Dubai World Cup preview and tips from Martin Kelly


Martin Kelly previews Saturday's Dubai World Cup meeting at Meydan where he expects Zarak to shine for France.

Frenchman Alain De Royer-Dupre has to be one of the canniest minds on the international training circuit and will saddle the best bet of World Cup night when Zarak goes to post in the near £5million Dubai Turf at Meydan.

The former Dubai Duty Free rates as one of the races of the evening with Zarak set to do battle with Jacques Le Marios winner Ribchester, William Haggas’s Mutakayyef and Jebel Hatta winner Decorated Knight amongst others.

This spicy nine-furlong Group One is at the mercy of Royer-Dupre who has sent out an impressive two winners and two placed horses from just nine runners on the big night.

Zarak is already a Meydan winner having landed the Dubai Millennium Stakes here last month in silky-smooth style and he has some of the best form in the race after spending his Classic year chasing home the backside of dual Champion Stakes hero Almanzor – twice finishing second to the great champion including in the French Derby.

As a son of super-stallion Dubawi and top-class Zarkava, he has the pedigree to be brilliant on the track and he has looked a picture during his early-morning workouts.

Having fitness on his side can only be a massive advantage with main rivals Mutakayyef having missed his prep at Lingfield and the free-going Ribchester having his stamina to prove.

Decorated Knight could be the each-way play having won here on Super Saturday but keep focused on Zarak and don’t be surprised to see him become a major force in European mile-and-a-quarter prizes over the summer.

On all known form and being 16lb clear of the field, Arrogate will take some stopping in the feature World Cup.

But at long odds-on he is no betting position and a decent each-way play is Todd Pletcher’s Neolithic, last seen finishing third to Arrogate in the Pegasus Gold Cup.

The four-year-old has only had a handful of starts and still looks to be on the improve.

Neolithic likes to push forward in his races, something which is a huge advantage on the dirt surface at Meydan and most winners on the track this Carnival have come from on the speed.

Godolphin’s Move Up is also worth keeping an eye on after he ran a hugely encouraging race on his dirt debut when fourth in Round Three of the Al Maktoum Challenge, and he also remains unexposed for seven-times World Cup-winning trainer Saeed bin Suroor.

Postponed is a confident pick to retain his crown in the Dubai Sheema Classic despite being beaten in his prep in the City Of Gold – a race which he ran away with last year.

Roger Varian’s six-year-old would have won again that day granted luck in running and he has really blossomed in his wellbeing in recent days.

Highland Reel is a danger if getting loose on the front end, but Postponed readily held him last year and you only have to recall his Coronation Cup win to remember his brilliance.

Varian has been meticulous in the preparation of Postponed and jockey Andrea Atzeni could hardly hide his enthusiasm after riding him in work during the week.

The two-mile Dubai Gold Cup is one of the races of the evening in which eight of the 14 runners could be seriously considered.

Last year’s first and second Vazirabad and Big Orange do battle again, with 2015 Ascot Gold Cup one-two Trip To Paris and Kingfisher also in the line-up, along with Melbourne Cup second Heartbreak City, Ascot Long Distance Cup hero Sheikhzayedroad and Super Saturday winner Beautiful Romance.

Any of those would be worthy winners but I marginally prefer the tough campaigner that is Quest For More, winner of the Prix du Cadran last autumn when beating Vazirabad, before being nailed just two weeks later in the stayers’ race at Ascot.

Roger Charlton’s runner was a model of consistency last year once finding his form in the mid-summer and takes his travels well as we saw when he was an admirable ninth in the 2015 Melbourne Cup.

Ertijaal was second in the Al Quoz Sprint 12 months ago when it was staged over five-furlongs and he has been smashing up the opposition and the track record over that trip during the Carnival.

Jim Crowley told us during the week that the former William Haggas inmate is the best horse he has ridden, but he is back to the new Al Quoz trip of six furlongs and taking on the brilliant July Cup winner Limato.

Henry Candy’s versatile five-year-old kicked off his campaign last year by finishing fourth in the Lockinge, before winning the July Cup and then finding only Nunthorpe-loving Mecca’s Angel too good at York.

He was trapped out wide when last seen at the Breeders’ Cup but is top-rated in the field and can end Ertijaal’s winning run, so long as the rain storms that have plagued Dubai this week don’t appear on World Cup night.

The equivalent race on the dirt, the Golden Shaheen, features several who have been campaigned during the Carnival but Breeders’ Cup Sprint second Mind Your Biscuits can give them all something to think about for rookie trainer Chad Summers, while four-times course-and-distance winner North America looks a good thing to again grind them into submission in the Godolphin Mile.

The UAE Derby is a minefield and anyone brave enough to venture onto it could do worse than look at Aidan O’Brien’s Lancaster Bomber after his second to Guineas favourite Churchill in the Dewhurst.

He went on to be runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, is by War Front so should handle dirt and O’Brien won back-to-back UAE Derbys in 2012/13.

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