Going Remote (12/1) came out best in a ding-dong finish to the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Classic, providing Kazakhstan’s Bauyrzhan Murzabayev with a first victory at the meeting.
The Jessica Harrington-trained top-weight, whose only previous success came in this summer’s Ulster Derby, appreciated the return to some better ground after disappointing on soft at Galway last time.
Runner-up Champagne Prince (9/1) helped Rachel Venniker secure more points for Rest of the World, while Houstonn (9/1) was third for the Ladies under Marie Velon.
Murzabayev said: “I had instructions on the horse. I see the same before, the horse is always lazy. Today, good jump, all the time second position, and of course he was fighting for the win. The horse [Houstonn] on the inside fought me all the time and the outside horse [Champagne Prince] came late but luckily I held on. He is a lovely horse, did everything well, and today is nice.
“Winning at Ascot is very special for me. Royal Ascot is a very special meeting. l like English racing and I follow it. It is one of my favourites. I have not ridden here much and for me it is very sweet.”
Kevin Blessing, co-owner of the winner, said: “Going Remote was tough. We used different tactics today. He has come from behind in the past, but he was up there with the pace today and really toughed it out. He was great.
“It was Kate’s [Harrington] idea to come to the Shergar Cup, she had marked it out a while ago. He ran in Galway last week on soft ground and was slightly disappointing, but he ran very well at Navan. It was a great call from Kate. He’d been running very well on faster surfaces – Navan was good, good to firm I think, and Down Royal in the Ulster Derby was over a mile five on good ground. We kind of drew a line through Galway on soft ground last week.”
Champagne Prince’s rider Rachel Venniker said: “The horse was trying the distance for the first time and definitely saw it out. He needed probably another five yards and I would have caught them, but a cracking run from a young horse. He will be on the up. He tried his heart out, and I’m over the moon.”
Marie Velon said of Houstonn: “My horse was very brave. It was a big fight for the finish.”