Dubai: Frankie Dettori once again impressed the crowd with his signature flying dismount at Meydan after Raging Torrent delivered the legendary jockey his eighth Godolphin Mile victory during the Dubai World Cup meeting on Saturday.
The American Grade 1 winner Raging Torrent gave trainer Doug O’Neill his second consecutive win in the $1,000,000 Group 2 Godolphin Mile Sponsored By EMAAR, marking his third victory overall in this prestigious race. The four-year-old colt convincingly defeated the pace-pressing Mufasa with under 400 meters remaining and held off competitors King Gold from France and Japan’s Kazu Petrin.
Breaking swiftly from the middle gate, Raging Torrent assumed an early lead, but soon faced a challenge from Mufasa, who was debuting in the UAE for trainer Bhupat Seemar and RRR Racing, the 2021 winners with Isolate. Raging Torrent maintained a strong rhythm in the opening stages and, upon entering the home straight, was maximizing his advantage. He widened the gap as he crossed the finish line in a time of 1:36.69, securing Dettori’s remarkable 24th win on Dubai World Cup night.
Dettori praised Raging Torrent after the race, stating, “He’s such a lovely horse, and he did the rest. You need the horse to lead like he did—he was quick away and I was able to control my pace. Generally, he’s always been more of a sprinter in America, so I was cautious not to push him too early.”
Trainer O’Neill expressed jubilation, saying, “I was confident, but that’s why you run these races—you never know. He had a good break, led comfortably, and got a breather mid-race. Speed has always been his strength. I’m on cloud nine and grateful to everyone here.”
Reflecting on O’Neill’s remarkable achievement, Dettori commented on his long-standing relationship with the Dubai races, “Eight Godolphin Miles—that’s a fantastic record. I grew up here. It’s incredibly satisfying to return and win, and I hope I can clinch another World Cup soon.”
Behind Raging Torrent, his competitors, including King Gold ridden by Adrie de Vries, Kazu Petrin with Cristian Demuro, and Steal Sunshine paired with Christophe Lemaire, concluded their efforts in the race.
