Facteur Cheval shades it for France in tight Turf finish

Lord North was unable to land the Dubai contest for a fourth straight year.

Facteur Cheval just held off the late lunge of Japanese challenger Namur to win the Dubai Turf, in which Lord North was unplaced in search of his fourth win in the race.

Trained in France by Jerome Reynier, the winner was last seen finishing second to his compatriot Big Rock in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on Champions Day.

It has previously been suggested that Facteur Cheval needed soft ground to be seen at his best, as he arguably showed his top form in testing conditions when second to Paddington in the Sussex Stakes, but he showed his versatility on this occasion.

Hollie Doyle somehow managed to get Nashwa to the front from her wide draw in stall 14 but with a furlong to run, she had run her race.

Her John and Thady Gosden stablemate Lord North looked threatening at one point but age may have finally caught up with the eight-year-old as he found disappointingly little.

Measured Time burst through with a challenge on the inside and briefly hit the front but Facteur Cheval and Namur came powering down the centre of the track.

Maxime Guyon celebrates his big win
Maxime Guyon celebrates his big win (PA)

The pair crossed the line together but it was Facteur Cheval and Maxime Guyon who got the verdict on the nod.

“He’s amazing because he’s just as good when the ground is heavy or soft,” said Guyon

“But he’s never been the same as he was today. The turn of foot he showed was better than he’s ever shown.”

Reynier was overcome with emotion after the race, following the biggest success of his career.

“It’s amazing, I’m lost for words – 16 years ago I first came to Nad Al Sheba and I never imagined I would be stood here today,” he said.

“That was just amazing. I told Maxime that I’d never seen this horse go backwards in a finish, he always gives his best, he’s always running on, so the distance was not a problem.

“Maxime rode the perfect race, he had Lord North to follow and he kept something for the end. I’m delighted for Maxime and all the team.”

Regarding future plans, the trainer added: “We will find out in the next few days how he’s come out of it.

“He’s been invited to Hong Kong in four weeks but we would need to leave him here and see how he is. I would love to run him in the Sussex Stakes and there is also of course the Marois.”

In the closing stages, Christophe Lemaire suffered a nasty fall from Catnip and was stretchered off the track and taken to hospital for observation.

Sadly, Catnip could not be saved due to the extent of his injuries.

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