$12,000,000 Group 1 Dubai World Cup
A change of plans with Forever Young saw the world's best dirt horse undertake quieter work than intended at Meydan Racecourse on Wednesday morning, three days out from the 30th Dubai World Cup.
Japanese horses generally do their final fast gallop on the Wednesday before their target race. Forever Young still completed his main piece of exercise, a 1000m gallop on the Meydan dirt, but trainer Yoshito Yahagi instructed regular rider Ryusei Sakai to restrain the five-year-old more than originally planned.
"Ryusei Sakai breezed him over five furlongs this morning," Yahagi said. "We decided to give him lighter work than originally planned due to the fast track conditions here at Meydan. We successfully completed exactly what we intended to do this morning, Ryusei Sakai executed as planned, he looked to have a spring in his step and all is well."
Sakai added: "There were no problems. He's in better shape than he was in Saudi Arabia, I think he's in fantastic condition."
Jamie Osborne was at Meydan on Wednesday to see Heart Of Honor go through his paces on the main track, and is hopeful that both a test of stamina and the A.P. Indy gelding's progress through the season to date - albeit that hit a bump in the road in the Al Maktoum Classic on Super Saturday - put him in the mix.
"We were happy with him going into his last run and I'm hanging my hat on the fact that he reared up and Adrie [de Vries] said he banged his head on the top [of the stalls] very hard," he said.
"If you watch the way he left the gate he kind of came out sideways. I am hopeful that is a legitimate excuse. We know he's never going to be quick away, but he doesn't need to be as slow as he was that day."
Osborne's daughter Saffie missed the ride on Super Saturday through illness but will be back on board in the World Cup, while the trainer himself is pleased with how Heart Of Honor is doing.
"This is the first time I've seen him for a couple of weeks, but Jimmy McCarthy has been extremely happy with him," said Osborne. "His whole program here has been working back from Saturday and so we've had a bit to work on with each race, and he was looking progressive until his last run.
"If we can be brave enough to ignore that and base our thoughts on what he's done previously, yes he's going to be an outsider but 2000 meters around here is ideal for him, especially if the track's going to ride a little slow.
$5,000,000 Group 1 Dubai Turf
John Gosden has seen as much as anyone in terms of the way this meeting has grown since Cigar won the inaugural Dubai World Cup 30 years ago, and Ombudsman heads into Saturday with credentials every bit as burnished as those of his previous winners here such as Dar Re Mi, Mishriff and Dubai Turf hat-trick hero, Lord North.
Ombudsman enjoyed a leg-stretch on the Tapeta training track under the watchful gaze of Gosden, who has had March 28 circled in the diary since confirming plans with owner and Godolphin founder HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
"It's been the plan since last year," said Gosden. "After York and Ascot we thought we'd freshen up, come here. It is the 30th year here and I think it's important to come and it's been very much the plan, [one] I discussed with Sheikh Mohammed back in October at the yearling sales in Newmarket, so we made this the target.
"It's not easy, you're training in the winter so we don't have ideal weather for it. Given that we've got the rest of the season coming, I wanted to train him at home. He had a little away day at Chelmsford. We're happy with him, he's trained nicely and as I say, it's been the plan since last October."
Gosden added: "He's bigger and stronger now and he's a horse who's got better with age. I suppose if you give them the chance, most of them will. But certainly his physique has developed, and he's a more professional horse. He's still edgy, he likes to look at everything. He's got a very inquisitive mind. He likes to play and any excuse to play about, he goes for it."
$2,000,000 Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen
G1 Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Bentornato makes his five-year-old debut in the Dubai Golden Shaheen, aiming to become just the second horse to win both the American sprinting championship and its Emirati equivalent after Secret Circle.
Trainer Jose D'Angelo campaigned him in the Middle East as a three-year-old, finishing third in the G3 Saudi Derby behind Forever Young. The Venezuelan-born horseman believes that Bentornato has vastly improved since then, although he believes that he hit his peak towards the end of last season.
"He's doing very well and he's keeping his condition well," D'Angelo said. "He's handled the trip perfectly over here and he really likes this track too. Last time he was here (in the Middle East), he was unlucky to run against Forever Young and Book'em Danno. Hopefully, this time he wins."
Bentornato drew gate two at Wednesday's post position draw, not entirely ideal for a horse that D'Angelo says is "better drawn outside".
"He has natural speed, so outside you have less pressure but the draw is what it is," he said.
$1,500,000 Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint
The United States is not renowned for its turf sprinters, but its Al Quoz Sprint runners have generally surpassed expectations over time, culminating in the 2021 win by Extravagant Kid.
This year, it is Reef Runner who will fly the stars and stripes at Meydan. The American Grade 2 winner added to his record when landing the G2 1351 Turf Sprint in Saudi Arabia last start, defeating Lazzat by a neck.
"He's adapted really well here, he seems to like this warm weather," trainer David Fawkes said. "He has blossomed since he was gelded and we decided to run in the Breeders' Cup where he finished fourth in the Turf Sprint. A friend of mine, Nick Esler, encouraged me to go to Saudi Arabia - that was obviously a good thing! I'm very confident ahead of Saturday. He's been working excellent here and right now, I feel we have the horse to win this race."
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