Dubai World Cup: Rank outsider Bathrath Leon rises for the land of the rising sun

Dubai World Cup: Rank outsider Bathrath Leon rises for the land of the rising sun

The Japanese horse threw the form book well and truly out of the window

Owners of horse BATHRAT LEON (JPN) and jockey Ryusei Sakai pose with trophy during the presentation of Godolphin Mile Sponsored By Nakheel race of Dubai Word Cup at Meydan on Saturday, March 26. Photo by Rahul Gajjar

Published: Sat 26 Mar 2022, 6:28 PM

The Group 2 Godolphin Mile was being built up as a battle between stablemates — defending champion, the battle-hardened veteran, Secret Ambition, and the new kid on the block, Al Nefud.

But Japan’s Bathrat Leon threw the form book well and truly out of the window.

A rank outsider in the eight-furlong affair, Bathrat Leon, trained by legendary Japanese handler Yoshito Yahagi, more or less led from start to finish to land the dirt contest.

Bathrat Leon became the second Japanese horse to win the Godolphin Mile after Utopia, saddled by Kojiro Hashiguchi, won the race back in 2006, under Yutaka Take.

Bathrat Leon, the four-year-old colt from Kizuna, won by a length and a quarter from Ahmed Al Shemaili’s Adrie De Vries ridden Desert Wisdom.

Godolphin’s Storm Damage, the charge of Emirati conditioner Saeed bin Suroor, finished third, 3.25 lengths behind Bathrat Leon.

The Bhupat Simar-saddled Secret Ambition, who had