Racing: Lynch leaves it late to give Jamesie a win

Fergal Lynch riding Jamesie wins during the third Dubai World Cup Carnival Meeting. Picture: Getty

Merhee looked like justifying 4-1 favouritism for Mike de Kock when holding a handy lead going into the final furlong, but Lynch had other ideas on Marnane’s charge. Benefiting from his encouraging run over seven furlongs on this course two weeks earlier, the Irish raider was not inconvenienced by the drop to six furlongs and took command close home.

A model of consistency, Jamesie was scoring for the first time since winning at Fairyhouse in July 2011, after which he had been second no less than seven times including at Royal Ascot.

Certerach (10-1) gave Irish trainers a quick double when striking for Michael Halford in the GN Focus Handicap on turf.

Shane Foley drove the six-year-old through a gap to hit the front inside the final furlong to head Tanfeeth and hold the late-finishing Topclas by half a length.

Frankie Dettori was out of luck on his first ride at the Carnival following his fairytale return from injury at Lingfield on Wednesday, where he recorded a double.

He drove his Norwegian-trained mount Silver Ocean to vie for the lead with Not A Given after two furlongs, only to weaken quickly in the straight in the Gulf News Classifieds Handicap.

Victory went to the De Kock-trained Alexandra Palace (7-1) under Christophe Soumillon. Free Wheeling, ridden by Silvestre de Sousa for Saeed bin Suroor, was second.

Windhoek, having his first start for Godolphin and trainer Saeed bin Suroor, just held Layali Al Andalus in a driving finish to the Xpress Handicap. The 3-1 joint-favourite, formerly with Mark Johnston, prevailed by a neck in the hands of De Sousa.

Soumillon denied Dettori victory in the feature Group Two Al Fahidi Fort Sponsored by Gulf News when scoring on Anaerobio. The De Kock-trained seven-year-old got first run on Mshawish, ridden by Dettori, after Pearl Flute had led into the final furlong. Mshawish finished with a flourish but could not get past his fellow 5-1 joint-favourite.

Jamie Spencer timed his run to perfection as he produced Gabrial to snatch victory in the Property Weekly Handicap.

Spencer was content to sit in the rear on the Richard Fahey-trained five-year-old while War Monger set a fast pace. The nine-furlong contest was wide open until it looked as though Pat Cosgrave was going to score on De Kock’s El Estruendoso, but Spencer got Gabrial (4-1) up in the dying strides.