Arrogate injects life into Cup
PROMOTING DUBAI AS ONE OF THE BEST SPORTING VENUES VITAL TO SHEIKH MOHAMMED
SA horse whisperer off to Dubai to sort out Fawree’s bad behaviour in the stalls.
Super Saturday saw the final pieces slotted into the jigsaw for Dubai World Cup Night at Meydan on 25 March, but 24 hours earlier Sheikh Mohammed was all smiles when receiving news that Khalid Abdullah’s Arrogate, the best racehorse on the globe, had been given the green light to contest the US$10million feature.
Godolphin is a massive part of Sheikh Mohammed’s life, but even more important to him is the future of Dubai and promoting it as one of the best sporting venues anywhere on the planet.
The World Cup was the brainchild of the Sheikh and his brothers, but he was never more pleased to be wiped out in a race than he was in the inaugural running in 1996.
Godolphin boasted four of the 11 runners, but the Sheikh knew that if the triple American challenge fell flat on its face that first year they would have no hesitation in saying “thanks and enjoy your party in the desert – we won’t be coming back as with the Breeders Cup and US Triple Crown races we have plenty to entertain us at home”.
In the event, Cigar, Soul Of The Matter and L’Carriere finished first, second and third for the Stars and Stripes, and since then America have emerged triumphant a further nine times, celebrating victory with such phenomenal dirt champions as Silver Charm, California Chrome and Animal Kingdom.
With last year’s hero California Chrome now standing at stud in Kentucky, the latest renewal had an ordinary look about it and badly needed an injection of class, so when Juddmonte International gave the thumbs-up for Saudi-owned Arrogate, who beat “Chromie” in the Breeders Cup Classic and then went on to sail home in the Pegasus International in Florida, the Sheikh was “absolutely delighted”.
As a betting medium, the Dubai World Cup is now obviously as flat as the archetypal American racetrack, with Arrogate at odds around 2-5, but if you are putting up mega bucks for a horse race you want the international elite to be there and getting Bob Baffert’s superstar to Dubai became the number one priority the moment he passed the post at Santa Anita in November.
Baffert, speaking from California, said: “Arrogate’s last piece of work was fantastic and he’ll do one more similar blast before he leaves for Dubai next Monday.
“Last time I was in Dubai I had a few problems with my heart, but all’s well now and, having won the race with both Silver Charm and Captain Steve, it would be great to go back and lift that trophy for a third time.”
Mike de Kock has also enjoyed some magical times in Dubai, but South Africa’s most celebrated trainer, who clocked up his 3,000th winner at Turffontein last weekend, has revealed he might not be such a big supporter of next year’s Carnival.
De Kock, whose jubilation was tempered when last year’s Dubai Turf fourth Ertijaal, a Cape Derby hero in 2015, had to be put down after fracturing a sesamoid soon after the start in Saturday’s Grade 1 Jebel Hatta, admits that he is “going to have to think things over” with regards 2018.
He said: “Dubai has been great for us, but this year our stable yard has been more like a hospital than a racing stable, and I have never known an injury rate like it all the years we have been coming.
“The welfare of the horses and the cost for the owners has to be our priority, and we might have to consider doing our preparation work in England next year, and any horses which are suitable for Dubai can be shipped in late and run off the plane.”
Meydan proved anything but a Super Saturday for De Kock, with his smart maiden winner Fawree, a strong favourite for the Listed Al Bastakiya, unshipping Bernard Fayd’Herbe after breaking out of the stalls.
De Kock still hopes to run Fawree in the UAE Derby on World Cup Night but accepts it is going to be a race against time to get him ready to pass the mandatory stalls test.
He said: “It’s been well documented how much trouble we have had with Fawree at the stalls, but the last twice he has been fine. The trouble is the moment you remove the hood he jumps, and unfortunately this time it came off a split second before the starter pressed the button.
“Consequently we have hired South African horse whisperer Malan du Toit to fly in to Dubai, and he has two weeks to sort out Fawree’s problems. It will be a shame if we don’t make the UAE Derby as he is a colt with a lot of talent.”
UK-based jockey Andrea Atzeni experienced mixed fortunes at Meydan, suffering a surprise reverse on 2-5 favourite Postponed in the City of Gold – the Sardinian encountered more traffic problems than he’d find in the Johannesburg rush-hour as he failed to reel in Godolphin’s Prize Money – but enjoying a luckier run through the pack on Decorated Knight to win the Jebel Hatta.
“One of those days” is how Newmarket trainer Roger Varian summed up Postponed nightmare run, but he takes the view the race will have “knocked off the cobwebs” and remains positive about the colt retaining his crown in the Sheema Classic, in which he will again meet Prize Money who won’t have the advantage in the rematch of being the fitter horse.
Postponed remains marketleader for that race, but Decorated Knight, who had the gears to get himself out of a pocket, is available at 8-1 for the Turf which looks like being one of the hottest races of the night a fortnight on Saturday.
Finally, still gloating after passing on my Newmarket mole’s recommendation for 9-2 debutant Harlow last week, I can pass on another good work from HQ for Godolphin’s newcomer HOLD SWAY in the 1600m maiden at Kempton this evening.
This Dubawi half-brother to Middle Park Stakes winner Charming Thought has been shaping up well on the Heath, and, drawn well in a race in which those with previous experience look distinctly average, he can win at the first time of asking.