DUBAI – It’s a funny old game, this. writes MIKE DE KOCK. Emerald Beauty was my confident choice to win the US$150 000 Balanchine over 1777m on turf on Friday night, 25 February, but her stable companion Moon Dazzle flashed up late to record a superb victory. Emerald Beauty finished fourth.

 Becrux, who ran a shocker on his sand debut over 1600m, beaten many lengths, led from the jump and raced away from the opposition for a 6,75 length victory in the Almutawakel over 1700m on sand on the same night. 

Moon Dazzle (pink cap), ran on late to win.

Becrux and Moon Dazzle rounded off a memorable weekend of winners at the 2005 Dubai Racing Carnival, after Wolf Whistle had captured the Al Rashidiya over 1777m on Thursday night.

Three winners in a row it was, and I’m hoping the stable can continue the momentum as we move into the business end of this year’s Carnival.

Former Italian champion two-year-old, Becrux, has always showed us that he was well above average in home gallops and it was a real relief for us to see him reproduce that on track for owners Team Valor, Scuderia Siba and Gary Barber. 

He’s going to go for the UAE Derby now, and with this confidence-builder behind him we can look forward to bigger things.

Team Valor’s Barry Irwin has been a staunch supporter of my yard over the last few years, and it is great that he won’t have to leave without a winner this season.

Another stalwart of the stable is Bernard Kantor, who bred Moon Dazzle himself by Kingmambo out of June Moon. This was a magnificent achievement for a man who puts his money where his mouth is, and while we’ll be milling over her future in the wake of her surprising victory, it was oh so sweet, all the same.

Moon Dazzle is nothing to look at. She is one big heart and four legs – nothing more. Also she is inferior to Emerald Beauty in work, but like a true star she reserves her best for an actual race. She couldn’t get a clear run when the chips were down, but when a small gap opened jockey Johnny Geroudis stuck her head into it. She accelerated smartly to land the spoils from Ribella. 

Emerald Beauty has me scratching my head. This was a disappointing performance, but she’s too good to write off and we haven’t seen the last of her just yet.As for Wolf Whistle: The stable’s “Braveheart’’ did us proud with his courageous win in the Al Rashidiya. He has been invited to compete in the Dubai Duty Free and is sure to come to the fight, prepared.