REVIEW / DUBAI WORLD CUP 9 ADIYAT RACING PLUS ISSUE 840 Thursday 4th April 2024 adiyat racing plus.com Tadgh O’Shea landed the biggest success of his career on Saturday night with a spectacular victory aboard Laurel River in the Dubai World Cup. In an exclusive piece for Adiyat Racing Plus readers, the multiple UAE Champion Jockey explains how he wowed Meydan aboard Bhupat Seemar’s six-year-old. “We knew we were going into the race with a very, very good horse. There were of course a few questions to answer like would he stay the trip? I was under no pressure from Bhupat or Juddmonte on which way to ride the horse so, when you’re allowed to go out and ride the horse the way you want to, then it makes the job an awful lot easier. It was pretty smooth all the way to be honest. We broke well from a wide barrier and gradually came across and, once I got to the lead, I felt like I was slowing it down which the fractions later backed up. He was running a little bit in my hands down the back but turning out of the back straight between the 800m and the 600m, I gave him a little click and he really responded so I said to myself ‘Oh Tadgh, just sit for a couple of hundred metres now’ as I couldn’t believe how well I was travelling in a Dubai World Cup. It all felt very surreal. I gave him another squeeze at the 400m mark and took a look at the big screen and I simply couldn’t believe how far I was in front; it really was the stuff of dreams. Crossing the line, I just couldn’t contain the celebrations as it has been a long journey since I came over here 21 years ago. It truly was an amazing night and one that will live long in the memory. It was then made even more special when His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid asked my son Darragh if he rode and when he said yes, His Highness asked him if he would be his apprentice! It was one of those amazing days and a true life changing moment. To ride a horse like that was special and hats off to Juddmonte for allowing me to keep the ride. They could have used any jockey in the world to ride in a Dubai World Cup and there were some amazing jockeys sitting in the weighing room so for them to keep the faith and allow me to ride the horse was something I will always be grateful for.” ‘A LIFE CHANGING MOMENT AND ONE THAT WILL LIVE LONG IN THE MEMORY’
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