Baffert chases fourth Dubai Cup victory
• Champions’ trainer confident West Coast will outrun opponents in Saturday’s $10m sprint at Meydan Racecourse
Legendary American trainer Bob Baffert says he is confident that his runner, West Coast, can provide him with a fourth Dubai World Cup win in Saturday’s $10m race at Meydan Racecourse.
The 65-year-old, who has trained champions such as American Pharoah and Arrogate, was in an upbeat mood when interviewed on his arrival in Dubai.
“I don’t want to jinx myself, but I feel confident about West Coast’s chance,” said Baffert.
UK bookies quote the horse, to be ridden by Javier Castellano, as the 4-5 favourite.
“He’s held his form since the Pegasus and worked really well before we came over here. He looks happy, strong and healthy.
“This is West Coast’s chance to do what all those top horses have achieved — he’s the best older horse in the US right now and he’s just getting better and better. He’s pretty exciting and the raw talent is there,” said Baffert.
He feels the Andre Fabretrained runner Talismanic — an 8-1 chance in the ante-post market — is his main danger. Forever Unbridled and North America are also 8-1 chances in the betting followed by Thunder Snow at 10-1.
If UK bookies have got their sums right, the best that South African trainer Mike de Kock can hope for with his two runners is to earn a place cheque. Both Janoobi, who runs in the Dubai Turf, and Al Sahem, who contests the Gold Cup, are 20-1 chances in their respective races.
Nevertheless, De Kock has done well with Janoobi, the dual SA Guineas winner, with excellent runs in the grade 2 Zabeel Mile and Jebel Hatta. The four-year-old will earn a decent cheque if he finishes in the first four.
Janoobi’s rivals include Benbatl, who is the 4-1 favourite, followed by Neorealism and Lancaster Bomber — the mount of Ryan Moore — both quoted at 6-1. Other runners in the race include Vivios (7-1), Trans Fluors (9-1) and Monarchs Glen (10-1).
Bookmakers might be taking a chance offering 20-1 on Al Sahem in the Gold Cup as last season’s SA Derby winner looks to have peaked at the right time and could prove a lucrative place bet. He is reunited with jockey Anthony Delpech, who was in the saddle for his Derby triumph.
The popular UK stayer Big Orange, the mount of Frankie Dettori, is set to start despite suffering a minor setback on Monday, so this could open the door for the 9-4 second favourite Vazirabad to take top honours.
Dettori has also been booked for Sir Michael Stoute’s runner Poet’s Word in the Sheema Classic. A dual grade 1 winner in the UK, the horse failed to fire when running in Hong Kong in December.
A stable spokesman said: “I imagine Cloth Of Stars will be favourite and there are good Japanese horses in the field, but this is Poet’s Word’s best distance and he is ready for something like this.”
One of the best races at the meeting should be the Godolphin Mile in which Heavy Metal, Economic
Model and Kimbear dominate the ante-post betting. Heavy Metal is quoted the 9-4 favourite, but Kimbear, trained by Doug Watson whose runners always have to be feared in Dubai, looks a more appealing bet at 7-2.