NOT BOUGHEYING OUT WITHOUT A FIGHT HAS MADE GEORGE KING

By Duane Fonseca

Fortune favours the brave and George Boughey’s career as trainer is testament to that. His stratospheric rise in the training ranks in Britain and Europe would not have been possible had he not had the guts to go his own way close to four years ago. It is a decision Boughey would often ponder and have second thoughts about. Not anymore!

STARS ALIGN EARLY ON

With the stars aligning rather early Boughey started to find the success that helped him carve a niche and establish himself firmly among the up and coming legion of British trainers. While most have partnered and jumped aboard juggernauts established by an illustrious parent and shared their licences (and we don’t mean to take anything from the likes of those), Boughey has had to do it all by himself. After Group level wins in England and France, including one of the British Classics in the 2022 1000 Guineas at Newmarket with Cachet, Boughey has broken new ground with his first success on UAE soil.

MEYDAN ACCOUNT OPENER

Al Dasim had the honour of helping him to that landmark last Friday on the second night of the Dubai World Cup Carnival when the 3yo Harry Angel colt raced clear to win the Al Wasl Stakes by three lengths on the 1200m turf chute at Meydan. “He’s come out here and he’s travelled well and he’s looked good since he’s come from England,” Boughey told Adiyat Racing Plus.

“He looks like a horse who is in the summer in England. Fast ground is the key to him but he worked very well on dirt and it was a toss of a coin if he would run on the dirt or the turf. His jockey Mickael Barzalona was very pleased and he’ll probably come back here for the Dubai Trophy. I think it is in a few weeks’ time over course and distance (10 February).

Hopefully, if he’s in the same form he should be hard to beat. It’s fantastic to score with our second runner in Dubai.” Boughey’s first was Perdika who finished a distant ninth of 11 in the Jumeirah Classic Trial on the opening night of the carnival. “We’ll keep trying anyway. It’s our first time here and to be honest Perdika will be better against the fillies, but I am very pleased.”

Boughey acquired his training licence mid-2019, and since has sent out 254 winners in Britain, including the five this year. His best haul of 136 was achieved last term at a strike rate of 17%, with a stable roster that’s growing in blueblood numbers. In November, he was among a quartet of trainers Shadwell added to its training ranks in England.

And Boughey is looking to repay their faith in him. “It’s fantastic to have horses good enough to compete and come out here, but to have owners like Sheikha Hissa for Shadwell this year is fantastic and a compliment to everyone at home. We’ve only been going three and a half years so to have horses of that calibre is fantastic,” Boughey added.

Asked if he was thinking of sending Al Dasim to Riyadh for the Group 3 Turf Sprint on the Saudi Cup day programme, Boughey replied: “He’s not rated high enough for Saudi. He’s in the Doha Sprint now in Qatar and he might be supplemented for Saudi.”