DUBAI WORLD CUP:
Seeking the Soul, Stewart Set Sail
North America Strong in DWC Work
DUBAI TURF:
Southern Legend Well-Suited
Without Parole Class All Around
DUBAI GOLD CUP:
Call the Wind Full of Promise
Platinum Warrior Brings Sadler Back
GODOLPHIN MILE:
G1 Winner Nonkono Yume Brings Class
Caribou Club out to Conquer More
DUBAI WORLD CUP:
SEEKING THE SOUL, STEWART SET SAIL
Doubt Dallas Stewart’s chances at your own risk.
Too many times has the equal parts charismatic-and-capable conditioner brought a horse into a big race who seemed a cut below the best and proceeded to take home a considerable chunk of the purse. The names have been written about ad nauseam—Lemons Forever (47-1, 1st, Kentucky Oaks), Unbridled Elaine (13-1, 1st, Breeders’ Cup Distaff), Golden Soul (34-1, 2nd, Kentucky Derby), Commanding Curve (37-1, 2nd, Kentucky Derby), Macho Again (40-1, 2nd, Preakness Stakes), Tale of Verve (30-1, 2nd, Preakness Stakes), etc.—horses who outran their odds in America’s most prestigious races.
Now Stewart is after the ultimate bite of the biggest pie around—the $12 million Dubai World Cup sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1).
NORTH AMERICA STRONG IN DWC WORK
Dubai World Cup sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1) favourite North America continues to prepare like the horse-to-beat should, drilling with impressive ease on Tuesday morning at trainer Satish Seemar’s Zabeel Stables near the DIFC area of Dubai. Jockey Richard Mullen was in the saddle on the son of Dubawi as he went out to the 1800m dirt oval with a gallop partner, cantered a lap and then breezed a brisk 1400m (seven furlongs) in 1:27 flat. The move was his last serious breeze before a maintenance work early next week.
According to assistant trainer Bhupat Seemar, the lightly campaigned 7-year-old gelding finished his final three 200m (furlong) splits in 11.9, 11.8 and 11.6 seconds. He now heads to the $12 million iconic affair for a bit of redemption after missing the start in 2018, when coming in fresh off a dominant victory in the course and distance prep, Super Saturday’s Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 (G1).
In addition to arch rival and defending Dubai World Cup winner Thunder Snow, North America’s likely foes include 2019 Round 3 winner Capezzano, American G1 winners Seeking the Soul, Pavel, Yoshida and Audible, as well as Japan’s K T Brave, South Korea’s Dolkong and the classy G1-placed quartet of New Trails, Axelrod, Gronkowski and Gunnevera.
DWC Watch: Thunder Snow, North America, Capezzano, Axelrod, Audible, Yoshida, Gunnevera, K T Brave, Seeking the Soul, Dabster and Gronkowski.
DUBAI TURF:
SOUTHERN LEGEND WELL-SUITED
Quality Hong Kong-based miler Southern Legend will be pointed west in search of an inaugural Dubai World Cup card victory for trainer Caspar Fownes. Ever-consistent, the 6-year-old gelding ran second to dual Group 1 winner Exultant in the Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (G1) over 2000m on his most recent outing in mid-February and is taking dead-aim on the $6 million Dubai Turf sponsored by DP World (G1).
“He flies to Dubai on the 19th,” Fownes said. “He’s galloped since his last run. We’ll just keep ticking over towards the race. He is very well and obviously that effort last time out in the Gold Cup against our best middle-distance horses was huge.”
WITHOUT PAROLE CLASS ALL AROUND
When John Gosden sends a horse to the racecourse, no matter where in the world that may be, it is easy to assume he is not in it for the gallop. The conditioner has proven himself as a master of his craft time and time again and enjoyed a stellar 2018 courtesy of Roaring Lion, Too Darn Hot, Stradivarius, Cracksman, Enable and Without Parole.
Although runners in Dubai are relatively rare for Gosden, he has had marked success here with Dar Re Mi and Jack Hobbs in the $6 million Longines Dubai Sheema Classic (G1). This year it looks likely that his St James’s Palace (G1) winner, the aforementioned Without Parole, will make the trip and is being aimed at the $6 million Dubai Turf sponsored by DP World (G1).
Others currently aiming toward the Dubai Turf are Dream Castle, I Can Fly, Southern Legend, Yulong Prince, Lord Glitters, Wootton, Century Dream, Deirdre, Vivlos, Majestic Mambo and Mountain Hunter.
DT Watch: Almond Eye, Dream Castle, Without Parole, I Can Fly, Wootton, Century Dream, Vivlos, Southern Legend and Deirdre.
DUBAI GOLD CUP:
PLATINUM WARRIOR BRINGS SADLER BACK
John Sadler does not ship from California often, but when he does, he can be quite a force with which to reckon. Fresh off a brilliant 2018 in which his Accelerate was an absolute star, including a victory in the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), he looks to add some gloss to his 2019 season when returning to Dubai for the first time in a decade.
Topping those expected to take on Platinum Warrior is the daunting Godolphin-Charlie Appleby duo of Melbourne Cup (G1) hero Cross Counter and Group 2 winner Ispolini, as well as Prix du Cadran (G1) winner Call the Wind. Other probables are Melbourne Cup-placed Prince of Arran, South African G1 winner Marinaresco, Hong Kong-based Gold Mount and locally based trio Team Talk, Sharpalo and Red Galileo.
CALL THE WIND FULL OF PROMISE
Two things are certain about Call the Wind — you cannot doubt his connections or pedigree—but it is the uncertainty that provides the most excitement for the well-bred and lightly raced son of Frankel. A George Strawbridge homebred, he is trained by top-class conditioner Freddy Head and appears, at age five, to be on the cusp of what could be a defining season when he starts in the $1.5 million Dubai Gold Cup sponsored by Al Tayer Motors (G2) on Dubai World Cup day.
DGC Watch: Ispolini, Cross Counter, Call the Wind, Weekender, Prince of Arran, Platinum Warrior, Red Galileo and Bin Battuta.
GODOLPHIN MILE:
G1 WINNER NONKONO YUME BRINGS CLASS
Joining the likes of Almond Eye (Dubai Turf), Matera Sky (Dubai Golden Shaheen) and Rey de Oro (Longines Dubai Sheema Classic), Chizu Yoshida’s Nonkono Yume is another Japanese star travelling to the UAE to attempt to capitalise on the lucrative prize money on offer, with $1.5 million available in the Group 2 Godolphin Mile sponsored by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum City—District One for the accomplished charge.
A winner of eight races in Japan, the gelding is making his first trip to Dubai and brings no small amount of class to the field in his attempt to become only the third Japanese runner—joining Utopia (2006 Godolphin Mile) and Lani (2016 UAE Derby)—to win a dirt race on Dubai World Cup night.
GM Watch: Muntazah, Coal Front, Heavy Metal, Kimbear, True Timber, Nonkono Yume, Good Curry, African Ride, Secret Ambition and Musawaat.
NB: The lists are ultimately tentative until official invitations are announced and a field of probables take shape, but it is good to keep a ‘watch’ on those who have announced that they are possible for the race.
AL QUOZ SPRINT:
CARIBOU CLUB OUT TO CONQUER MORE
After much debate, the connections of $2 million Al Quoz Sprint sponsored by Azizi Developments (G1) contender Caribou Club initially decided they would bypass a trip to Dubai this year with the chestnut gelding. Thanks to some extenuating circumstances, the veteran runner who already owns a win over a divisional champion this year will get to flaunt his talents on an international stage after all.
In his seasonal bow, Caribou Club delivered a shot across the bow when he handily bested two-time Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) hero and 2018 Al Quoz Sprint runner-up Stormy Liberal in the Joe Hernandez Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park on Jan.1
One of the deepest races of the card, the Al Quoz Sprint is topped by local star and Royal Ascot G1 winner Blue Point, as well as Australian G1 winners Brave Smash and Viddora, UK sprint star Sands of Mali and top-class American mare Belvoir Bay. Others in the running are 2017 winner The Right Man, as well as Mazzini, Ekhtiyaar, Wishful Thinking, Illustrious Lad and Lost Treasure.
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