March 27, 2006	Monday	Safar 26, 1427

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DUBAI, March 26: Electrocutionist, ridden by Frankie Dettori, displayed all the characteristics of a street fighter to win the six million dollar Dubai World Cup at Nad Al Sheba racecourse on Saturday. From a tricky inside draw Electrocutionist was given a memorable ride by Dettori who got Godolphin’s new recruit up on the line to deny the US-trained duo Brass Hat and Wilko.

This was Dettori’s third triumph in the world’s richest race after Dubai Millennium and Moon Ballad and the fifth for the Sheikh Mohammed-owned Godolphin stable.

Dettori’s pre-race plan had been to keep him up with the leaders to avoid the kickback from the dirt, a surface Electrocutionist — more used to racing on turf — had only encountered for the first time in his warm up at the start of the month.

So the former Italian-trained contender’s chances looked bleak as he was stuck in the main body of the pack with up front Magna Graduate and Super Frolic forging the early pace.

Under the glare of floodlights Brass Hat burst through to hit the front down the straight but behind Dettori was galvanising Electrocutionist to attack on the outside.

And the response was electric with the pair wearing down Brass Hat and hitting the front yards from the line.

The World Cup was the centrepiece of a card boasting 21 million dollars in prize money making it the richest day’s racing ever staged and while the locals may have taken the honours in the main event the other big prizes were marked down for export.

Heart’s Cry, second in the Japan Cup, went one better when capturing the five million dollar Sheema Classic.

French jockey Christophe Lemaire broke smartly to take an early lead and proceeded to comfortably hold off Collier Hill with South African-trained Falstaff a close up third.

Trainer Kojiro Hashiguchi, who sent out Utopia to win the Group Two Godolphin Mile earlier on the card, had expected a big run from his five-year-old star.

English trainer Ed Dunlop’s globetrotting mare Ouija Board had finished on Heart’s Cry’s heels in the Japan Cup in Tokyo in November and was fancied to turn the tables here but Kieren Fallon’s mount had to settle for fourth.

England’s champion jockey Jamie Spencer took the five million dollar Dubai Duty Free on David Junior, who swept past America’s The Tin Man to add this to his win in last season’s English Champion Stakes.

There was drama before the race when South African trainer Mike de Kock’s fancied Irridescence threw her jockey in the parade ring and had to be withdrawn.

The United States cleaned up in the Group One Golden Shaheen sprint filling the first four places.

Proud Tower Too led home the American quartet under a cool performance from the inexperienced 21-year-old David Cohen, who only rode his first winner in 2004.

The Group Two UAE Derby was won by Electrocutionist’s stablemate Discreet Cat.—AFP