Special Fighter, the dark horse
Former Dubai World Cup winner Fernando Jara brimming with confidence
dubai — The Dubai World Cup, the richest horse race in the world, has again attracted a stellar field with the American horse California Chrome again being talked up along with Godolphin’s Frosted.
They indeed are the favourites but if Fernando Jara and Musabah Al Muhairi are to be believed, Special Fighter could cause an upset.
The jockey and trainer saw something in the five-year-old son of Teofilo and they stood vindicated after Special Fighter put the big names to shade to land Round 3 of the Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge on Super Saturday, the dress rehearsal for the Dubai World Cup.
And Panamanian jockey Jara, a Dubai World Cup winner with the Kiaran McLaughlin-trained Invasor at Nad Al Sheba in 2007, felt Special Fighter has what it takes to win at Meydan Racecourse on Saturday night.
“Actually, you know, I was very impressed with the way he ran last time,” Jara said at the Meydan Racecourse on Thursday morning.
“We were expecting a big run from him but he exceeded my expectations that night. The previous two races, I won on him and I always felt that there was something left there and last time, he won convincingly and I was very impressed. He got a good finish and after the finish it felt like he wants to keep going,” he added.
Special Fighter blazed away and left the field behind to win by 4.5
We were expecting a big run from him but he exceeded my expectations that night. The previous two races, I won on him and I always felt that there was something left there and last time, he won convincingly and I was very impressed
Fernando Jara
lengths on Super Saturday.
Special Fighter will be up against runners who have a rich CV and Jara, the Oasis 1 Stables jockey, said he would have to raise his ‘A’ game.
“Definitely, he will have to raise his ‘A’ game and he will maybe have to run harder than last time. He broke the track record and everything and he convinced us the other night. But those two horses (California Chrome and Frosted), I think, they are pretty good and the whole field I think is very competitive. But he is doing pretty good, so I’m hoping for a good run,” he said.
There is so much confidence in Special Fighter that Jara said he would be disappointed if they couldn’t come up with a good run.
“He (Special Fighter) is in good form and we have no excuses. So, like I said before, we are hoping for a big run. I will be very disappointed if we don’t do a good race,” said Jara.
Jara was also pleased with the draw with Special Fighter breaking from post 5. “I think it is a good draw. I was very happy when we got that draw. So, hopefully, we will get a good break and see where are going to be,” said the 28-year-old who won the Belmont Stakes on Jazil in 2006.
Going down memory lane, Jara said it was amazing to win the Dubai World Cup onboard Invasor in 2007.
“It was a very, very special night for me. Of course, as a jockey, for everyone, wants to be involved on such a great night. And to win it, it was something really special and amazing,” he said.