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Dubai World Cup news updates |
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3/24/2006 9:24:11 AM |
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 When Leandro Mora looks at Thor’s Echo, he is reminded of Big Jag. And that’s a positive association as the former tries to repeat the latter’s record-setting victory in the US$2,000,000 Dubai Golden Shaheen (Gr.1), sponsored by Gulf News.
In fact, Mora—the assistant to California-based trainer Doug O’Neill—was so swayed by the notion that Thor’s Echo could be another Big Jag at Nad al Sheba Racecourse that it was his idea to ship the four-year-old son of Swiss Yodeler to the UAE.
Mora was working for trainer Tim Pinfield in 2000 when Big Jag won the 1,200-meter sprint in 1:08.10, a time that has not been equaled since then.
In addition to his sense of similarities between the runners, Mora had another reason for thinking Thor’s Echo might do well in the Dubai Golden Shaheen. Although speedy, the chestnut gelding is not adept at changing leads and thus might benefit from running down the straightway course without having to negotiate turns.
“I asked Doug if we could sign him in to the Dubai Golden Shaheen, and the owners (Royce S. Jaime Racing Stable and Suarez Racing) agreed,” Mora said. “He’s lazy to switch leads but if he doesn’t do it here, it won’t matter.”
On his fourth trip to the Dubai World Cup meeting, Mora is overseeing both Thor’s Echo and Dubai Duty Free (Gr.1) contender Whilly for O’Neill. Both his charges schooled in the Nad al Sheba walking ring on Wednesday evening under the lights to get accustomed to conditions resembling those they will face on race night.
“They’ve acclimated really well,” Mora said. “We were worried about Thor’s Echo because he’s a bad kicker but he hasn’t kicked out here at all.”
Thor’s Echo has won three of 13 career starts and placed seven times, including a third-place effort behind Dubai Golden Shaheen rival Proud Tower Too in the Malibu Stakes (Gr.1) about three months ago.
Meanwhile, Whilly, who finished second in the Duty Free last year, will have to take on 15 rivals in this year’s race.
“Sixteen horses is a little too much, but you have to do what you have to do,” Mora said.
“I won’t mind if he doesn’t win, but it would be great if he could finish second again,” he added, smiling about the prospect of the reward since this year’s Duty Free purse has been raised to US$5,000,000 compared to last year’s total purse of US$2,000,000.
Well Armed’s stamina could serve him well in UAE Derby
WinStar Farm President Doug Cauthen has big hopes for the farm’s homebred Well Armed in Saturday’s US$2,000,000 UAE Derby (Gr.2), partly because he believes the colt will get better as he races longer distances.
“One thing we know is that he can go a mile and a quarter,” said Cauthen, who flew to Dubai from the farm in Versailles, Kentucky, to see the race. “So potentially, that puts him in the first half of the field already.”
Well Armed won a ten-furlong race at Lingfield in November before traveling to Dubai with English-based trainer Clive Brittain, who has said he thinks the colt can win the UAE Derby and the Kentucky Derby (Gt.1). Although the UAE Derby is at 1,800 meters, that trip may tax the stamina of others in the field while being easily within the scope of Well Armed.
While Cauthen—who is the brother of former jockey Steve Cauthen, who won the American Triple Crown aboard Affirmed in 1978 before becoming a champion rider in England—isn’t quite so bold in his race forecast as Brittain, he did say that if Well Armed runs well on Saturday, “You know Clive will want to bring him over (to Kentucky).”
A big bay son of WinStar stallion Tiznow, Well Armed already has earned one victory at Nad al Sheba Racecourse, taking the Shadwell Farm Trophy, an allowance race in January. In his next start, he finished ninth in the UAE 2000 Guineas (Gr.3) before suffering a sinus infection that caused him to miss the middle jewel in the UAE Triple Crown, the Al Bastikiya.
“He’s doing well now,” said Cauthen, who watched Well Armed breeze on Wednesday morning. “He was favored in his last race but, visually, he didn’t look happy for whatever reason. He looks happy now.”
Well Armed will start from the 11th post position on Saturday and will be ridden by Ryan Moore.
Dubai Sheema Classic contender Relaxed Gesture on go
Although Relaxed Gesture hasn’t run since October and has drawn the outside post position in the 14-runner Dubai Sheema Classic (Gr.1), trainer Christophe Clement isn’t worried.
“The horse is doing very well and everything is a go,” the French-born but American-based Clement said on Thursday morning during Breakfast with the Stars at Nad al Sheba Racecourse.
The Sheema appears to be shaping up as a very challenging race, and Clement pointed particularly to 2004 European and American champion Ouija Board and Japanese Group 1 winner Heart’s Cry as primary threats.
“When you’re running for US$5,000,000, you will have a good field, and the only way to compete is to be in it,” Clement said.
California-based jockey Corey Nakatani will be aboard Relaxed Gesture, a five-year-old son of Indian Ridge owned and bred by Moyglare Stud Farm, and Clement said he wants the rider to be patient in the early going and make a strong run at the end of the 2,400-meter contest.
Nakatani rode that just that kind of race board the chestnut horse when he guided him from next to last in the early going to a clear win in the Canadian International Stakes (Gr.1) last October at Woodbine Racetrack near Toronto.
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