Today's Edition
Kuumar Shyam (Abu Dhabi)
Ushba Tesoro has got an extra bit of help from the draw for the Dubai World Cup racing showpiece which was held at the Armani Dubai hotel on late Wednesday evening. The defending champion horse will be fighting off some strong rivals, including those from his country Japan, and has been drawn in stall No.5 for Saturday’s race.
The quality 12-horse field for the $12 million feature race also includes the $20 million Saudi Cup winner Senor Buscador, Newgate (ridden by the Dubai regular and veteran Frankie Dettori), Derma Sotogake, Dubawi’s nine-year old son Martial Law, as well as Kabirkhan and Laurel River, both impressive winners in their last starts at the venue – Meydan Racecourse.
Among the top three rated horses – Ushba Tesoro, Senor Buscador and Derma Sotogake (all 121) – the latter two are drawn in eighth and 10th slots when the starting gun goes off at 8.35pm. DWC defending jockey Yuga Kawada will need the pride of placing to put the seven-year-old Ushba Tesoro in front and avenge his second-place snub to Senor Buscador, 4yrs, by a head’s margin in February’s Saudi Cup.
Yet, Kawada managed to get his mount from last place in 14th to the front last year around. The connections around the horses put forth their views after the draw, some on expected lines.
Kawada said for the title holder: "Stall five is not so bad but he’s a horse that has to come from behind so really one to 12 makes no difference." His trainer Noboru Takagi repeated the line as affirmation.
Senor Buscador was the second name selected and owner Joe Peacock Jr said: “We are very happy. We wanted outside and we got outside."
Kabirkhan, the sensation from Kazakhstan who is trained in the UAE by Doug Watson, drew two. "I kind of wanted the middle," Watson said. "If he always broke really well I’d be delighted but he hasn’t done that. We’ve been working on it, but we hope he can do it on the night. At least it’s a shorter way around."
Japan has brought a strong representation for the 2,000m showdown with ace jockey Christophe Lemaire back aboard Derma Sotogake, a dazzling winner of the UAE Derby at this meeting last year and subsequently the runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Trainer Hidetaka Otonashi said: "We didn’t mind any stall really. Eight is considered a lucky number in Japan so that’s pretty good." Lemaire described stall eight as "a very good draw in the middle which allows me to go forward into the first bend without burning up too much gas."
Frankie Dettori is back aboard Bob Baffert’s rising star Newgate, a recent winner under the legendary rider in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap. Assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes was on hand as he was assigned stall six. Baffert has had four winners in the history of the Dubai World Cup and the combination of Dettori in the saddle of the strapping four-year-old Newgate is an exciting one, especially after the draw for the 115-rated horse to America’s prospects.
The other big local hope is Juddmonte’s Laurel River, who is trained by Bhupat Seemar and entered the Dubai World Cup picture after a clear-cut victory in the Burj Nahaar earlier in the month. He must run from the widest stall of all in 12.
Jockey Tadhg O’Shea said: "Obviously being right on the outside is far from ideal. Saying that he’s a horse with a lot of early speed and we’ll just have to play the cards we’re dealt."
The line-up is completed by Crupi (1), other Japanese runners Dura Erede (3) and Wilson Tesoro (11), Defunded (9), Military Law (4) and Clapton (7).
