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Prime VIP
Dubai: Veteran French jockey Thierry Jarnet stole victory from Frankie Dettori on the shadow of the post to win the Group Two Qatar Prix Daniel Wildenstein on the opening day of the Arc meeting at Longchamp yesterday.
Riding Rajsaman for UAE-owner Saeed Al Rumaithi, the 44-year-old former four-time French champion delivered his horse late to deny Dettori, who was looking for his 500th Group winner, aboard Godolphin's Rio de la Plata.
Trained by former jockey Freddy Heady, Rajsaman raced at the Carnival in Dubai earlier this year where he finished sixth to Twice Over in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round III and 10th to Presvis in the Dubai Duty Free. On his most recent start he was beaten a length and a half by Excelebration in the Prix De Moulin (Gr 1).
Better workRio De La Plata was travelling well for Dettori after taking up the running with a furlong to go. But Rajsaman was doing the better work in the final 100 metres and just managed to put his head in front at the line approached.
"He hardly ever runs a bad race, the only time was in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood, where he got a bit upset," said Heady.
"He's a horse I really like. We might take him to Hong Kong again at the end of the year, as he ran well when he went there before."
A disappointed Dettori remarked: "I'm still on 499."
Rio de la Plata's trainer Saeed Bin Surour, who was looking for his fifth win in the race after Fly to the Stars (1998), Kabool (2000), China Visit (2001), Echo of Light (2006), remarked: "I'm obviously disappointed to be second again, but I'm happy he has run another good race and he's doing well for a six-year-old. We'll keep the options open, but maybe look at races in Italy."
