Red Desire Nips Gloria de Campaeo at Wire

All eyes were on Japanese champion older mare Vodka in the $300,000 Al Maktoum Round 3 Challenge (G2) at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai on Thursday.  But they should have been watching the other Japanese invader, and the only other female in the race.

Tokyo Horse Racing’s 4-year-old filly, Red Desire (Jpn), was last seen finishing third behind Vodka in the Japan Cup (G1) last November.  Both mares have raced exclusively over grass during their careers and this was their first start over Meydan’s new Tapeta all weather surface.

The race set up well for Gloria de Campaeo (Brz), breaking from the #5 post position.  Jockey Tiago Pereira moved the 7-year-old over to the rail and the two led the rest of the field.  Vodka was held in a stalking position, in third, behind the leaders.  As they turned for home, it looked as if the Brazilian would draw off and take the Challenge.  However, jockey Olivier Peslier and Red Desire came flying up on the outside to win by a short neck over Gloria de Campaeo, with  Mr. Brock (SaF) coming on for third.

Red Desire (#13) just catches Gloria de Campaeo (#5)

Vodka faded at the top of the stretch and finished 8th in the 14-horse field.

Bred in Japan by Shadai Farm, Red Desire is by the Sunday Silence horse, Manhattan Café (Jpn) and out of Great Sunrise (GB), a daughter of Caerleon.  Trained by Mikio Matsunaga, the bay improved her record to 8-4-3-1 with earnings of $3,399,134.

“I rode her work the other day, and she really pleased me,” Peslier said. “That was a very good performance when you consider what she has beaten. She will hopefully improve from that outing and be a live World Cup contender.”

The only other South American-bred runner in the race was Joe Louis (Arg), breaking from the outside post.  The Jerry Barton charge broke with his head in the air and did well to finish 9^th behind Vodka.