African Story comes in to Saturday night’s Round 3 of the Al Maktoum Challenge at Meydan racecourse meekly wearing his Dubai World Cup crown.
Super Saturday is the stage on to which African Story has stepped boldly in the past, but now the Tapeta surface has become dirt and the red carpet has been whisked away from underneath the champion.
In seasons past, African Story has powered to imperious performances on the precursor to Dubai World Cup night.
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Saeed bin Suroor’s charge thrashed a heavily favoured Musir and Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid’s Snaafy in the 2012 Burj Nahaar. He followed up that performance in 2013 with an effortless win after more than 300 days off the track.
Last season was slightly different, as he was found lame when only eighth behind stablemate Prince Bishop in this race, before he went on to win the most lucrative purse in racing.
Last time in the second round of the Al Maktoum Challenge, African Story hated the kickback thrown up in to his face as he charged around the rail behind Capital Attraction, as did Prince Bishop, who also runs for the master of Al Quoz in the feature event of Super Saturday.
Where African Story sulked into seventh place with James Doyle in the saddle, Prince Bishop charged down the outside – after being angled out of the dirt spray by William Buick – to finish a narrow second to an unspattered Frankyfourfingers, who led pretty much from when the gates opened.
Bin Suroor stated after the race that African Story would be tried on turf, but after a rethink he is more positive ahead of the Group 1 contest.
“I was disappointed with African Story in Round 2 of the Maktoum Challenge, when he didn’t like the kickback early on in the race,” he said.
“I am hoping for a clear run this time and, if he can take up a nice position, I think that he can run a huge race. He has been working well and I have been happy with his preparation.
“Prince Bishop finished strongly to take second and came out of the race in good order. He always runs very well out in Dubai and has been pleasing me with his work recently.”
Neither African Story, nor Prince Bishop, can be described as having been bred for running on dirt, whereas the stars of this Dubai World Cup Carnival undoubtedly have been.
Frankyfourfingers, who has been a credit to the greenhorn skills of trainer Salem bin Ghadayer, is by Sunday Break, a horse bred in Japan who was placed in the 2002 Belmont Stakes and Wood Memorial Stakes in the United States.
Tamarkuz, who runs in the Burj Nahaar having won two on the bounce, is by American sire Speightstown, as is the rejuvenated Reynaldothewizard, who will try to win the Dubai Golden Shaheen on World Cup night.
Stacked up against the international razzamatazz of challengers such as California Chrome, the American horse of the year, it would seem Godolphin have been outmanoeuvred ahead of the Dubai World Cup on March 28. Toast Of New York, the UAE Derby winner who went down all guns blazing in the Breeders’ Cup Classic in November, was scheduled to run but has suffered a soft tissue injury.
If African Story or Prince Bishop do not win tonight, or at least run with credit, Godolphin’s Dubai World Cup team will be a weak one for the 20th running of the US$10 million (Dh36.7m) race.
Prince Bishop looks the most likely of the two to sneak into the winners’ enclosure tonight to hand Godolphin a remarkable 13th victory in the 2,000-metre race, but if it is African Story it will be testament to the extraordinary training skills of Bin Suroor and will be game on for March 28.
Toast of New York ruled out Dubai World Cup
Toast Of New York was on Friday night ruled out of the Dubai World Cup after picking up a soft tissue injury.
The UAE Derby winner was a leading candidate for the US$10 million (Dh36.7m) race at Meydan Racecourse in three weeks after he narrowly failed to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic in November when beaten by Bayern by a nose.
Trained in Lambourn in England by Jamie Osborne, Toast Of New York was purchased from former owner Michael Buckley this year and was to represent Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad’s Al Shaqab racing operation in the world’s most valuable race.
“He’s going to miss the World Cup,” Osborne said. “I have to speak to the Al Shaqab team and I’m sure we’ll be formulating another plan.
“It’s very disappointing for Sheikh Joaan and his team and obviously for everybody here. He’ll be back.”
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