Disaster in Dubai as Howdeepisyourlove suffers injury in Al Quoz Sprint
Howdeepisyourlove heads out to race under James McDonald in Dubai on Saturday. Photos: Kenneth Chan
John Size-trained galloper taken for further assessment after sustaining a suspected dislocated left front fetlock
Disaster struck for Hong Kong's Howdeepisyourlove in the Group One Al Quoz Sprint (1,200m) in Dubai on Saturday night, with the John Size-trained speedster failing to finish after suffering an injury 450m from home.
Sent off favourite for the six-furlong dash down the Meydan straight, Howdeepisyourlove looked to be travelling beautifully into the race from midfield before he lost his stride and was pulled up by jockey James McDonald.
Early reports suggested Howdeepisyourlove suffered a dislocated left front fetlock, with the five-year-old treated on the track before being loaded into the horse ambulance and taken to hospital for further assessment.
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.
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).
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