From Godolphin.....
ELECTROCUTIONIST REMEMBERED
Race Record: Runs: 12; Wins: 8; 2nd: 3; 3rd: 1; Win & Place Prize Money: £3,160,432
Electrocutionist showed tremendous courage when landing the Group One Dubai World Cup in March 2006
İAndrew Watkins
Electrocutionist's greatest moment came in the US$6-million Dubai World Cup in March this year when he overcome various disadvantages to win impressively.
The 2006 Dubai World Cup was another truly international renewal of the world's richest race, featuring runners from America, Japan, England, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
It saw a fantastic performance from Electrocutionist, who put behind him a poor draw and a slow start to triumph at Nad Al Sheba on Saturday, March 25.
After making a sensational debut on dirt when taking the Group Two Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Challenge Round III earlier in the same month, slamming Chiquitin by an easy seven lengths, he looked to hold outstanding claims of following in the footsteps of Almutawakel (1999), Dubai Millennium (2000), Street Cry (2002) and Moon Ballad (2003), to provide Godolphin with a fifth winner in the 11th running of the Dubai World Cup.
However, confidence in the five-year-old's chances was seriously dented after he was allocated stall one against the rail - a draw from which no previous Dubai World Cup runner had ever managed to finish in the first three, let alone win the top prize.
In the 10-furlong race on dirt, Electrocutionist's prospects looked even slimmer after he was slowly away from the stalls and hard ridden to maintain his position in the middle of the field.
Yet under an inspired ride from Frankie Dettori, the five-year-old horse managed to make up ground on the leaders when switched to the outside, and gamely surged clear of American hope Brass Hat well inside the final
furlong to secure a famous victory by a length and a half.
The Jeremy Noseda-trained Wilko ran a cracking race in third, ahead of Magna Graduate, another American challenger in fourth, Japanese star Kane Hekili in fifth, and Saudi Arabian-trained Chiquitin in sixth.
The story of the race was the determination, courage and ultimately class shown by Electrocutionist to succeed from what looked like an impossible position.
Electrocutionist is greated by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum after winning the 2006 Group One Dubai World Cup
İFrank Sorge
Sheikh Mohammed, the inspiration behind Godolphin commented: "I am very proud and happy to win this race because this is our hometown before our people.
"Everybody has come here, enjoyed themselves and had competition with their horses.
"Electrocutionist is a very good athletic horse but I didn't know whether he would run on the sand. He was a grass horses but we took our chance.
"He was training here very well and he won his race before on the sand so we thought he had a good chance. He is a special horse."
Frankie Dettori, partnering his third winner of the Dubai World Cup, had nothing but praise for his partner and said: "He's a great horse and has won on dirt and grass, but he is really a grass horse and he didn't change his legs until about 50 yards before the line.
"He didn't win like Dubai Millennium but he showed tremendous courage. He had to fight really hard - drawn from an impossible barrier, missing the kick and then running wide.
"It was a tough race but in the end it was a great performance and victory."
The newspapers were equally impressed - James Mossop, writing in Britain's The Sunday Telegraph, said: "Electrocutionist was beyond marvellous in this unforgettable Arabian show of thoroughbred excellence.
"The horse missed the break and was trapped on the rail. Frankie tried to come up the inside, switched wider and just as it appeared he had used all the horse's energy getting a position, Electrocutionist found courage in
depth and went past America's Brass Hat in a lung-bursting, muscle-searing surge of energy that defied logic."
While Julian Muscat wrote in The Times: "The mid-card interlude for a spectacular fireworks display promoted the feeling that something special would happen out on the track.
"So it proved. And it was Frankie Dettori, aboard Electrocutionist in the World Cup, who lit the touch paper. Dettori at his best is irresistible and he was more than that here as he bullied the slow-starting bay past
America's Brass Hat and Wilko in a finish of dramatic intensity."
Electrocutionist finished a close second twice in Ascot Group One events on turf later in 2006.
The son of Red Ransom returned to action after his Dubai World Cup victory in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 21 and was beaten half a length in a thrilling finish by Ouija Board.
He stepped up to 12 furlongs for the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes on July 29 and, in a tremendous battle, was just outpointed by Hurricane Run, again going down by half a length.
Electrocutionist working at Al Quoz (Dubai) with Frankie Dettori in the saddle in March 2006
İAndrew Watkins
In both narrow defeats, he showed his characteristic guts and determination that was evident throughout his career.
Electrocutionist won eight of his 12 races, finished second in another three and came third once.
He was bred by Compagnia Generale out of Elbaaha, an 11-furlong winner at three, which made him a half-brother to Grigorieva, a mile Listed winner in France at three, and Hatalan, placed over seven furlongs at two.
Electrocutionist was originally trained in Italy by Valfredo Valiani, and won his first three starts as a three-year-old before finishing a short-head second to Shirocco in the Group One Gran Premio del Jockey Club over 12 furlongs at San Siro.
He started his four-year-old season with victories in the Group Two Premio Carlo d'Alessio at Capannelle and the Group One Gran Premio di Milano at San Siro, both over 12 furlongs.
For his next outing, he left Italy to contest the Group One Juddmonte International Stakes at York, England, over an extended 10 furlongs. Settled at the back of the field in the early stages, Electrocutionist made
good headway two furlongs from home under Mick Kinane, and stayed on strongly to prevail in a blanket finish from Zenno Rob Roy and Maraahel.
A trip to Canada followed for the Grade One Canadian International at Woodbine over 12 furlongs, but he was unable to secure another victory on the rain-softened ground, finishing third, beaten under six lengths, behind
emphatic winner Relaxed Gesture.
He was subsequently purchased by Godolphin.
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