South Americans left a bitter taste in Meydan's UAE 2000 Guineas

Uruguay's Don Vaccaro, Brazil's Nam Phrik and Argentina's Giustino finished seventh, eighth and ninth, respectively, just over 13 lengths behind Golden Vekoma, the winner

Golden Vekoma showed strong performance in the final part of the UAE 2000 Guineas / COURTESY DRC

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (Special to Turf Diario) - None of the three South American horses that ran in the UAE 2000 Guineas (G3-1600 m, dirt) at Meydan's Fashion Friday met expectations.

Uruguayan Don Vaccaro (Alcorano), Brazilian Nam Phrik (Hofburg) and Argentine Giustino (Full Mast) finished seventh, eighth and ninth, 13, 14 and 14 1/4 lengths, respectively, behind American Golden Vekoma (Vekoma) in the opening race of the local Triple Crown, giving 4 1/2 kilos advantage to the horses born in the northern hemisphere, under a scale of 59 1/2 against 55.

None of the three looked comfortable during the trip, in a track that, generally, helps much more to those who manage to come close to the front than to those who do it from behind.

Giustino was the one who tried to come to the sound of the band; for a few moments he succeeded, however, when he was left behind the leaders he began to stretch before the kick back and to lose ground. Don Vaccaro and Nam Phrik, meanwhile, were far away from the start. As the meters went by, the three of them got together and so they ran to the finish line, without stopping, but also without discounting too much.

Don Vaccaro and Nam Phrik had already raced here and that is why their efforts are a little more worrying. Giustino, on the other hand, return after several months of layoff and completed his first start at Meydan, so his credit is a little more open thinking about the Al Bastakiya (L), which will be contested over 1900 meters in a few weeks.

Golden Vekoma, the winner, repeated his good work of the prep, in the UAE 2000 Guines Trial, and defeated Heart of Honor (Honor A.P.), who gave some advantages before a not quite attentive start, by 1 1/2 lengths. At 3 1/2 lengths further, Royal Favour (Hard Spun) was third, all in a time of 1m37s8/100.

Jockey Connor Beasley was on the irons of the Ahmad Bin Harmash-trained colt, who commented after the race, “Now we'll go to the Saudi Derby, because when you have a classy horse you have to try different things.”