As the countdown continues to the world's richest day of racing on March 27th many of the contenders for the US$6,000,000 Dubai World Cup (Gr.I), sponsored by Emirates Airline, were out on the main Nad Al Sheba track on Sunday morning.
Bobby Frankel's Medaglia d'Oro, currently second favourite for the 2,000 metre dirt race, was on the track as dawn broke, just nine days after working seven furlongs in 1m 25s at Hollywood Park in America. The son of El Prado, who was working with the Bob Baffert-trained US$1,000,000 Godolphin Mile (Gr.II), sponsored by Jebel Ali International Hotels, runner During, showed that he had not lost any condition after the long journey from California to Dubai.
The pair were clocked working over 1,000 metres in 59.40s with Medaglia d'Oro going on alone to stop the clock in 1m 14.76s for 1,200 metres.
The move was more than enough to impress the man closest to it, the 2002-2003 United Arab Emirates champion jockey Gary Hind, who rode Medaglia d'Oro.
"That was nice. Lovely!" Hind exclaimed, adding quickly that he is free for the Dubai World Cup and would be happy to be aboard the five-year-old Donn Handicap (Gr.I) winner, who is scheduled to be piloted by regular rider Jerry Bailey.
Exercise rider Jose Cuevas, who is helping assistant trainer Ruben Loza supervise Medaglia d'Oro's Dubai World Cup preparations laughed with an air of confidence at Hind's offer.
"He wants to ride him," Cuevas said, chuckling in a way that indicated any jockey would want to be aboard Medaglia d'Oro.
Owner Edmund Gann and his brother, Joe, plan to arrive in Dubai later in the week.
During seemed to relish the Nad al Sheba surface and "will run a big race in the Mile," predicted Ted Durcan who was aboard During on Sunday.
Tim Yakteen, assistant to trainer Bob Baffert, said that During "has thrived since being here. He's come out of his gallops well and he shipped great."
Shortly after Medaglia d'Oro's work, multiple Grade Two winner Domestic Dispute worked 1,200 metres on the turf in 1m17.90s with three-time UAE champion jockey Durcan, who jumped off During after his work to get aboard the strapping chestnut colt by Unbridled's Song.
Exercise rider Mick Brennan, who is handling Domestic Dispute until trainer Paddy Gallagher arrives on Tuesday, reported that the four-year-old has thrived since he has been in Dubai. "I just couldn't be happier with him," Brennan said.
Gallagher selected to work on the turf to give Domestic Dispute something different to do, a tactic he has used prior to other races, Brennan said.
Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner Pleasantly Perfect took Sunday off after working on Saturday. Trainer Richard Mandella reported that the six-year-old was doing well after the move and predicted that he will be tough to defeat.
Yet the fact that many horses have had to travel long distances to Dubai adds another factor when sorting out who will win the race. "We're all shipping across the world, so it becomes grayer," he said.
The final American World Cup contender, Fleetstreet Dancer, also took Sunday off after working on Saturday.
Trainer Yokichi Okubo's Regent Bluff, one of the three Japanese challengers for this year's Dubai World Cup, was out on the track long before the sun came up. The son of Park Regent stretched his legs on the main track before stepping up the pace over the final 400 metres.
Last year's UAE Derby (Gr.II) winner Victory Moon, trained by Mike de Kock, worked on the main Nad Al Sheba track, covering the last 400 metres of his work in 24.78s as he goes through his final preparations for his run in the Dubai World Cup.
De Kock's Lundy's Liability, who will take his place in the US$2,000,000 UAE Derby (Gr.II) over 1,800 metres was out stretching his legs on the track on Sunday morning. Gerard Butler's Derby contender Jack Sullivan, runner-up to Little Jim in the UAE 2,000 Guineas (Gr.II) was out trotting on the track along with Butler's Nayyir who challenges for the US$2,000,000 Dubai Duty Free (Gr.), sponsored by Dubai Duty Free, over 1,777 metres on March 27th.
John Sadler's Our New Recruit may be chestnut in coloring but he is something of a dark horse in the 1,200-metre US$2,000,000 Dubai Golden Shaheen (Gr.I), sponsored by Gulf News, the world's richest sprint race.
The five-year-old son of Alphabet Soup worked 800 metres on Sunday in a sharp 47.30s, Sadler said he just wanted to give Our New Recruit a good feel of the Nad Al Sheba surface. The winner of four of 15 career starts, all in Southern California, Our New Recruit comes into the race off his only two runs in stakes races, which resulted in a runner-up place a Grade Three event at Hollywood Park in November and a third in the Palos Verdes Handicap (Gr.2) at Santa Anita Park on February 1st.
Santa Anita stakes winner Tsigane and Grade Three winner Alke, who defeated Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) winner and Dubai Golden Shaheen (Gr.I) rival Cajun Beat in his last start, both cantered on Sunday.
Cajun Beat, trained by Steve Margolis, is scheduled to work under the lights on Monday evening at Nad Al Sheba.
David Loder's Razkalla, one of Britain's representatives in the US$2,000,000 Dubai Sheema Classic (Gr.I), sponsored by The Palm, worked on the turf covering the 1,600 metres in 1m 52.57s and the final 400 metres in 24.93s.
Turkey's Dubai Sheema Classic (Gr.I) flag bearer, Grand Ekinoks, worked on Sunday morning covering the final 400 metres of his piece of work in 25.54s.
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