Mohammad hails Dettori and Barzalona

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the mastermind of Dubai’s Godolphin racing operation, lavished praise on his stable jockeys after they fought out a thrilling one-two finish in the Gold Cup (G1) at Royal Ascot on Thursday. Frankie Dettori, the most successful jockey at the historic racecourse, delivered a masterclass aboard Colour Vision to win the gruelling 4,000-metre contest by half a length from stable-companion Opinion Poll, the mount of young French rider Mickael Barzalona. Speaking to BBC television in the winner’s enclosure, a beaming Shaikh Mohammad said: “They are two good jockeys. Frankie is great and Mickael is coming up this year.“Watching races like this makes your blood boil. They are two very good horses that finished first and second, and that’s a good thing.“You have to wait a year to prepare your horse to come here, and even the second horse ran a great race.” Dettori, who won a fifth Gold Cup, his first in eight years, was as pleased as punch. He said: “It was great, we have a great team, and first and second is a great result. “I had to make a very hard decision [to ride Colour Vision over Opinion Poll]. They are both great horses and warriors and I finished up the best, but only by a short margin. “It’s been a very hard week and I’m glad this one came up. It’s always enjoyable winning [at Ascot]. “Me and Mickael are good friends but when you are out there, you are by yourself and you want to win for yourself. It doesn’t matter who is in the finish, you always try to win.”Winning trainer Saeed Bin Surour was struggling to contain his emotions after breaking a big-race losing streak. “After Frankie rode the horse last time, he knew it would be hard to choose between the two, but when he picked our horse, he thought he’d picked the best one,” the Emirati handler said. “He’s a horse that’s improving all the time. “I’ve won the Gold Cup before but it’s very special to win it again. “We know now that he can run in all the best staying races, and it’s great to see Frankie winning it again.”from gulfnews.com