Al Shaqab On Top of the World
AL SHAQAB ON TOP OF THE WORLD
By Michele MacDonald
Spontaneous groans and relieved smiles took their turns on Dubai’s IMAX theater stage as connections of the 16 horses that will vie for racing’s biggest prize, the $10 million G1 Dubai World Cup sponsored by Emirates Airlines, drew post positions in an elaborate ceremony yesterday.
As delighted as any of the participants who drew the most coveted numbers was Harry Herbert, Racing Advisor to Qatari Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani’s Al Shaqab Racing, which sealed a last moment deal with Coolmore to purchase an interest in G1 Investec Derby winner Ruler of The World (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
Following the script of the draw, Herbert sprang to the stage when an Emirates flight attendant selected a small model of the airline’s A380 plane out of 16 such models on display and found Ruler of The World’s name attached underneath it. Herbert then chose one of 16 small models of a traditional Arabian wind tower, under which was pasted the number 12.
Regardless of the post position, Herbert emphasized that everyone in the Al Shaqab organization, which is rapidly establishing itself as a force with which to be reckoned in racing, is just happy to be represented in the 19th running of the Dubai World Cup Mar. 29 at Meydan.
“It’s very exciting. Sheikh Joaan and Al Shaqab Racing are thrilled to get involved with the horse and very thankful to John Magnier and the [Coolmore] team,” Herbert said. The official program lists Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith remaining as co-owners of the 2013 English and Irish highweight. Ruler of The World has not raced since his third-place effort in the G1 Champion S. at Ascot in October.
While an outside post did not dampen the spirit of the ebullient Herbert, others clearly suffered figurative daggers to the heart after drawing unfavorable numbers. Nicholas Bachalard, former assistant to Christophe Clement who is training multiple American Grade I winner Ron the Greek (Full Mandate) for Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and his sons, picked No. 16 and noted that everyone could relax since he got the worst number.
Yet Bachalard tried to look on the bright side. “He’s prepared very well and we’ve been very happy with that,” he said. Racing in Saudi Arabia as Wattani, Ron the Greek won a Feb. 15 allowance race over 1800 meters on dirt; he will be ridden in the Dubai World Cup by Jose Lezcano, who guided him to victory in the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park last fall.
Along with Bachalard, Mickael Barzalona was crestfallen after his selection of No. 15 for his Godolphin mount, Cat O’Mountain (Street Cry {Ire}), one of a pair in the race trained by Charlie Appleby, whose other runner, Vancouverite (GB) (Dansili {GB}) will start from post three. “With this draw, it will not be very easy,” murmured Barzalona, looking down at the floor.
William Haggas, who trains Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum’s Mukhadram (GB) (Shamardal), was equally displeased with No. 13.
“I’d have preferred a low [number], but there you go. There’s nothing you can do about the draw or the [unusually rainy] weather so you just have to get on with it,” said Haggas.
The only trainer not displeased with an outside post was Ed Dunlop, who selected No. 14 for Red Cadeaux (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}), the big chestnut gelding who finished second in the 2013 Dubai World Cup to Animal Kingdom (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}).
“We’re always going to take our time [during the early going of the race], so I don’t think it matters,” said Dunlop, adding that he would be very pleased if Red Cadeaux finished second again. While the World Cup winner collects $6 million, the runner-up earns a hefty $2 million consolation prize.
Two of the happiest people on stage during the ceremony were Hong Kong-based trainers John Moore and Richard Gibson, who respectively drew posts eight and four for their charges Military Attack (Ire) (Oratorio {Ire}), the reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year, and Akeed Mofeed (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), winner of the G1 Hong Kong Cup in December.
“That’s exactly what I wanted,” said Moore of post eight. “We’re looking forward to the challenge and I’m sure the two Hong Kong horses will do very well.”
Gibson smiled when told the four post has produced the most winners over course and distance at Meydan. “All the bad draws had gone, so the pressure was off,” Gibson said, quipping “thanks guys” to his colleagues who had selected the undesirable posts.
Saeed bin Suroor, who has saddled more Dubai World Cup winners than any other trainer with five, will send out two runners: Prince Bishop (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), winner of the top local prep race for the World Cup, the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge Round III, and 2012 G2 Godolphin Mile winner African Story (GB) (Pivotal {GB}).
Starting from the rail, Prince Bishop “will need luck in the race,” said bin Suroor, who praised the 7-year-old gelding as “a better horse by far” this year compared to previous seasons. Kieren Fallon will ride and wear the colors of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed al Maktoum.
Jockey Silvestre De Sousa drew post six for Godolphin’s African Story and said he felt it was right where he wanted to be in the race.
The fields for all five Group 1s on Saturday’s Dubai World Cup card are as follows.
Saturday, Meydan, Dubai, post time: 2:05 p.m. EDT
DUBAI WORLD CUP-G1, $10,000,000, NH 4yo/up & SH 3yo/up, 2000m(AWT)
PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER
1 Prince Bishop (Ire) Dubawi (Ire) Fallon bin Suroor
2 Belshazzar (Jpn) King Kamehameha (Jpn) Lemaire Matsuda
3 Vancouverite (GB) Dansili (GB) Buick Appleby
4 Akeed Mofeed (GB) Dubawi (Ire) Whyte Gibson
5 Sanshaawes (SAf) Ashawees Soumillon de Kock
6 African Story (GB) Pivotal (GB) De Sousa bin Suroor
7 Hillstar (GB) Danehill Dancer (Ire) Moore Stoute
8 Military Attack (Ire) Oratorio (Ire) Moreira Moore
9 Side Glance (GB) Passing Glance (GB) Spencer Balding
10 Surfer Distorted Humor Mullen Seemar
11 Hokko Tarumae (Jpn) King Kamehameha (Jpn) Miyuki Nishiura
12 Ruler of the World (Ire) Galileo (Ire) O’Brien O’Brien
13 Mukhadram (GB) Shamardal Hanagan Haggas
14 Red Cadeaux (GB) Cadeaux Genereux (GB) Mosse Dunlop
15 Cat O’Mountain Street Cry (Ire) Barzalona Appleby
16 Ron the Greek Full Mandate Lezcano Bachalard
All carry 125 pounds
Saturday, Meydan, Dubai, post time: 1:17 p.m. EDT
DUBAI SHEEMA CLASSIC-G1, $5,000,000, NH 4yo/up & SH 3yo/up, 2410mT
PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER WT
1 Excellent Result (Ire) Shamardal De Sousa bin Suroor 124
2 Mars (Ire) Galileo (Ire) Hughes de Kock 124
3 Denim and Ruby (Jpn) Deep Impact (Jpn) Hamanaka Sumii 120
4 Magician (Ire) Galileo (Ire) O’Brien O’Brien 124
5 Mount Athos (Ire) Montjeu (Ire) Fallon Botti 125
6 Dunaden (Fr) Nicobar (GB) Spencer Delzangles 125
7 Ambivalent (Ire) Authorized (Ire) Atzeni Varian 121
8 Meandre (Fr) Slickly (Fr) Dobbs Watson 125
9 Festive Cheer (Fr) Montjeu (Ire) Heffernan O’Brien 124
10 Dubday (GB) Dubawi (Ire) Dettori Ghazali 124
11 Twilight Eclipse K Purim Lezcano Albertrani 125
12 Gentildonna (Jpn) Deep Impact (Jpn) Moore Ishizaka 121
13 Empoli (Ger) Halling de Vries Schiergen 124
Saturday, Meydan, Dubai, post time: 12:39 p.m. EDT
DUBAI DUTY FREE-G1, $5,000,000, NH 4yo/up & SH 3yo/up, 1800mT
PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER
1 Mshawish K Medaglia d’Oro Dettori Delzangles
2 Just A Way (Jpn) Heart’s Cry (Jpn) Fukunaga Sugai
3 Anaerobio (Arg) Catcher in the Rye (Ire) Marcus de Kock
4 The Fugue (GB) Dansili (GB) Buick Gosden
5 Educate (GB) Echo of Light (GB) Guyon Mohammed
6 Tokei Halo (Jpn) Gold Halo (Jpn) Take Shimizu
7 Trade Storm (GB) Trade Fair (GB) Spencer Simcock
8 Tasaday Nayef De Sousa bin Suroor
9 Blazing Speed (GB) Dylan Thomas (Ire) Moreira Cruz
10 Dank (GB) Dansili (GB) Moore Stoute
11 Vercingetorix (SAf) Silvano (Ger) Soumillon de Kock
12 Logotype (Jpn) Lohengrin (Jpn) Demuro Tanaka
13 Hunter’s Light (Ire) Dubawi (Ire) Fallon bin Suroor
All carry 125 pounds bar The Fugue, Tasaday and Dank, 121 pounds.
Saturday, Meydan, Dubai, post time: 11:41 a.m. EDT
DUBAI GOLDEN SHAHEEN-G1, $2,000,000, 3yo/up, 1200m(AWT)
PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER
1 Krypton Factor (GB) Kyllachy (GB) Morris Nass
2 Balmont Mast (Ire) Balmont Moore Lynam
3 Nawwaar Distorted Humor Hanagan Al Raihe
4 Sterling City (Aus) Nadeem (Aus) Moreira Moore
5 Reynaldothewizard K Speightstown Mullen Seemar
6 Zee Bros Brother Derek Dettori Benzel
7 United Color K Ghostzapper Buick Selvaratnm
8 Complicate (Aus) Commands (Aus) De Sousa bin Suroor
9 Russian Soul (Ire) Invincible Spirit (Ire) Foley Halford
10 Jamesie (Ire) Kodiac (GB) Lynch Marnane
11 My Catch (Ire) Camacho (GB) Dobbs Watson
12 Rich Tapestry (Ire) Hly Roman Emperor (Ire) Doleuze Chang
13 Bello (Aus) Exceed and Excel (Aus) Barzalona Appleby
All carry 132 pounds bar My Catch, 123 pounds.
Saturday, Meydan, Dubai, post time: 11:03 a.m. EDT
AL QUOZ SPRINT-G1, $1,000,000, 3yo/up, 1000mT
PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER
1 Joy and Fun (NZ) Cullen (Aus) Doyle Cruz
2 Sole Power (GB) Kyllachy (GB) Moore Lynam
3 Sholaan (Ire) Invincible Spirit (Ire) Buick Selvaratnm
4 Medicean Man (GB) Medicean (GB) Bentley Gask
5 Beat Baby (Ire) Johannesburg Graberg Petersen
6 Hamza (Ire) Amadeus Wolf (GB) Callan Ryan
7 Berlino Di Tiger (Brz) Tiger Heart Goncalves Caramori
8 Amber Sky (Aus) Exceed and Excel (Aus) Moreira Yiu
9 Dux Scholar (GB) Oasis Dream (GB) Dobbs Watson
10 Catcall (Fr) One Cool Cat Peslier Sogorb
11 Ahtoug (GB) Byron (GB) Barzalona Appleby
12 Shea Shea (SAf) National Emblem (SAf) Soumillon de Kock
All carry 125 pounds.