Henry Cecil believes Twice Over in better shape ahead of Dubai World Cup

Henry Cecil believes Twice Over, his dual Champion Stakes winner in England, is in better shape this year for an assault on the Dubai World Cup.

The six-year-old was a disappointing 10th in the world's richest race last March but the English handler will try something different this time.

Whereas last year Twice Over was prepared at Cecil's Warren Place in Newmarket and shipped straight out for the big race, the trainer has decided to give him a run on Super Thursday on March 3 in an attempt to get him used to the conditions before the main event on March 26.

"He knows he's good. He enjoyed it over there last year. I just want him to get used to the track [this year]," Cecil said.

"A lot of horses go over there and you find that they improve for their first race on it. He's not going to be fully wound up for his first race but he wouldn't be running unless he could give a good account of himself.

"He's better in himself than he was last year. I haven't been held up at all with him. We've had him indoors, he's done quite a lot of cantering and work so we'll have no excuse.

"He's a very genuine horse and very good, he's won nearly £2 million [Dh11.8m] in prize money.

"His main problem is his feet, he has to wear special stick-on shoes, but since we've been doing that over the last year and a half he's been so much happier in every way.

"Maybe that is one of the reasons he seems to be getting better with age," he told Sky Sports News.