Howdeepisyourlove’s first overseas mission has ended in tragedy, with the John Size-trained speedster suffering a fatal injury in the Group One Al Quoz Sprint (1,200m) in Dubai on Saturday night.
Sent off favourite for the six-furlong dash down the Meydan straight, Howdeepisyourlove looked to be travelling beautifully into the race from midfield until he clipped heels 500m from home and was pulled up by jockey James McDonald.
Treated on the track after suffering a partial dislocation to his left front fetlock, the five-year-old was taken to Dubai Equine Hospital for further examination but had to be humanely euthanised.
“Near the 500m clipped the hind leg of another runner resulting in the gelding becoming unbalanced, as a result being eased out of the race and the rider dismounting,” said the stewards’ report.
Howdeepisyourlove (right) wins the Group Three Bauhinia Sprint Trophy (1,000m).
“When questioned, [McDonald] advised Howdeepisyourlove was travelling well until the 500m, where it clipped the hind leg of Marbaan.
“A post-race veterinary examination revealed the gelding to have subluxated its left fore leg.”
Howdeepisyourlove’s career featured six wins from 28 starts, with the highlight his victory in January’s Group Three Bauhinia Sprint Trophy (1,000m).
The George Boughey-trained Believing, who could only manage ninth in last April’s Group One Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1,200m) at Sha Tin, went onto win the race narrowly from Japan’s Win Carnelian, with Regional running third for Edward Bethell.
One race earlier, Sword Point had a torrid time of things when running last in the Group Two Godolphin Mile on dirt, struggling throughout before finishing 46 lengths off the victorious Raging Torrent.
Frankie Lor Fu-chuen’s Sword Point, who has prevailed twice on the Sha Tin all-weather track this season, didn’t enjoy the Meydan dirt one bit.
Sword Point finishes last in the Group Two Godolphin Mile.
Also ridden by superstar Kiwi rider McDonald, the six-year-old galloper failed to take up a prominent position from gate two before resenting the kickback.
Owned by Yulong Investments, the Doug O’Neill-trained Raging Torrent was a popular winner under Frankie Dettori.
French galloper King Gold was three and a half lengths away in second, while Kazu Petrin grabbed third for Japan.
The night’s first race for thoroughbreds, the Group Two Dubai Gold Cup (3,200m), went to the home team, with Godolphin’s Dubai Future prevailing for trainer Saeed bin Suroor and jockey Silvestre de Sousa.
Earlier on Saturday, Hong Kong-based trio Zac Purton, Hugh Bowman and Andrea Atzeni left Randwick empty-handed after jetting down to Sydney for Doncaster Mile Day.
Zac Purton fared best of the trio, snagging a Group One third aboard Buffalo in the Inglis Sires’ (1,400m).
