DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, March 31 (UPI) -- Cityscape, adding a furlong to his normal distance, easily drew off late to win Saturday's $5 million Dubai Duty Free at Meydan Race Course.
The 6-year-old Juddmonte Farms homebred was unraced since an unlucky second in the Hong Kong Mile in December. In the 1 1/8-mile Duty Free, he sat off the early pace, then exploded in the lane, winning by an easy 4 1/4 lengths in what had shaped up as a very competitive race.
Mutahadee, owned by Sheik Mohammed bin Khalifa al Maktoum, finished second and City Style, a Godolphin entry, got home third. One of the pre-race favorites, Hong Kong star Ambitious Dragon, was close throughout but failed to fire in the stretch run. Last year's winner, Presvis, broke very slowly and raced sluggishly throughout.
Cityscape finished in 1:48.6 over the sweeping Meydan turf course with James Doyle up for trainer Roger Charlton.
Cityscape has been a consistent performer over the 1-mile distance for owner Khalid Abdulla. In addition to his narrow loss to Able One in Hong Kong, he last year won at the Curragh in Ireland and in Saint Cloud in France and missed by a nose to Dick Turpin in the Group 1 Gran Premio Vittorio de Capua in Italy.
Saturday's race marked the first time Cityscape had been given more than a mile to run in a race and his performance marks him as a potential star in races around the globe throughout the balance of the year.
Cityscape was bred in England, a son of Selkirk.
