Longines Dubai Sheema Classic & Dubai Turf World Notes, Tuesday, March 27, 2018
Cloth of Stars – The Andre Fabre-trained quartet of Talismanic, Cloth of Stars, Rosa Imperial and Trais Fluors did not leave the international stables on Tuesday morning, as they had all worked on Monday morning on the dirt track at the Meydan Racecourse.
“This morning, all four horses remained in the international stables,” Fabre’s representative A.m.elie Foulon said. “We took them out at 7:00 a.m. to walk them in hand for half an hour. They are all well. Tomorrow we will return to the dirt track.”
Hawkbill – The Dubai City of Gold (Group 2) winner routinely cantered and will have a final blow out on the grass on Wednesday morning at Godolphin’s private Marmoom training facility.
The 5-year-old was a European Group 1 winner in his younger days and has turned into a reliable international campaigner with his recent Meydan success and the likes of his second in the Northern Dancer Turf Stakes (Group 1) last September.
“He did nothing strenuous this morning and tomorrow will be his final serious piece before the weekend,” Appleby said. “I couldn’t be happier with him and he’s in good condition.”
Idaho – “His best run for us came in his last start when he finished fifth in the Japan Cup,” trainer Aidan O’Brien said. “It took a while to get his travelling routine right and that came at the same time he went well in Japan Cup, which is always such a strong race. He is entitled to run well as he is bit more experienced.”
Idaho is a full-brother to Highland Reel, a multiple Group 1-winning global superstar who won ‘Best Horse’ at 2017’s inaugural His Highness Sheikh Moha.m.med bin Rashid Al Maktoum Horseracing Excellence Awards.
Khalidi –Formerly trained by John Gosden, Khalidi is now in the care of Clive Cox and has had just one run for his current connections when seventh in the Winter Derby (Group 3) at Lingfield last month.
The 4-year-old was highly tried last year, finishing 14th in the Investec Derby (Group 1) before placings behind Permian at Royal Ascot and Crystal Ocean at Glorious Goodwood.
He has looked excellent in his skin since arriving into Dubai and cantered around the training track at 7:50 a.m.
“He’s an outsider, but he’s quite talented,” Cox said. “We’ve been trying to find decent ground for him but since the second half of the summer back home it has just been wet, wet, wet. He’s loving it here. He’s really thrived since he arrived. I took him to the main track yesterday and he’ll go back there tomorrow.”
Mozu Katchan – The Group 1 winner had an easy canter for a lap on the dirt course under the work rider of Ippo Sameshima stable.
“She has travelled well. The long travel has not bothered her,” assistant trainer Takayuki Nagi said. “She has adapted to the new surroundings, she eats up well, she stretches her legs so nice and her concentration has been getting better.
“As you know, fillies sometimes are so nervous with everything in the spring time of the season, but she has really settled in here and when she walked in the paddock and the saddling area, she has been relaxed. I am very happy with what she has been doing so far.”
Poet’s Word – Tuesday morning providedPoet’s Word with his second experience of the Meydan turf course before he took his first look at the post-race unsaddling area.
Partnered by regular work rider Chas Robertson, last year’s dual Champion Stakes runner-up completed a routine 1200m canter under the watchful eye of Sarah Denniff, trainer Sir Michael Stoute’s travelling head groom. He then completed one lap of the paddock before being ushered off the premises to meet the 7:35a.m. deadline set for turf management staff to move in.
Poet’s Word’s work was a repeat of Monday’s debut breeze and he will do the sa.m.e on Wednesday, having completed his serious preparation at Newmarket last week under big-race jockey Frankie Dettori.
The 5-year-old, a typical Stoute-trained, late-maturing type, stepped up to Group company last year, winning at Goodwood in August on his only previous run at Saturday’s 2400m trip, and running second in the Irish Champion Stakes and the Ascot equivalent on his last three starts in Britain. He completed his year in December with a below-par sixth behind Time Warp in the Hong Kong Cup.
Rey de Oro – Last year’s Japanese Derby (Group 1) winner contenderRey de Oro arrived in Dubai in good condition and has acclimatised to his surroundings, cantering one lap effortlessly around the turf course this morning.
“He was a bit nervous when he first arrived, but he is a smart horse and figured out what was going on fairly quickly,” assistant trainer Daisuke Tsumagari said.
“He has been eating well. Christophe Lemaire will ride him tomorrow for his final breeze.”
Santono Crown – Noriyuki Hori sent his two stablemates, Neorealism who runs in the Dubai Turf sponsored by DP World (Group 1) and Satono Crown, out together. They galloped on the turf course under their respective exercise riders, both of whom clocked the 800m in 55-56 seconds.
“All has gone as planned. Their gallops and times were what I had wanted,” Hori said. “At 3:00 a.m. the turf had been classified as good, but working on that turf here feels quite similar to a yielding course in Japan. So, the training affects the horses differently than it would on the sa.m.e ground classification in Japan. Every morning I check the track conditions before deciding which course I will train them on that day.”
$6 million Dubai Turf sponsored by DP World (Group 1)
Benbatl– Seen by many as Saeed bin Suroor’s best opportunity on the card, Benbatl will need a better draw than when second on Super Saturday in the Group 1 Jebel Hatta.
“He is a horse we have always really liked and he won on his debut at Doncaster in April and improved all year,” Bin Suroor said. “He was actually a very good fifth in the Derby at Epsom before winning at Royal Ascot. He has thrived in Dubai, winning his first two races in style.
“He was then badly drawn in the Group 1 Jebel Hatta on Super Saturday, when Oisin Murphy could not get any cover on
him so had to race wide throughout but was only denied close home. Hopefully the draw, on Wednesday, will be kinder.”
Crocosmia – Stayed in the quarantine area and used the trotting ring for about an hour under exercise rider Hiroya Kitazoe.
“We breezed her a bit yesterday, so are taking it easy this morning. We are very happy with the way she has travelled. Tomorrow she’ll post her final breeze on the dirt track.” assistant Hiroshi Ando said.
Deirdre – Japan’s 4-year-old filly Deirdreworked for one and a half laps over the dirt track under his assistant rider Yuta Komiyama.
“She is getting familiarised with the track, but she is still shying away from various things and the press as she goes around the dirt course on the first lap,” Komiya.m.a said.
“On the second lap, when the other horses passed her, she was trying to follow the horse and getting woken up in a good way. Tomorrow she will gallop with Vivlos, who is her work mate since arriving in Dubai.”
Monarchs Glen – As on previous day, he had a spin around the training track under Tony Proctor just before 8a.m..
Neorealism – Noriyuki Hori sent his two stablemates, Neorealism and Satono Crown, out together. They galloped on the turf course under their respective exercise riders, both of whom clocked the 800m in 55-56 seconds.
“All has gone as planned, their gallops and times were what I have had wanted,” Hori said.
“At 3a.m. the turf had been classified as good, but working on that turf here feels quite similar to a yielding course in Japan. So the training affects the horses differently than it would on the sa.m.e ground classification in Japan. Every morning I check the track conditions before deciding which course I will train them on that day.”
Lancaster Bomber/War Decree – “Lancaster Bomber ran very well in many high class races last season without winning,” trainer Aidan O’Brien said.
“He was second in three Group 1 races and it was very good form. So with that in mind we would be hopeful of another big run. He loves the fast ground we hope he will get at Meydan also. War Bomber is a horse we still like a lot. He won very well at Dundalk before things didn’t really go his way in the Breeders’ Cup and in Hong Kong but we are glad he will take his chance in Dubai. He is in good form.”
Real Steel – The Dubai Turf winner of 2016 was out on the dirt track, cantering one lap, practicing a bit at the gate and schooling in the paddock. Trainer Yoshito Yahagi was at the track this morning to oversee his charge.
“He is doing really well, improving day by day. We practiced saddling him over in the paddock today, since it is so different from how we do it in Japan, we want him to be as relaxed as possible during the race.” Yahagi said.
Vivlos – Went two laps around the dirt track, hacking one and cantering the other.
“She has relaxed into her surroundings quite well and is her normal happy self,” assistant trainer and exercise rider Shinji Yasuda said.
“She is in great shape I think. She has been eating well this year too which shows how well she is doing. We’ll breeze her on the turf tomorrow.”