Hit Show is both late and great at Meydan

When you’re invited to a party, is there such a thing as being fashionably late? For an organisation which is used to getting things done quickly and has made a huge impact in international racing in a very short space of time, Wathnan Racing certainly left it late at Meydan on Saturday evening.

It wasn’t just the last-minute nature of jockey Florent Geroux’s move, forcing the nose of the Wathnan-owned Hit Show to the front in the very shadow of the winning post of the Dubai World Cup. It was also that their triumph came so late in the day: Wathnan had to wait until the very last event of the nine-race card, one that brings together the most talented international challengers from around the racing world, to taste success.

However, when the grey horse and the jockey in peacock blue ground down the front-running Mixto in the dying yards of the card’s feature event, it sparked scenes of unfettered joy and thrilled jubilation in the Meydan paddock. Rightly so, as victory the $12 million contest signified Wathnan’s arrival at the very peak of international racing – and more than made up for any number of those disappointing yet inevitable times when racing results don’t go your way.

It sounds like something your friends might say to cheer you up when your horse or your team gets beaten: that to be able to truly appreciate the sweet taste of victory, you must also learn to stomach defeat.

Those from Wathnan who were present at Meydan will be able to tell you that there’s more than a little truth to the saying. They experienced a helter-skelter of mixed emotions on Dubai World Cup night. Earlier in the evening, their fancied runners in both the Dubai Kahayla Classic and the UAE Derby had run below expectations, meaning that what would ultimately be a mouthwatering triumph only came their way from the very last card dealt from the deck.

It’s as if ‘Flo’ and ‘Show’ had somehow read the script before producing such a spectacular performance – what a hit and what a show!