Racing: Stevens stays so cool in Nassau

BY KIDDING Zahrat Dubai home by a tender half-length in the Nassau Stakes here yesterday Gary Stevens showed just why he will be sorely missed if, as is expected, he returns to the United States to ply his trade.

The Idaho-born rider has not pleased everyone since his transfer to Britain two months ago and at times his lack of experience round unfamiliar tracks has showed, but the quality of his handling of this talented, sensitive filly was of the highest order. Stevens persuaded her to repel all comers, headed by Lady In Waiting, almost despite herself and a two-day ban he picked up after the stewards judged that he had ridden carelessly for a few strides inside the final furlong did nothing at all to detract from the spectacle.

Stevens, wearing the Godolphin second colours, sent Zahrat Dubai straight into the lead at a steady pace, shadowed by Lady In Waiting. A few lengths behind them the favourite, Alborada, a little fresh on her first run for nine months, was tugging at George Duffield, and Frankie Dettori had the other Godolphin contender, Cape Verdi, settled at the back. As the fillies fanned out down the hill in the straight for the final three-furlong run for home Stevens began to ask Zahrat Dubai to go to work, but pulling every punch.

"She was travelling very easily two out," he said, "but then when I put a bit of pressure on her I could feel her change. I had been told she was a fussy sort of filly and when I asked her to pick up she pinned her ears and gave the impression she didn't want any part of it.

"She started rolling about, and lugged to her right. Every time I asked her, she resented it. But every time the tempo quickened and the others came to her, she picked it up again on her own. She's happy to do it, but on her terms. And she had a little up her sleeve at the end. She's very good."

Behind Zahrat Dubai, Lady In Waiting held off the 50-1 shot Diamond White by a head, with Kissogram, the main sufferer among those slightly impeded, fourth. Fifth-placed Alborada, who lost her footing on the final bend and took time to regain her composure, was doing her best work at the finish, less than two lengths behind the winner. Cape Verdi, though, was crying for help early in the straight and it is clear that the injury she sustained after last year's Derby has taken its toll on her brilliance.

The Nassau Stakes, with Group One status for the first time, continued the tremendous run by Godolphin horses. Zahrat Dubai was the blue team's eighth success from its past nine runners and the third at the top level in eight days, after Daylami (King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes) and Aljabr (Sussex Stakes). Sheikh Mohammed is not in bad form either; yesterday morning he won a 40-kilometre endurance ride in Windsor Park on one of his Arab horses by the considerable margin of 45 minutes.

Zahrat Dubai, a pretty brown daughter of Unfuwain, was bouncing back from defeat as favourite for the Oaks, when she was outclassed over the mile and a half by Ramruma and Noushkey. The drop back in distance suited her just fine. "We found it hard to chose between her and Cape Verdi," Simon Crisford, the Godolphin racing manager, said, "and Frankie found it difficult to desert a 1,000 Guineas winner. Zahrat Dubai looked top class when she won the Musidora, but at Epsom she was outstayed by two fillies who are very good indeed."

The Unfuwain filly also gave Stevens his first Group One win in England in a sojourn that will be, regrettably, shorter than had been intended. An announcement about his future with Michael Stoute, who adopted him as first jockey just before the Derby, is expected today.

Stevens has been made an offer to go back to the States to ride for Ahmed Salman's powerful Thoroughbred Corporation. The gap he leaves in the Stoute yard may open the door for the champion jockey Kieren Fallon, who lost his job with Henry Cecil last week in acrimonious circumstances.

The final ritual of the last act of racing's most unfortunate soap opera will be enacted away from any of Britain's sporting goldfish bowls. Fallon has his last ride for Cecil at Deauville today, when he partners the St Leger prospect Endorsement in the Prix de Pomone.

The Stewards' Cup, the most frenetic betting heat of the week, went to a horse who had hitherto been something of a professional loser. Harmonic Way, a four-year-old trained by Roger Charlton, had, before yesterday, not won a race since his juvenile debut two years ago but yesterday, at 12-1, scorched home under in-form Richard Hughes a length an a half clear of his 29 rivals, headed by Halmahera (16-1), Literary Society (16-1) and Twice As Sharp. Harmonic Way had finished fifth in the six-furlong contest 12 months previously and Charlton said: "He was well handicapped with the fancied horses and I really thought this could be our day. I don't think he's ever run a bad race but sometimes he's been unlucky."