3 minute read

Saturday’s $10 million Dubai World Cup at Meydan promises to be a cracker with a formidable American challenge appearing to hold the strongest hand.

Horses trained in the US have won the world’s most valuable horse race on nine occasions while Godolphin-owned horses have won the race six times.

Those stats suggest Godolphin’s Frosted, trained by Kiaran McLaughlin in America, has a lot in his favour in this World Cup.

McLaughlin, a former multiple UAE champion trainer, has a Dubai World Cup victory to his name having won the race in 2007 with Invasor for Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Frosted has had one start in the UAE, breaking the 1900m dirt track record when landing the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 in early February.

That was supposed to be his first of two prep races but McLaughlin decided to miss Super Saturday and Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3.

“The original idea was to run twice before Saturday,” said McLaughlin.

“We thought he would need his first run to put him spot on but he won so well in the middle round of the Maktoum Challenge we decided to keep him fresh and go straight for the Dubai World Cup.

“He has been in great form since so we are really excited. The draw (9) was kind and he must have a big chance.”

Runner-up in the 2015 Dubai World Cup California Chrome is back for another crack with connections adopting a different approach.

Last year he arrived only the week before and was arguably unlucky in the way the race panned out, having chased a searching early gallop set by Japan’s Hokko Tarumae.

That Japanese rival is back in opposition again but California Chrome looks a different proposition this time.

The Art Sherman-trained runner arrived this year in late January and has a Meydan win to his name, a handicap over the same 2000m as Saturday’s race.

His unorthodox preparation is the same route taken by the 2008 Dubai World Cup winner Curlin. He won the equivalent handicap that year, at Nad Al Sheba racecourse, before landing the world’s richest horse race.

“We brought him over earlier this year,” said assistant trainer, Alan Sherman who has been supervising the horse’s preparation.

“We just felt he would have longer to acclimatise and it would be to his benefit. He won his comeback at home and again on his return here.

“The idea was to have the Dubai World Cup as his third run of 2016 as we really think, after a break, the third run back is the time a horse will peak. Hopefully, that will be the case on Saturday.

“He missed a lot of last year but he returned to training a far bigger, stronger, horse. We could not be more happy with him.”

Frosted will try and emulate Godolphin’s Moon Ballad, winner of Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 before winning the World Cup, whereas Round 3 of the challenge has a stronger history.

All trained by Saeed bin Suroor for Godolphin, Dubai Millennium (2000), Street Cry (2002) and Electrocutionist (2006) all won both races.

The Musabah Al Muhairi-trained Special Fighter will attempt to complete that notable double this year having established a new 2000m track record in Super Saturday’s event.

He and Fernando Jara were able to make all on that occasion and similar tactics could well be employed again from his draw in five.

Al Muhairi said: “We have always maintained he was a serious racehorse and he has proved it now. We know Saturday will be the biggest test but he deserves his place in the race and we are really looking forward to it.”

Second in that Super Saturday race was Hong Kong’s Gun Pit, trained by Caspar Fownes.

“He ran a massive race on Super Saturday and, hopefully, can do so again,”Fownes said.

“Stall three gives him the chance to race handily which really suits him.”

Japan’s Hokko Tarumae is the potential pace angle in the race, just as he did last year when second.

His trainer, Katsuichi Nishiura said: “We’re glad to come back after a brave run last year. We can break to see what the other horses are doing and position ourselves accordingly.”