Very Special wins second successive G2 Cape Verdi

Very Special provided trainer Saeed bin Suroor with his 200th victory at the Dubai World Cup Carnival when successful in the 10-runner G2 Cape Verdi at Meydan, UAE, on Thursday, January 26.
 
The five-year-old mare became the first horse to win the mile contest on turf more than once, having triumphed last year when making all.
 
Partnered by Jim Crowley for the first time, Very Special raced in third on the inside, pulling for her head as Tahanee was rushed to the front.
 
She settled better by half-way and was switched out with a furlong and a half remaining to mount a challenge.
 
She ran on strongly to lead in the closing stages and gain a half-length victory over Opal Tiara in 1m 37.21s on good going.
 
Saeed bin Suroor said: “Very Special is very special and that is how she got her name.
 
“She has been doing really well since she was a two-year-old and has improved physically with age.
 
“In the morning when she works, she shows her class. She has won at G2 level and was placed at G1 level last year. She is getting better all the time.
 
“She has run a huge race tonight and has beaten some nice fillies and mares. We will see how she comes out of this race and then make a plan about where she goes next.
 
“Jim Crowley is the champion jockey in Britain and has given her a good ride.”
 
Jim Crowley added: “Obviously, everyone expected Very Special to go to the front but Saeed said to me that he would like her to take a lead this evening.
 
“Christophe [Soumillon, rider of Tahanee] was very sharp out of the stalls and I think had I tried to hold my position I might have asked her and set her alight a bit. I did not force her and just sat where she was happy.
 
“The pace slackened quite a bit when we turned for home but she had the gears to get out of trouble.
 
“Another furlong won’t be a problem for her. The good thing is she can make the running but she doesn’t have to and can take a lead now as well.
 
“She is lively and that is why she wears the hood. It was her first run of the year and she was a bit gassy during the race, which she was entitled to be.
 
“You would like to think there will be a fair bit of improvement.”
 
Very Special has won five of her 10 races and was registering her third victory at G2 level.