey. He quickens so well.
“Ryan said there wasn’t much pace on, but he was happy to wait with him like he did in Saudi last month.
“He settles well, then quickens. And he loves that fast ground on a flat track. I am not sure what the plan will be for him.
“I don’t know if he would get the trip in an Ascot Gold Cup. He might, though. Ryan said he could drop back to a mile and a half, too, so we have options with him.
“Races like the Coronation Cup or the Hardwicke Stakes we could think about. Ryan was very confident beforehand. We felt him and Auguste Rodin were our best chances of the day and it is great to start with a win.”
