Siyouma's sights on Dubai World Cup night

French filly is flourishing this season and the nine-furlong distance on the Meydan turf would be ideal for her, says trainer Doumen.

Gerald Mosse rode Siyouma to a Group 1 victory last month in the Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket, England.

The Sun Chariot Stakes winner Siyouma could be heading for Dubai after her maiden Group 1 success under Gerald Mosse at Newmarket in England last month.

Trained by Francois Doumen, she became the fourth successive French filly to win the mile contest after Saphresa recorded a hat-trick along the Rowley Mile in the previous three seasons.

Siyouma could now head to Canada, where she is pencilled in for a tilt at this Sunday's EP Taylor Stakes alongside Barefoot Lady, for the British trainer Richard Fahey, and possibly Princess Highway, the Royal Ascot winner, for Dermot Weld from Ireland. She could then contest the lucrative programme in the Far East, where Mosse has such vast experience.

Siyouma was an immature three year old and raced just twice in her Classic season but has flourished this season, having also finished third behind Giofra in the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes, sponsored by Etihad Airways, in July.

If things do not go to plan over the next few months then Doumen has in his mind a trip to Meydan Racecourse for Dubai Duty Free in March.

"It is a race I know very well," Doumen said in reference to his success with Jim And Tonic, also partnered by Mosse, at Nad Al Sheba in 2001. "The Dubai Duty Free would be perfect for her. I don't think she quite stays 10 furlongs but the nine on that turf at Meydan would be ideal."

The silver-haired trainer is likely to skip the Dubai Carnival to prepare his daughter of Medicean, a miler, for a tilt at the US$5 million (Dh18.35m) race in Dubai in March.

Siyouma won on good ground at Newmarket, and although there was a lush covering for the course's penultimate fixture of global importance of the season Siyouma won despite the conditions.

Her previous two victories were on heavy and good to soft.

"I was expecting the ground to be softer, which would have helped," Mosse said.

"We were lucky. She is definitely best over a mile - not because she won but I have been saying it to the trainer for a long time. She can go a mile and a quarter, but a mile is best for her."

There is a danger that Dubai racing fans may miss Siyouma, however, as she may be retired at the end of the season, especially if she registers a second success at the highest level over the next two months.

The $1m EP Taylor is a Grade 1 turf race run over 10 furlongs and is a "Win and You're In" contest for the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita in California next month.

The first wave of European horses arrived at the Toronto track at the weekend with Wigmore Hall and Joshua Tree, the regular Dubai World Cup Carnival runners, ready to run.

Both horses are engaged in the $1.5m Canadian International, a turf race over 12 furlongs.

Joshua Tree won the Grade 1 race as a three year old when trained by Aidan O'Brien and is now bidding to go one better than last year when runner-up for current trainer Marco Botti.

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