Tjareed came close to a feat in the Cocoa Beach Stakes, with Francisco Leandro, Cintra, and Olascoaga

The gray filly ran spectacularly despite a decisive start; she dominated in the stretch, but Labwah fought back in the closing stages to defeat her by just half a head

Labwah fought back along the inside to snatch the victory away from Tjareed/ DRC

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (Special for Turf Diario).— The South American delegation came within a whisker of celebrating a high-impact victory this Friday at Meydan Racecourse. In the Cocoa Beach Stakes (1,600m, dirt) —the local 1000 Guineas— the gray filly Tjareed delivered a breakthrough performance, coming to the very brink of victory following a pinpoint ride by Francisco Leandro.

Under the care of the successful duo of Antonio Cintra and Julio Olascoaga, the daughter of Yaupon had to overcome the 13th post position, which ultimately proved decisive. Despite the handicap of the outside draw, Leandro handled her with expertise to take command of the field in the heart of the homestretch. However, after the massive effort made to gain the racing line, Tjareed could not withstand the inside counter-attack from Labwah, who snatched the victory by just half a head in the final stride. The winner was guided by Bernardo Pinheiro, also a Brazilian native.

Despite the defeat, the gray’s reputation is significantly bolstered. She dominated her rivals, and only the resurgence of Salem bin Ghadayeh’s trainee prevented her success. "I knew she had a big heart and could fight back," recognized Pinheiro, the winning jockey, regarding the resistance offered by Cintra’s filly, who could now target the UAE Oaks (L)as one of the top contenders, though that race is contested over 1,900 meters.

Bin Suroor and Godolphin, Once Again

In the stakes ranks, Dubai Beach gave Saeed bin Suroor his sixth victory in the Cape Verdi (G2 - 1,600m, turf). The Godolphin mare, ridden by Kieran Shoemark, held off the charge of South African champion Quid Pro Quo (Lance), who finished as the runner-up by just a neck in a high-level local debut. Dubai Treasure (Exceed and Excel), also representing Godolphin and responsible for setting the pace, crossed the line third by a head.

The desert program also featured a double for the Wathnan Racing team with victories by French Duke (Sea the Stars)and English Oak (Wootton Bassett), both steered by James Doyle. Meanwhile, champion William Buick shone aboard Beccali (Lope de Vega), who returned in great form after a year-long layoff to win by nearly four lengths in the Azizi Reve Handicap, also for Godolphin but under the preparation of Charlie Appleby.

The action at Meydan will return next Friday, January 23, with the highly anticipated Grade 1 Al Maktoum Challengeand Jebel Hatta, where South American professionals will surely be protagonists once again.