Luca Cumani was left fighting back the tears as Presvis finally came good in the Dubai Duty Free under the floodlights at Meydan.
Held up in rear as usual, the seven-year-old took a keen hold in the hands of Ryan Moore as Beauty Flash cut out the early running.
The ex-Sir Michael Stoute-trained Strawberrydaiquiri went for home off the bend but Moore was soon spotted slicing through the pack as the gaps came at the right time.
Eleventh last year and second in 2009, Presvis (5-1 fav) engaged top gear just over a furlong (200m) out and really put his head down to see off South African mare River Jetez by three-quarters of a length in a driving finish.
“It was a great ride – Ryan always rides him like that, but he was really fantastic,” an emotional Cumani said.
“He’s a seven-year-old and I owe this horse so much.
“We will go to Hong Kong now, and the only pity is that it is on the same day as the Thousand Guineas (May 1) so I don’t know who will be able to ride.”
Presvis is likely to be back next year for his fourth tilt at the race.
“We go to Hong Kong, then Singapore and then he will have a break back at the stud and we’ll start all over again,” Cumani said.
Presvis is a seasoned international campaigner and won the 2009 QEII Cup in Hong Kong and ran second in the race in April last year.
PA AAP TURF
