'Easiest horse in the world' Dubai Honour stays unbeaten in Australia

Dubai Honour is still perfect in Australia after winning the Group 1 Tancred Stakes on Saturday. The William Haggas-trained gelding has won all three of his three starts Down Under and now has his eye on the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, a race he won in 2023 during his last trip to Australia.

This most recent trip for the seven-year-old is a part of a tour through Asia. Dubai Honour finished runner-up in the Group 1 Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin Racecourse in December.

Tancred Stakes win sets the tone

Dubai Honour’s record in Australia made him a the $3 betting sites favourite for last weekend’s Tancred Stakes, but he was far from a lock. This year’s slate of runners was very competitive, with promising runners Arapaho, Vauban, and Duke De Sessa all having a chance to win it.

Truth be told, a lot of experts were unsure if Dubai Honour would live up to the odds following his run in Hong Kong. However, the gelding lived up to the hype.

The British galloper and jockey Tom Maquand was near the back of the pack around the final turn. He then delivered a surging run down the middle, passing River Of Stars ($18), Arapaho ($8), and finally Duke De Sessa ($5.50) to win by a length.

Haggas hopes that this impressive run will set the tone for what could be another successful trip to Australia.

“He's (Haggas) delighted. Absolutely delighted. He's such a star for the stable and it is so good to see at seven years old he's still winning,” said Haggas training representative Issy Paul.

Travel comes easy

Speaking after the race and about Dubai Honour’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes chances, Paul said that the gelding should always be a contender for foreign races because of how well he travels.

“He's the most perfect horse to travel and he never misses a beat,” he said.

“We never have to worry about him and he is the easiest horse in the world. He's just so cool and such a talented animal.”

Clash with Via Sistina looming

As impressive as Dubai Honour’s Tancred Stakes run was, he is not the only horse with big expectations going into the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randick later this month.

Chris Waller’s Via Sistina is the current Queen Elizabeth Stakes betting favourite, with $1.60 odds to win compared to Dubai Honour’s $5 chances.

Speaking from his Newmarket stables in England, Haggas revealed that he knows that it will take a lot of work to beat Via Sistina in this month’s race. However, he thinks that his horse has what it takes to win the $5 million event.

“Via Sistina is a champion,” Haggas said.

“I've been admiring Via Sistina from afar and she is going to be very hard to beat.

“But I think there is more to come from Dubai Honour. He looked a bit fresh to me.”