Gold In Dubai gives Riley a boost

Mark Riley is looking forward to the spring with talented juvenile Gold In Dubai after he gave him one of the most satisfying wins of his riding and training career at Caulfield.

Having only his second start, the Desert Sun two-year-old raced handy to lead in the Listed Blue Sapphire Stakes (1200m) and got home by a half neck from Turquia and the fast finishing Lucky Thunder.

The race was robbed of much interest when the unbeaten odds-on favourite Ortensia was scratched at the barrier on veterinary advice when found to be sore behind after flipping over in the mounting yard and pulling a hind plate.

Riley said Gold In Dubai was an exciting horse and paid tribute to co-owner and former Melbourne Racing Club committeeman Kevin Heffernan who has been his biggest supporter since he began training horses 17 years ago.

"I don't reckon I have had a bigger thrill ever in my life than to win this race for Kevin," Riley said.

"To be part of the horse with Kevin is absolutely fantastic."

Gold In Dubai was a headstrong gelding and Heffernan was so grateful that Riley agreed to train the horse that he gave him 25 per cent interest over lunch one day.

"It was the cheapest lunch I have ever had," Riley said.

He said he owed Heffernan so much for sticking by him through some troubled times with racing authorities In Melbourne and Dubai in the last decade.

"He has been most steadfast of people you could ever count on," Riley said.

"He has stuck with me through thick and thin, all the way through the colourful times in my career when he was advised not to.

"If you have loyalty you have everything."

When training in Melbourne in 2000, Riley was disqualified for two years over charges relating to having prohibited electrical gear in his stable.

He was also sent home after three months in Dubai for alleged use of a stock whip.

But Riley has always had talent. As a jockey he won the 1979 Oakleigh Plate on Mistress Anne and trained Mookta to win the 1993 Oakleigh Plate and 1994 Newmarket Handicap.

For the past two years he has trained a team of about 12 horse at Mornington and Gold In Dubai was his first city winner since the Heffernan-owned Gold Salute scored at Sandown last August.

At his only other start, Gold In Dubai finished second to the impressive David Hayes-trained Nicconi at Sandown on April 26.

He wore blinkers at his debut but he raced without them in the Blue Sapphire which will be his last run before the spring.

"He had four trials and every time he improved and every time he has gone to the races he's improved," Riley said.

"We took the blinkers off today and he relaxed lovely,"

Jockey Michael Rodd vowed to stick with Gold In Dubai who he believes still has much to offer.

"He still has no idea what it is all about," Rodd said.

"On the home turn I thought he was going to tail out but when I gave him a backhander he just kept coming and coming.

"It was just talent that got him over the line."