Gold In Dubai has won the Ipswich Cup

Gold In Dubai has proven that he has made a successful transition from sprinter to stayer by producing an emphatic victory in the Ipswich Cup last Saturday.

The five-year-old gelding led all the way to resist challenges from placegetters Danagaze and Our Lukas, winning the race by an incredible two and a half lengths.

Trainer Mark Riley believes that Gold In Dubai found his stayer’s attitude after a fall earlier this season.

“He did have a fall at Caulfield and for some reason that seems to have turned him around,” Riley said.

“All of a sudden he was relaxing in his races and easily stepped up to a middle distance.”

Riley believes his father’s influence was key to Gold In Dubai’s Ipswich Cup success.

“We bought dad out of retirement to look after the horse up on the Sunshine Coast and he’s done a great job,” Riley said.

Riley had always planned for jockey Michael Walker to take an early lead with Gold In Dubai in the Cup, who jumped from barrier seven.

“It was about the perfect ride in front from Michael,” he said.

“I sent him out with a brief to go forward early and just work it out for himself.”

The trainer felt that the Ipswich Cup’s tempo was perfectly suited to Gold In Dubai’s running style.

“We actually like the horse in front in these sorts of races because he does settle and relax better, but there looked to be speed in the race, there was a good chance something else would set the tempo,” he said.

“Once they let him make his own pace I knew he would be hard to beat.”

The five-year-old Gold In Dubai will now head to the Caloundra Cup in two weeks’ time.