O’Brien Runners Emerge As World Cup Countdown Continues

$6,000,000 Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic Sponsored by Longines

The seven runners trained in Ireland by Aidan O’Brien made their first appearance on the main track at Meydan on Tuesday morning.

The group was led by Tower Of London followed by Auguste Rodin, Luxembourg, Point Lonsdale, Henry Adams, Navy Seal and Cairo.

Overseeing the exercise was Pat Keating, travelling head lad to the Ballydoyle operation for many years.

“They arrived early on Sunday and they’re all in great form as you can see yourself,” he said. “They just trotted a lap, then cantered for seven furlongs or so. They might go a little bit further as the week goes on but they’re here healthy and well and that’s the main thing.”

Much of the focus among the Irish septet will be on Auguste Rodin, the highest-rated horse at this year’s Dubai World Cup meeting on a mark of 125.

Speaking from Ireland before his horses shipped to Dubai, trainer O’Brien said of last year’s dual Derby, Irish Champion Stakes and Breeders’ Cup Turf winner: “We feel he has matured well from three to four and it goes without saying that we are very excited to get him going again.

“The horse did all his own talking on the track last year, but we really do think that he is a very important horse for the thoroughbred breed. It is a huge thrill to have him back and we can’t wait to see him race.”

Across at the training track Emily Upjohn stretched her legs with a gentle canter as part of the quartet of John and Thady Gosden runners.

“It’s her first time travelling abroad but she seems to have taken it all well and has settled in nicely,” Thady Gosden said.

G1 Hong Kong Vase winner Junko led his Dubai Gold Cup-bound stablemates Sober and Savenna’s Knight in a light breeze on the main turf track, with rider Frank Panicucci at pains not to ask any serious questions of the Intello five-year-old.

Japan’s Liberty Island may be garnering most of the attention from the corps of photographers during the early shifts at Meydan this week.

But the striking features of Justin Palace – who was best of the rest behind the mighty Equinox in last season’s Tenno Sho Autumn – would grace the cover of any magazine.

Having watched him breeze over 1000 metres on the main dirt track, his trainer Haruki Sugiyama said: “He has adapted well to the environment in Dubai and his condition is improving day by day. We galloped him this morning. Taking his breeze in Japan into consideration, we took care not to overwork him. He moved and breathed well.”

$5,000,000 Group 1 Dubai Turf Sponsored by DP World

Lord North and Nashwa stretched their legs with a gentle canter on the training track as part of the quartet of John and Thady Gosden runners.

“They all got here about 2am on Sunday,” Thady Gosden said. “They just had an easy day and we might bring them over to the main track on Thursday.

“Lord North is in good form, this is the fifth year – he’s actually been over here, he also came in 2020 – and he’s won the race three times. He’s travelled over well, he’s an older horse and he’s in good order.

“Nashwa had a great season and has done well during the winter. She seems in good form in what will be a competitive race.”

Luxembourg is next in the Ballydoyle pecking order behind Auguste Rodin in terms of ratings at 122 and returns to the region having run a close fourth in the G2 Neom Turf Cup (2100m) last month in Saudi Arabia. “In his last run in Riyadh we felt they just went too slow for him,” O’Brien said.

“He is a strong galloping horse who will always be favoured by an even or stronger pace. Considering that, we thought he ran well and can step up from that.”

After being confined to the training track on Monday, French-trained challenger Facteur Cheval moved easily on the main dirt track under the watchful gaze of trainer Jerome Reynier.

“I’m very confident in the horse, who always shows up in his races,” said Reynier. “He’s only been out of the places once in his life and as he has grown older and become more mature, we’ve learned more about him.

“Last year there was a big crowd and a lot of noise around the parade ring at Ascot and he handled it very well. I hope he will be the same on Saturday and that he can perform to the same level as he did all last year, maybe better.”

$2,000,000 Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen Sponsored by Nakheel

Yuga Kawada has an enviable book of rides for Saturday night, headlined by Liberty Island and Ushba Tesoro.

In the Golden Shaheen he relies on Remake, who looks to back up after landing the G3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint (1200m) under Kawada on the Saudi Cup undercard.

“We are extremely pleased to have come this far smoothly, especially considering the unfamiliar environments in Saudi Arabia and Dubai,” said Masafumi Matsuda, representing the Koichi Shintani stable. “We are grateful to everyone who has supported us.”

Regarding Remake’s breeze over 1000 metres of the main dirt track, Matsuda added: “We gradually increased the pace from the five-furlong mark to make sure of his responsiveness and balance towards the finish. I am very satisfied with his workout and he showed his speed more than I anticipated.

“I am looking forward to having jockey Kawada on board on Saturday. Over these past few months, I have been given the opportunity to challenge [on the international stage] with Remake. I would like to show my gratitude to his owner, Mr. Koji Maeda, hopefully we can express that with a good result.”

Bhupat Seemar makes a three-strong bid to land a race won by his father Satish with Reynaldothewizard back in 2013.

The Zabeel Stables squad is spearheaded by the 115-rated Tuz, a wide-margin winner of the G3 Dubawi Stakes here in January, whose wheels then spun when sent to Saudi Arabia next up.

“The track is a little bit deeper in Saudi and he likes the very fast ground at Meydan,” said Seemar. “He ran a quicker time than last year’s Golden Shaheen when he won last time out here.

“If he gets a good draw he’ll be rocking and rolling in the front. I’ve had terrible luck with the draws all year so I am hoping the luck is going to change.”

Of Tuz’s stablemates, Seemar said: “We’ve always thought, why is Leading Spirit not a Group horse? We were usually up on the speed with him but what we’ve changed is we are holding him up and he has a very high finishing speed. Maybe we’ve tried it a little bit late in his life as an eight-year-old. Freedom Fighter is another horse who has incredible speed but he has terrible feet. He has never received consistent training in the past but luckily he has been training for the past two months and I am hoping for a good run.”

$1,500,000 Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint Sponsored by Azizi Developments

Frost At Dawn has become quite a focal point when appearing for her morning canters on the dirt track this week, keeping her work rider Abbie Pierce on her toes.

“I’m sure people have seen her on social media, she’s been putting in a nice few bucks before she canters,” trainer William Knight said. “Abbie has been doing a good job, staying on her is the main thing, she’s just well in herself, that’s all it is. There’s no malice there. She had a breeze on Saturday on the training track which all went to plan. She’ll just canter away now moving into the race on Saturday.”

Having only made her racecourse debut at the end of October, it has been an extraordinary progression from the Frosted filly. She booked her ticket for the race with an impressive win in the Group 3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint Sponsored By Emirates Skywards earlier in the month.

Knight said: “To think we’re running on Dubai World Cup night in the Al Quoz Sprint as maybe one of the more fancied horses is crazy really but she’s thrived since she’s been out there. She’s just really enjoying life and you make hay while the sun shines. It’s another step up in grade but I think she deserves to take her chance.”

Diligent Harry had a gentle canter around the Tapeta training track at 8am with trainer Clive Cox on hand.

“He really seems to like the surroundings here and is very happy,” Cox said. “He’s done all his work back home so it’s just going to be a matter of keeping him ticking along.”

$1,000,000 Group 2 UAE Derby Sponsored by Atlantis The Royal

The most recent of Aidan O’Brien’s three victories in this race came via Mendelssohn in 2018, and the perennial Irish Champion trainer is represented by Henry Adams and Navy Seal in his bid to add a fourth.

“Henry Adams is a lovely, big, uncomplicated horse,” the trainer said of the mount of Ryan Moore. “He’s a No Nay Never horse so he could be interesting on the dirt. We will be guided by how he goes there in Dubai as to what he does afterwards.”

As with the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen later on the card, Bhupat Seemar will saddle three runners here.

“Guns And Glory was getting terrible draws every time and finally got a good draw the last time,” said the trainer. “He is a bit of a playboy, he is a very high class horse and with blinkers on him it should do the trick again.

“Looking at Mendelssohn Bay now i think it was a very good decision to miss Super Saturday and come directly to the Derby. He has filled out and he looks different with a nice coat on him. He has got plenty of stamina in his pedigree. We don’t know how good he is but we’ll find out on Saturday.

Seemar added: “Killer Collect is a very big, good looking colt, who has plenty of speed and he stays, a very exciting horse for this year and the next.”

$1,000,000 Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup Sponsored by Al Tayer Motors

Giavellotto, beaten just a length in the G3 Red Sea Turf Handicap (3000m) in Saudi Arabia last time, is a top-class stayer and Lucie Botti, wife and assistant to trainer Marco, is optimistic about his prospects. The five-year-old had a canter on the dirt track on Tuesday.

“He got here around 6am on Sunday and he travelled well, he’s done it before and settled in straight away,” Lucie Botti said. “The weather has been perfect for him. He’s done all the work back at home so it is just steady cantering around. I think Ben [Coen, jockey] will come and ride him once this week before Saturday but he’s pretty much all set.

“It was an amazing run giving weight away in Saudi Arabia, I think the ground was probably a bit too quick for him and it’s a different surface here, which we think is going to suit him better. It’s also level weights and he’s been here before.

“Obviously there’s lots of good horses in the race this year, it’s a decent open field but he’s a good horse.”

The G2 British Champions Long Distance Cup (3100m) winner Trawlerman joined three other John and Thady Gosden stablemates for gentle solo canters on the training track.

“He did well to win the big staying race at Ascot, although he’s been off since then he’s been training well through the spring,” Thady Gosden said.

A multiple Group winner and last year’s Gold Cup second at Royal Ascot, Coltrane looked in sparkling condition as he cantered on the training track under Maddy O’Meara, travelling assistant for trainer Andrew Balding.

“Coltrane is in good spirits, he travelled over well,” O’Meara said. “He’s done all his fitness work at Kingsclere, so won’t be doing anything too strenuous, just long and easy pace canters. He will most likely go onto the main track tomorrow morning and then the main track turf on Thursday.

“He was well behaved on his first day on the track this morning, had a look around and was relaxed.”

$1,000,000 Group 2 Godolphin Mile Sponsored by EMAAR

The Saudi-owned and American-based Saudi Crown continued to make a favourable impression under the Tuesday morning lights at Meydan, earning a big thumbs-up from his work rider Kelvin Gomez coming off the track.

Connections are confident that their charge will put on another bold show in Saturday’s Godolphin Mile.

The four-year-old, who cost $240,000 at the breeze-up sales in Ocala, Florida, in April 2022, exits a strong third behind World Cup aspirants Senor Buscador and Ushba Tesoro in the Saudi Cup five weeks ago. Blake Cox, son of and assistant to trainer Brad Cox, feels that the colt will appreciate the slightly shorter trip of a mile (1600 metres).

“He ran hard in Saudi, but we feel like this distance will suit him nicely,” Cox said. “He’s been here since February 26 and he’s worked three times.

“He looks very good and we are very happy with where he is at.”

Saudi Crown has drawn barrier nine, with defending champion Isolate a possible fly in the ointment for the free-running grey from gate 11.

“The draw isn’t bad, we’ll just have to see what happens and let [jockey] Florent [Geroux] decide what to do,” Cox said.

California trainer Doug O’Neill sent out the popular Hot Rod Charlie to a runner-up effort in the 2022 World Cup, and the barn is set to be represented by Two Rivers Over in this year’s Godolphin Mile.

“We are very happy to be here,” said assistant trainer Leandro Mora. “We have only the one horse, but it’s great to be at Meydan for World Cup night.”

Two Rivers Over, whose sire Tamarkuz won the 2015 Godolphin Mile for the late Sheikh Hamdan and Musabbeh Al Mheiri, landed gate eight during Monday’s draw. The four-year-old has the services of journeyman rider Edwin Maldonado at the weekend.

“Edwin Maldonado is a jockey who likes to ride horses forward, so we are hopeful that he can get him away from the gate well and try to avoid some of the kickback,” Mora said. “The draw doesn’t really matter to us, we just want him to be sharp out of the gate.”

Two Rivers Over broke from the stalls without incident Tuesday morning.

“American gates are a little bit wider and these are a bit more narrow, so some of our horses can be intimidated,” Mora explained. “So we jumped him out and he looked very good.”

Zabeel Stables runs both Remorse and Walk Of Stars, a pair who, on a rating of 107, the official handicapper is unable to split. Trainer Bhupat Seemar said: “We’ve had hiccups with Remorse this season.

“He was only about 60-70 per cent fit for his first run this season. He is such a kind loving horse who wants to give his best every time he runs. Speed usually holds in that race but he’ll be right behind them and he’ll stay.

“Walk of Stars has improved with every run this year on the dirt. He is a horse who has got a lot of ability but he keeps plenty in reserve and that’s why we have blinkers on him. He doesn’t know how good he is and we don’t know how good he is yet.”

$1,000,000 Group 1 Dubai Kahayla Classic Sponsored by One Za’abeel

For the second day the Thomas Fourcy-trained Hadi De Carriere shadowed Dubai Turf candidate Facteur Cheval in an easy canter, the pair moving across from the training track to get a feel of the main dirt track.

A winner of the Obaiya Arabian Classic in Riyadh two seasons ago and now seven years old, Khalifa Bin Sheail Al Kuwari’s son of Nieshan has since been a model of consistency, and was last seen when finishing runner-up in a Group 3 at Casablanca in November.

Fourcy said: “Hadi De Carriere has taken the travel well and he won’t do too much in the way of work this week. He needs to be fresh and he will just have a good canter on Thursday. All the main preparation was done before we left home.”