Trackside in Dubai Wednesday

By Michele MacDonald 
With the minutes until race day ticking down, trainers from around the world gathered at Meydan Mar. 25 to put finishing touches on their runners prior to the $30 million Dubai World Cup program. 

Trainer Graham Motion, joined by Electra Niarchos and racing manager Alan Cooper, sent the Niarchos family’s champion Main Sequence (Aldebaran) to the starting gate for a schooling session and a gallop around the main track in what is likely to be his only appearance beyond the secluded training track prior to the $6 million G1 Dubai Sheema Classic. 

“It went fine,” Motion said of the gate visit with Main Sequence, who at times has had his quirky moments in starting gates. “He was a little antsy but that’s him.” 

Main Sequence’s stablemate Quadrivium (Henrythenavigator) also schooled and galloped, pleasing Motion prior to his start in the $1 million G2 Godolphin Mile. 

While the Niarchos family has had a slew of major international runners in Europe and the U.S. over the years, Main Sequence and Quadrivium will break new ground with their starts on what will be the 20th anniversary edition of the Dubai World Cup program. 

“We’re excited to have our first runners here,” Cooper said. “We’ve thought about it a long time but we never had the right material.” 

Another American-based runner who schooled in the starting gate on the sun-splashed morning was Big Macher (Beau Genius), who, according to trainer Richard Baltas, was not a perfect gentleman and thus earned a return visit for his agenda Thursday prior to his start in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen two days later. 

“He’s always been a bad gate horse,” Baltas noted. “I want to be sure he gets a good break. He stumbled a bit in the [GI] Breeders’ Cup [Sprint] and it cost him the race.” 

The starting gate at Meydan is a bit smaller than the gates most tracks in the U.S. use, which may actually be a good thing for Big Macher as he will have less room to move around once he is loaded and thus possibly fewer opportunities to be unprepared for the start, Baltas said. Big Macher drew post six for the race. 

“I think he’s going to be fine,” Baltas added. “He’s doing great here.” 

Secret Circle (Eddington), winner of the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Sprint and runner-up last year, will be next to Big Macher in the starting gate for the 1200 meter Golden Shaheen after drawing post seven. Dana Barnes, who is overseeing the 6-year-old in Dubai for trainer Bob Baffert, said Secret Circle has thrived since arriving in the desert. 
“We’re as good as we can be,” Barnes said. “He has acclimated well. He bounced off the van and has eaten every drop of his food.” 

While most horses have completed their serious works for the races, Zayat Stables’ Prayer for Relief (Jump Start) was sent for a breeze around the track by new trainer Mike de Kock, who has taken over from Dale Romans for the 7-year-old’s start in the Godolphin Mile. The big, dark and handsome Prayer for Relief has cut a striking figure at Meydan and seems to be in excellent health after experiencing some foot problems when he first arrived in Dubai. 
Among the top international horses out for exercise Wednesday was reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year Designs on Rome (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), who cantered on the turf. 

“He did travel particularly well. He looks great in the coat,” said trainer John Moore. “Let him do what he is going to do. Dubai is the number one international meeting for horses to prove what they can do. This is really a testing ground for the horses.” 

Moore planned to send Designs on Rome back to the turf track on Mar. 26 for a bit of speed work and hoped that Joao Moreira’s flight would arrive in Dubai in time for the jockey to climb aboard for the move. 

Japanese Classic winner One and Only (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}), who has been making an excellent impression all week at Meydan, was asked for some speed down the stretch during his appearance on the turf course Wednesday. The Dubai Sheema Classic starter “showed a strong run with big strides in the stretch,” said trainer Kojiro Hashiguichi, who added, “He has [been in] a great mood and I am very happy with his good form.” 

British-based runners, who first cleared quarantine the previous day, seemed more relaxed on their second day of training at Meydan. Dubai World Cup starter Side Glance (GB) (Passing Glance {GB}), who has finished fourth in the world’s richest race for the last two years, galloped on the training track. 

“He is holding his form well,” said trainer Andrew Balding, who will equip the 8-year-old, owned by Qatar’s Pearl Bloodstock, with an eye shield and half-cut blinkers for his first career start on dirt.