Asiatic Boy Gives Derby Pointer

Mike De Kock's Asiatic Boy will be hard to beat in the UAE Derby on Dubai World Cup night after a demolition job on his rivals in the Al Bastakiya over the same nine furlongs at Nad Al Sheba.

Having also won the UAE 2000 Guineas, he would become the first winner of the UAE Triple Crown.

Ridden by Weichong Marwing, he was never headed and De Kock is excited by his charge, saying: 'He could be one of the best I have ever trained.

'He is improving all the time and has so much speed I could run him in a sprint race.

'We needed to prove he stayed the extra furlong and he has. He is exciting.'

De Kock was denied a double when Oracle West, seeking a repeat win in the Group Three Dubai City of Gold he won in 2006, failed to catch Germany's Quijano.

Never far off a steady pace, Andrasch Starke rode the five-year-old Acatenango gelding to lead two furlongs out and he never looked like being caught.

The horse has only been beaten once and this was a remarkable 10th straight win.

'I was well drawn and happy to track the pace. He is a lovely horse and was always doing just enough to hold on,' said Starke.

Saeed Bin Suroor saddled his first 2007 Carnival winner when Mofarij ran out the convincing winner of the mile grass maiden under a supremely confident Frankie Dettori.

Second on his sole British start last year, the three-year-old half-brother to Iffraaj was never in any danger.

The perfectly named Terrific Challenge won the Group Three Mahab Al Shimaal under Ryan Moore, who produced him fast and late to deny stable companion Bounty Quest.

Johnny Murtagh was in Group Two-winning form as he gave the Dhruba Selvaratnam-trained Seihali a great ride to land the Jebel Hatta.

The eight-year-old finished third in the corresponding race 12 months ago under Murtagh and also went on to be third in the Dubai Duty Free on World Cup night.

The entire was settled just behind the pace before being unleashed about two furlongs out, running on strongly to record an eighth career win from Cambridgeshire winner Formal Decree.

'He will go for the Dubai Duty Free and is a real star. He always gives his best and has never let us down,' said Selvaratnam.

(C) PA Sport