The UK visitor Dubai Honour was super impressive first-up in Australia handing trainer William Haggas with a second Group 1 $1 million Ranvet Stakes (2000m) success on Golden Slipper Day in Sydney.

2023 Ranvet Stakes Winner Dubai Honour

2023 Ranvet Stakes winner Dubai Honour (pictured) is onto a clash with Anamoe in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Photo: Steve Hart.

Haggas won the race back in 2020 with Addeybb who went on to win that year’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes during Randwick’s ‘The Championships’.

The $5 million Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) held on April 8 is now also on the cards for this year’s runaway Ranvet Stakes champion Dubai Honour who put a nearly five length margin on a very good field of Aussies.

“He’s a very special little horse. He probably wasn’t at his best last year, but he’s definitely back to it now and it’s great to see him get his head in front again,” Haggas’ stable rep Isabella Paul told Sky Thoroughbred Central. 

“He just looks amazing, he’s really been enjoying the Australian lifestyle. He thinks it’s a big holiday and he really really enjoys it.

“He’s won on good ground before. He won on good ground at Newmarket but most of his Group form has been on softer ground including the second in the Champion Stakes.

“We’re lucky, we got away with it today. We’d still like some more rain but delighted with the horse, he’s been really tough.”

Jockey Ryan Moore jetted in for the ride at Rosehill Gardens, and in his first look at the track posted his incredible 169th Group 1 success.

“He had very good form as a three-year-old and last year things didn’t quite go his way and William (Haggas) gelded him,” Moore said of the Ranvet winner. 

“William’s horses when they come down here they tend to perform very well. He was a level above them really, class told. He picked them up well, the race was dead with 300m to run. Very good performance and I’m very happy with him.

“He’s very straight forward, he won that confidently. The race was over with a furlong and a half (300m) to run. First run since October, but he’s in very good shape, he put the race to bed very quickly.”

Moore got Dubai Honour into a gun position early third the fence settled just behind the leading duo of Hinged and Mo’unga.

Relishing the pace injected into the race approaching the home turn by rival hoop Nash Rawiller on Mo’unga, Moore was able to get four off the fence and charge home once off the back of the front-running Hinged.

Into the clear after first levelling up to the mare with 200m to go, Pride Of Dubai five-year-old Dubai Honour was massive the closing stages storming home to win by over four lengths on a very hot day in Sydney.

Putting to bed any doubts he could handle a firm track in Australia Dubai Honour ran through the line well defeating last year’s winning mare Montefilia who worked her way into the race from the 600m to get up into a distant second.

Mo’unga off his on-speed run throughout held for third as the beaten favourite for trainer Annabel Neasham.

Dubai Honour will now look to emulate the fellow Haggas-trained Addeybb and complete the Ranvet – Queen Elizabeth double.

All-in 2023 Queen Elizabeth Stakes betting at Ladbrokes have the visitor into $3.50 sitting behind only Anamoe who Moore gave plenty of respect to after the Ranvet.

“Anamoe is an incredible race horse, he’s got a tremendous record,” he said. 

“From what I see he only really tends to do enough so you wouldn’t be sure what’s in the tank.

“That will be a different level opposition. I supposed strictly on form Dubai Honour, it would appear that he will give him a good race.

“When horses win that many Group 1’s obviously they’ve got something a bit extra so you’d always respect them.”

About The Author

Lucy Henderson

Lucy is an experienced horse racing journalist that has been a crucial member of the horseracing.com.au team for the better part of a decade. She has taken great delight in covering champion mares Black Caviar and Winx throughout their careers and always has a soft spot for a winning filly.