Dubai: Raging Torrent, Dettori dominate Godolphin Mile

Doug O’Neill has raced more than any American trainer in Dubai, even, for a couple seasons, sending a string of runners to run at Meydan during the winter. O’Neill knows what it takes to win on the Dubai World Cup card, and after pointing Raging Torrent for months to the Godolphin Mile, O’Neill hit a bullseye on Saturday. Going straight to the lead under Frankie Dettori, Raging Torrent swatted away his pace rival, American expat Mufasa, and never came close to facing a homestretch challenge, winning the Group 2, $1 million Godolphin Mile by 3 1/2 lengths.

The French horse King Gold, who’s campaigned all winter and into the spring in Dubai, rallied from far back to nab second by about four lengths over Japan-based Kazu Petrin. In fourth came another American shipper, Steal Sunshine, who completely blew the start and turned in a strong performance to beat 10 of his rivals. Meshtri and another former American campaigner, Cagliostro, were scratched.

Until Saturday, Raging Torrent had never won beyond seven furlongs, finishing fourth and a distant sixth in two previous tries, but the 4-year-old colt had no trouble seeing out the trip Saturday. As Mufasa’s jockey niggled along on his horse to keep up, Dettori sat still into the Godolphin Mile’s one turn, and when he asked Raging Torrent to open up before coming into the homestretch, the colt responded. Going well clear by the 300-meter mark, Raging Torrent never wavered, nor did anyone ever threaten him from winning for the sixth time in 13 starts. Raging Torrent now has won four of his last five starts, most recently annexing the Grade 1 Malibu, his lone defeat during that span coming in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, at six-furlong race, shorter than Raging Torrent’s best trip.

O’Neill trains Raging Torrent, who was saddled by assistant Leandro Mora, for Great Friends Stable and Mark Davis. Raging Torrent, by Maximus Mischief out of Violent Wave, by Violence, clocked 1:36.69 for 1,600 meters over a fast track and paid a generous $9.90.

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