RRR Racing's Switzerland ran the race of his life March 26 in the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen Sponsored by Atlantis Dubai Group (G1) at Meydan.
The exported 8-year-old Speightstown gelding, now based in Dubai for his owners and trainer Bhupat Seemar, rebounded from a sixth in the Feb. 26 Saudia Riyadh Dirt Sprint (G3) to win for the first time at the top level Saturday. He also became the oldest winner in the race's history.
Ridden by Tadhg O'Shea, who also secured his first group 1 victory, Switzerland raced just off the swift early pace set by Drain the Clock in the 1,200-meter (six-furlong) contest, then bid for the lead, secured it, and drew away to a 1 3/4-length win. Red Le Zele was second for a second consecutive season, and American hope Dr. Schivel finished third over Chain of Love. The final time was 1:11.13.
Seemar, who is enjoying his first season with a training license, said: "It's such a fantastic result. We've always really liked the horse. Tadgh and I spoke this morning and made a plan. Knew there'd be plenty of pace in the race so wanted to pick up the pieces. Turning for home, Tadgh said we'd just go with one kick. We'll look to bring him back next year and you never know, even at eight there could be some more improvement in him. It's a fantastic team we have behind us and I need to thank so many people, I'm in a very privileged position."
"There was a lot speed on and this horse excels in a truly run race," O'Shea reported. "We were the outsider today and I said to Bhupat, 'Let's ride him accordingly. There's no point putting him in the race and getting him in a speed duel.' So we rode him like we did in the Al Garhoud Sprint (at Meydan Jan. 1), and if he shows that turn of foot he'd be competitive.
"Thankfully it all worked and he's a horse who grew in confidence as the race went on. They were starting to stop and flounder and he was coming harder on the bridle—so it was fantastic."
O'Shea added: "He came back from Saudi Arabia with a dirty scope and he was drawn bad there. It was a shame I couldn't go and ride him there but he's come back better than ever, I'd say that's a career-best. It's my first group 1 winner and I'm in the (age) 40 club! I have a good mate Adrian Nicholls who said 'Don't give up, it'll come.'"
Yuga Kawada, rider of runner-up Red Le Zele, said: "It was a good result. He likes to do his running at the back of the field in a 1200-meter race. That's just his style and he did the same here, and I had a very good feeling about him doing well going into this but there was too much ground to make up in the end. But it was a good race and I'm happy with the way he went."
Bred in Kentucky by Branch Family Trust, Switzerland is the third foal out of the grade 3-placed Indian Charlie mare Czechers, whose last reported foal is a full brother to Switzerland that sold for $350,000 to Cece Stables from Bedouin Bloodstock's consignment to the 2021 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.
Switzerland was pinhooked first as a weanling and again as a yearling, then was purchased for a third time by I.B.S. for $500,000 from the McKathan Brothers consignment to the 2016 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. After running for Woodford Racing through eight starts with Chad Brown, he was moved by Woodford to Steve Asmussen's stable and picked up victories in the 2018 Maryland Sprint Stakes (G3) at Pimlico Race Course and the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) at Laurel Park.
Purchased privately by Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, the owner of RRR Racing, Switzerland made six additional starts in the United States with Asmussen before he was exported to Dubai. He was first trained by Doug Watson, then Satish Seemar, and then was transferred to Seemar's nephew and former assistant Bhupat Seemar, who has been his trainer of record for the past three starts.
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Bhupat Seemar took out his license in November 2021 and took over the training of his uncle's runners when the elder Seemar had his license suspended after being placed on a U.S. sanctions list because of his connection to Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of the Chechen Republic, for whom he trained group 1 winner North America.
With an 8-3-4 record from 27 starts, Switzerland's earnings now stand at $1,869,052.
