Eyes of the World on Dubai

EYES OF THE WORLD ON DUBAI 
The racing world will today turn its attention to Meydan Racecourse in Dubai as it hosts the 19th renewal of the $27 million Dubai World Cup program, the world’s richest day of racing. The main event is the $10 million G1 Dubai World Cup, the most valuable race on the globe and a coveted trophy that has been collected by the likes of Cigar, Singspiel (Ire), Silver Charm, Dubai Millennium (GB), Captain Steve, Street Cry (Ire), Pleasantly Perfect, Roses in May, Invasor (Arg), Curlin, Well Armed and Animal Kingdom. A maximum field of 16, including nine Group 1 winners from eight countries, will face the starter in today’s renewal, with early favoritism in many markets falling the way of the appropriately named Ruler of the World (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). The 4-year-old colt, winner of last year’s G1 Investec Derby, already made headlines this week when a 50% interest was sold by John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith to Sheikh Joaan Al Thani’s Al Shaqab Racing, in whose silks jockey Joseph O’Brien will ride today. Unraced as a 2-year-old, Ruler of the World won three of seven starts last year, scoring on debut and adding the G3 Chester Vase prior to his Derby victory. The chestnut struggled home fifth in the G1 Irish Derby, but after a 10 week break ran Kizuna (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) to a short head when second in the G2 Prix Niel at Longchamp. He was seventh in a boggy G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe Oct. 6 before checking in third in the G1 QIPCO Champion S. three weeks later. Ruler of the World has been out since that effort, he will have to buck a strong trend if he is to collect the $6 million winner’s prize: just two of the previous 18 winner’s of the Dubai World Cup have done so without a same-year prep (Singspiel and Almutawakel {GB}), and since the race was moved to Meydan in 2010, the longest gap between races for a winner has been 49 days. Ruler of the World becomes the second Investec Derby winner to try the World Cup–the other, High-Rise (Ire), finished last in 1999. Ruler of the World drew gate 12 at Wednesday’s post position draw–not an ideal slot, but one with recent good fortune after Animal Kingdom won from that gate last year. 
“I know my horse well and on form he has as good a chance as any of the other horses in the race,” Jockey Joseph O’Brien told Gulf News. “I would say the unknowns, like the surface and a far from ideal draw, things that haven’t been too favorable to us, are more of a concern. But he’s a good horse though and has a good attitude so we’re hoping he can run a big race.” 
On the significance of the race itself, O’Brien added: “It’s the greatest race in the world and a very competitive race every year. The best horses, the best jockeys, the best trainers and the biggest owners from around the world turn up here so it will mean everything for me to win.” 

Hong Kong’s Two-Pronged Attack… 
Hong Kong has deployed a formidable contingent for the World Cup card, headed by Military Attack (Ire) (Oratorio {Ire}) and Akeed Mofeed (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the main event. Military Attack last year collected a pair of international Group 1s–the QEII Cup in Hong Kong and the Singapore Airlines International Cup–over this 2000 meter World Cup distance. Off for five months after his Singapore exploits, the now 6-year-old failed to win in three subsequent starts last year, but he was not disgraced. He finished 1 1/2 lengths behind Akeed Mofeed in fourth in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup, and filled the same position when resuming Jan. 19 in the HKG1 Stewards’ Cup. He got back to his winning ways in stylish fashion Feb. 23, dusting G1 Champions Mile winner Dan Excel (Ire) (Shamardal) by three lengths while defending his title in the 2000 meter HKG1 Hong Kong Gold Cup. G1 Dubai Sheema Classic contender Dominant (Ire) (Cacique {Ire}) was third, while Akeed Mofeed, who kicked off his 2014 campaign with a victory in the HKG3 Centenary Vase Feb. 2, was back in fifth. Last year’s HKG1 Hong Kong Derby winner, Akeed Mofeed was not quite up to the task of defeating Military Attack in the QEII Cup, finishing fifth. Rested thereafter, he took a couple outings to get going in the fall, but stamped himself as a Cup contender when second by a head in the HKG2 Longines Jockey Club Cup Nov. 17 four weeks before his greatest victory. After watching Akeed Mofeed stretch his legs at Meydan yesterday, trainer Richard Gibson said: “He’s in really good shape–we’re really pleased. The preparation’s gone well and we’re now just looking forward to the big race. The horse is in fantastic health. We’ve got him 100% and he needs to be 110% for this big race. [Jockey] Douglas [Whyte] rode the horse yesterday and he was really pleased with him, so we just had a nice quiet morning this morning. We will only know about the Tapeta after the race.” While Akeed Mofeed will be trying the all-weather for the first time, Dubawi’s progeny have been known to excel over the Tapeta. 

Godolphin Looks For Number Six… 
Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin is the winningest owner of the Dubai World Cup, having collected the gold trophy on five occasions. Godolphin have four chances today to make it win number six with Prince Bishop (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}),African Story (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), Vancouverite (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and Cat O’Mountain (Street Cry {Ire}), with the former two likely being its best chances. Prince Bishop recorded his first career Group 1 victory at the age of seven last out in the track-and-trip Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 on Super Saturday Mar. 8. The Saeed bin Suroor charge is 
two-for-two this year, having also scooped the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 Feb. 6 (he finished third in both races last year). Prince Bishop invokes memories Godolphin’s Hunter’s Light (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who last year scooped the same two lead up races before finishing seventh in the World Cup. Prince Bishop went wire-to-wire in both Maktoum Challenge wins–a task that will be made more difficult with his rail draw. African Story, the 2012 G2 Godolphin Mile winner, has never won beyond that distance, however, there is still reason to believe he could excel going 2000 meters. Seventh here last year while coming from near last, African story finished second to Prince Bishop in the second round of the Maktoum Challenge, and although only eighth in the third round, the 7-year-old gelding can be excused after slamming his head in the starting gate. 

De Kock Looks for Elusive Victory… 
South Africa’s champion trainer Mike de Kock, a stalwart on the Dubai circuit, came agonizingly close to clinching a first Dubai World Cup victory when Lizard’s Desire (SAf) (Lizard Island {Aus}) went down my the narrowest of margins in 2010–so close, in fact, that jockey Kevin Shea was confident enough of victory to celebrate on the gallop out. And if you thought de Kock’s 2014 contender, Sanshaawes (SAf) (Ashaawes) boasted shades of Lizard’s Desire, you wouldn’t be alone. Like Lizard’s Desire, Sanshaawes set sail from South African an improving sophomore. In his last start on home turf in February last year he finished third in the G1 Investec Cape Derby. He finished fourth off almost a year’s holiday when debuting in the desert Jan. 23, and won a pair of 2000 meter Tapeta handicaps before overcoming a wide trip to finish second in the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge Mar. 8. The 4-year-old gelding is drawn much more ideally here in gate five. “That was a great effort from a bad draw on Super Saturday,” de Kock said. “We knew when he arrived in Dubai he had a win or two in him but he has excelled our expectations. He is in great form at home but, realistically, we would be delighted with a placed effort.” 
While the U.S. is not represented in this year’s World Cup, it can stake some claim to Ron the Greek (Full Mandate), the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup winner who was subsequently sold to King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia. The 7-year-old was the winner of his lone Saudi start when scoring by 2 1/4 lengths in allowance company Feb. 15, but it up against it in gate 16. His former American jockey Jose Lezcano flies in for the ride. American could also rally behind the pedigree of Surfer (Distorted Humor), a 5-year-old half-brother to G1 Forego S. winner Emcee (Unbridled’s Song). The Zabeel Racing International colorbearer was compromised by a wide draw in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3, but nonetheless made up ground to be third behind Prince Bishop and Sanshaawes. Red Cadeaux (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}) flew up the rail to be second in this spot 12 months ago, and there is nothing in his form to suggest the old warrior can’t hit the board again.