Today's Edition
Kuumar Shyam (Abu Dhabi)
Dubai World Cup defending champion Ushba Tesoro will renew his rivalry with Senor Buscador while a young four-year-old Derma Sotogake will hope to unleash his energy and crash the party when a quality field of 12 take the Meydan Racecourse on Saturday.
The title holder from Japan fell short only by a head’s margin to Senor Buscador at the Saudi Cup on February 24 and will be hoping to avenge the setback of coming second at the $20-million event. Ushba Tesoro is also seeking to become only the second two-time winner behind Thunder Snow in 2018-19 as he is set to retire at the end of the season.
The rub of the green at the post draw ceremony also went in his favour, with stall five, but trainer Noboru Takagi said he was not concerned.
“He’s going to come from the back anyway,” Takagi said, “so it doesn’t matter”.
There also are plenty of subplots in the $12 million race, the highlight of a full card of nine races, all amounting to $30.5 million in prize money. There will be Dh200,000 up for grabs for those among the best well-dressed attendees.
The event will be broadcast to more than 150 countries as one of the most popular events on the sporting calendar of the UAE.
"Japan's Derma Sotogake peaking at the right time for World Cup bid"
— Dubai Racing Club (@RacingDubai) March 29, 2024
Feature piece of our UAE Derby champ who runs in the #DubaiWorldCup this year. 👇#DWC24
https://t.co/Z3W6rQG1zj pic.twitter.com/ooMxr6qy8x
The seven-year-old Ushba Tesoro also has a point to prove to those who think that covering the 2,000-metre distance around the Meydan track is a tough one for the older horses. Ushba Tesoro is a year senior to Senor Buscador, both joint highest in ratings at 121 on the card.
Adding spice to the contest will be the presence of Derma Sotogake, Kabirkhan, Laurel River and Military Law from Emirati trainer Musabah Al Mheiri. The first two have the supposed advantage for being among the youngest in the fray as four-year-olds.
Takagi does not see the age gap as disadvantage even though it has been a remarkable transformation for Ushba Tesoro since he belatedly switched to dirt from turf for the first time two years ago. Racing on the sandy stuff, he has won eight from 11 starts to become one of the best dirt horses in the world.
“The timing to switch Ushba Tesoro to run on dirt has worked well. Although he was a difficult horse to control when he was young, he has matured both physically and mentally,” Takagi recalls.
The son of Orfevre is set to retire at the end of this year. “We are planning to race him in the Grade 1 Champions Cup in December, and his swansong will be the Grade 1 Tokyo Daishoten [2000m].” Ushba Tesoro’s dramatic journey looks set to continue for the rest of 2024.
“After Dubai, our focus will switch to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic [2000m] at Del Mar this autumn,” Takagi said. Few horses that find their level in turf condition races develop into Grade 1 international superstars on dirt. Ushba Tesoro’s dramatic journey looks set to continue for the rest of 2024.
“We can’t have him any better,” said trainer Noboru Takagi. “Whatever he does, we are so proud of him and have an exciting year planned before he retires.”
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The Todd Fincher-trained Senor Buscador can become the first to complete the rich Saudi Cup-Dubai World Cup double, if successful.
He leads an American team that includes the Chad Summers-prepared Clapton, Todd Pletcher’s Crupi and Newgate for Bob Baffert, with his rider Frankie Dettori out to land his fifth Dubai World Cup to surpass Jerry Bailey as the most successful jockey in race history.
Racing has a habit of producing remarkable rags to riches stories and yet there have been very few quite like Kabirkhan.
The son of 2016 winner California Chrome began his career at the primitive Almaty racetrack in Kazakhstan, progressed through his grades in Russia and now steps out as a live hope after his victory in the main local lead-up, the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge (1900m).
“I didn’t even know there was racing in Kazakhstan when I first got him,” admits trainer Doug Watson. “When we started working him, though, we could tell quickly he was a nice horse.
“There has been so much interest from Kazakhstan, it’s equal parts fun and stressful. It adds a little more intrigue to the horse. He has a super nice owner that loves his horse. Hopefully they will all be celebrating.”
Also among the local hopes is Laurel River, untested beyond a mile, but ever so impressive in taking the G3 Burj Nahaar (1600m) four weeks ago. He is all but certain to take up the running early.
