Dubai takes Queen Elizabeth honours

English maestro William Haggas came, saw and conquered with Dubai Honour at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Champion Anamoe's farewell to Australian racing didn't go to script as Dubai Honour stole the show in the Group 1 $5m Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m).

Haggas had not been to Randwick in more than 40 years and missed his Queen Elizabeth Stakes wins with Addeybb in 2020-21 due to the global pandemic.

But Haggas was wowed by his Sydney experience and vowed to be back next year after Dubai Honour proved superior on the day.

"I am thrilled to bits,'' Haggas said.

"I couldn't be here for Addeybb which of course was disappointing but this has certainly made up for it.

"Dubai Honour relaxed very well and I knew when he relaxed well he would pick up and he picked up well.

"Anamoe is a great horse, take nothing away from him, but this horse has come forward for being here and he's won well today."

Dubai Honour was heavily backed into $2.30 favouritism and gave Haggas and jockey Tom Marquand their third Queen Elizabeth Stakes in four years as he raced clear to win by 2½ lengths.

Mo'unga ($16) finished fast late to nosed out Anamoe ($2.90) for second placing.

The English raider ran the 2000m in 2min 07.72sec which was more than seven seconds out of the course record and indicative of the slow early speed and Soft 7 track rating.

Haggas played the spoiler with Addeybb beating Verry Elleegant in successive Queen Elizabeth Stakes and he struck again with Dubai Honour.

But this was Group 1 weight-for-age racing at its very best with the superior horse winning on the day.

"Don't underestimate Dubai Honour, he's a pretty good horse,'' Haggas said.

"He was never quite right last year, he was boxing against some good horses, top, top horses.

"But this horse is in a great frame of mind, he looks great and he's showed his class today.''

Japanese raider Unicorn Lion led early as expected but the tempo was moderate and Anamoe seemed to be in the ideal position, one off the fence in position with cover.

Dubai Honour was two pairs behind Anamoe and giving the champion a three-length start from the 600m.

With the race developing into a sprint home, Anamoe seemed perfectly placed as he launched his run four-wide on the turn but Dubai Honour came from behind him and sprinted by to win convincingly.

"I think Tom (Marquand) was keen to track Anamoe,'' Haggas said.

"The horse was prominent in the Ranvet which is not normally his style of running, he likes to come off the pace."

Marquand had a shoulder injury and missed the ride on Dubai Honour when he won the Ranvet Stakes under Ryan Moore but Haggas was always going to put "Aussie Tom" back on for the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

"To be honest it's a bit surreal. It feels like yesterday that I was, not that I can remember it, laid up in hospital and thinking that the game was over and I'll be missing this chap,'' Marquand said

"It was a tough one to stomach. It's easy to say in hindsight, but when you've got targets you can work hard and it makes it easy to keep your head down.

"I was probably guilty at points of thinking it's not going to happen, it's not meant to be but what a game horse racing is." - racenet.com.au