Even in retirement American Pharoah and his connections still may have a say.
Meydan Racecourse opens its doors to the world on Thursday night for the first of 10 Dubai World Cup Carnival fixtures with US$920,000 (Dh3.38 million) in prize money on offer.
Dominating the seven-race card is the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1 in which Prayer For Relief will sport the same silks of the Zayat Stable that American Pharoah carried to victory in all three rounds of the US Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup Classic last year.
Prayer For Relief floundered in his only start in Dubai last season when eighth to Tamarkuz in the Godolphin Mile on World Cup night, but was given the remainder of the year off by trainer Mike de Kock.
The eight year old reappears under Christophe Soumillon, who looks set to share his fifth successive French Jockeys’ Championship with Pierre-Charles Boudot.
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American Pharoah has retired to the breeding sheds, but his shimmering brilliance as a thoroughbred racehorse could be reflected by the efforts of Top Clearance, a US import who was fifth to Bob Baffert’s pride and joy in the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park in August.
American Pharoah won effortlessly that day, but Top Clearance was flat to the boards under Abel Castellano and has been given time off since that race to strengthen up for his exploits in Dubai.
The four-year-old son of Majestic Warrior, who sired Kentucky and American Oaks winner Princess Of Sylmar, arrived at Dhruba Selvaratnam’s Jebel Ali Stables at the end of September and has had a sighter of the Meydan dirt doing half speed work.
He has been revved up during the past fortnight for the 1,600m contest by his trainer, who is delighted to get his hands on such a specimen.
“I saw him in the flesh in America when he won at Monmouth Park in July,” Selvaratnam said. “I was there to buy horses that I thought would go well on the dirt surface at Meydan.
“Top Clearance is a very well-made horse and I liked him and wanted to buy him before the Haskell but the owners understandably wanted to run him there. He was a fair way behind American Pharoah but that is not such a bad run when you look at it.
“We picked up three horses in the US: Market Rally, a juvenile by Unbridled’s Song and Bluff, a four year old who will be out in the next couple of weeks.”
Selvaratnam has had a tremendous start to the season with almost half of his runners finishing in the first five and Irishman Chris Hayes is the latest rider to have the benefit of Selvaratnam’s extensive experience.
It was Hayes’s patience that sealed their burgeoning association when he waited to produce Forjatt at the last minute to win the Listed National Cup at Abu Dhabi last month. It was a stirring finish, with Hayes and Forjatt hitting the front with less than 100 metres to run.
“He is a very good rider and he does the job. He has very good hands,” Selvaratnam added.
Top Clearance’s path to victory has been made that bit easier by the fact that there is no Godolphin representative in the opening round of the Al Maktoum Challenge for the first time in a decade, but the $250,000 event also will be contested by the first four home last season in Surfer, Frankyfourfingers, Haatheq and Gold City.
Surfer rarely gets the benefit of a good post position, having been drawn wide at the past two Dubai World Cup nights.
Satish Seemar’s veteran will make his 17th start at Meydan, however, by emerging from stall two under Richard Mullen. Having won on seasonal debut for the past three seasons he could easily defend his title.
Dark Emerald back at Meydan to replicate 2015 World Cup Carnival success
Meydan Racecourse unearths its turf track for the first time this season on the opening night of the Dubai World Cup Carnival and the Dubai Racing Club have been rewarded with bumper fields.
Two of the three contests staged on the grass have a reserves list, and international raiders fill the starting stalls.
In theconcluding handicap over 1,400 metres, nine of the 16 runners are from abroad, while in the 2,000-metre handicap at 9.20pm just half the field are trained in the UAE.
When the nominations were made last month British trainers made up for the biggest single international group, despite only four successful horses at last season’s Carnival in addition to Brown Panther’s Dubai Gold Cup victory on World Cup night in March.
Caspian Prince, Sir Maximillian and Belgian Bill struck for trainers Tony Carroll, Ian Williams and George Baker respectively, and Dark Emerald hit the mark twice and is back for more in the final race of the night for Brendan Powell.
Powell trains just 35 horses at his British base, and 10 of those are National Hunt horses so Dark Emerald’s exploits in Dubai powered his Lambourn stable through the year.
All in, Dark Emerald earned Dh894,240 at the Carnival, whereas in Britain last season the rest of Powell’s stable accumulated Dh781,318.
“There are always one or two horses that blossom throughout the Carnival and Dark Emerald was definitely one of those,” Powell said. “Everybody had heard about his exploits when we got back to Britain.
“It is great prize money out here and great for the owners. The exposure didn’t get us more horses, mind you.”
Dark Emerald starts off the season rated only marginally higher than when last in Dubai, following a strong summer when he was required to give weight to classy horses such as Kodi Bear and Godolphin’s Richard Pankhurst.
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Powell reports him to be ready to go and as fit as when he was just touched off in a blanket finish at Meydan 12 months ago.
He is joined in Dubai by stablemate Beach Bar, who Powell bought for 30,000gns in October with a dirt campaign at the Carnival in mind.
The five-year-old son of Irish Champion Stakes winner Azamour starts off his campaign in the Longines Conquest Classic Ladies over 1,900 metres.
“Justin Byrne of the Emirates Entertainment Racing Club wanted half of Beach Bar so we will see how that goes,” Powell said. “He handles the all-weather and has liked training on the dirt since he arrived last week.
“It might be a furlong too far but there are plenty of opportunities for him.”
Five to watch out for at Meydan on Thursday
Bigg N Rich 7pm, Al Maktoum Challenge
Alongside Surfer and Faulkner, Bigg N Rich is the only other horse in action tonight who won on this card 12 months ago. Ali Rashid Al Raihe’s nine year old beat Af Lefeh and Sha’Red in the opening round of the Al Maktoum for Purebred Arabians, both of whom reoppose, and should be primed to defend his title after finishing sixth on his seasonal bow last month.
My Catch 7.35pm, Longines Conquest Classic
Took beautifully to the dirt last time as a runaway winner of a handicap last month. The son of Camacho has a grabby action that suits the surface and should improve for his second go on it. Pat Dobbs had the benefit of the rail last time but has options from Gate 5 tonight.
Morawij 8.10pm, Longines Dolce Vita Collection
Morawij has slowly been nursed back to a semblance of his best at Dhruba Selvaratnam’s Jebel Ali base and returns to turf in the 1,000-metre sprint for the first time since August 2014.
Pearl Nation 8.45pm, Al Maktoum Challenge
Five of the six syndicate owners of Pearl Nation are former employees of Timeform, the English ratings service. The seven year old has had the Dubai World Cup Carnival as an aim for over a year and will run at Meydan at least three times this winter. He should be watched throughout the Carnival.
Code Of Honour 9.20pm, Longines Master Collection
Saeed bin Suroor has shown time and again that he is one of he leading trainers on the world stage. He will have to be if Code Of Honour is to visit the winner’s enclosure. The six year old has not raced for 447 days but was good enough to push subsequent Dubai Duty Free runner-up Vercingetorix to within half a length in his pomp.
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