The brilliant American star Lava Man has finally got the green light to run in the US$5 million Dubai Duty Free, after he emerged from his final critical workout in good shape.
There had been much uncertainty whether the classy six-year-old gelding would line up for the joint-richest race run on turf.
But the six-time Grade 1 winner passed a critical workout test administered by trainer Doug O’Neill on Sunday, and there have been no adverse after-effects since.
“He’s doing great and he’s ready to roll,” O’Neill said. “He worked fantastic and he scoped clear.”
Lava Man had originally been considered a prime candidate for the US$6 million Dubai World Cup (Gr.1) since five of his Grade 1 wins have been accomplished at 1 ¼ miles (about 2,000 metres) on dirt, virtually the same conditions as the world’s richest race.
However, Lava Man has never won a major race beyond the borders of the state of California, and O’Neill believes differing dirt track surfaces and the gelding’s sometimes -tender feet might be the reasons, as well as his tendency to expend too much energy when moved to different surroundings.
“The few times that we’ve gone out of town and been unsuccessful, we’ve kind of blamed it on the dirt tracks where we raced,” O’Neill said. “We think he’s equally as good on turf as dirt and that there will be a more consistent surface for him on turf.”
The trainer plans to do everything he can to ensure that the horse will be relaxed in Dubai, including sending his regular exercise rider, groom and farrier to tend to him.
“We want to keep everything as consistent with his setting at Hollywood Park as we can,” O’Neill said.
Lava Man has won at the Grade 1 level on grass, capturing the 2006 Charles Whittingham Memorial Handicap (Gr.1) at 1 ¼ miles on the Hollywood turf course last year after leading all the way.
He has been undefeated at 1 1/8 miles, a comparable distance to the Dubai Duty Free’s 1,777 metres, since June 2005 and set a new Hollywood turf course record in winning the 1 1/8-mile Khaled Stakes in 1:44.26 in April 2006.
O’Neill said he didn’t know much about the prospective field for the Dubai Duty Free but immediately pointed to multiple American Grade 1 winner English Channel as a major threat.
“That’s the beauty about the whole day of races in Dubai — you get the best horses from all over the world,” he said.
One of the main challenges could come from French raider Stormy River, who won the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat over the equivalent distance at Chantilly in July.
Trainer Nicolas Clement knows what it’s like to win the best races in the world, having landed the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with Saumarez in 1990.
And he said: “He had a very good winter in Chantilly. He had his last piece of work on March 10 and worked very well under Olivier Peslier. We were both very happy with him, and the horse arrives in Dubai on March 24.
“I’ve never had a runner here, but I have been to Dubai before, and it would mean a great deal to me to win a race like this.”
For old articles (from 1st March 2000) go to the Newslink
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