| MUMBAI:
Dubai is expected to come to a standstill when some of the finest thoroughbreds
in the world vie for the a total prize purse of $21 million, including the $6
million prize money Dubai World Cup, the richest and one of the most watched horse
race in the world. And Ten Sports, the most watched sports channel of the sub-continent,
will bring all the excitement live and exclusive from the Nad Al Sheba course.
Action will
be at a galloping pace, and the three-and-half-hour-long live telecast of one
of the biggest social evenings of the Middle East starts at 7:00 pm IST on Saturday,
March 28. While
Dubai World Cup is the feature race, there are also the chief supporting races
– the $5 million Dubai Duty Free and the $5 million Dubai Sheema Classic
– the two richest races run on turf, anywhere in the world. Also on the card
are the Dubai Golden Shaheen and UAE Derby, both worth $2 million, and the $1
million Godolphin Mile. The
Dubai World Cup has attracted 14 of the best thoroughbreds in training. Unlike
Curlin, the world’s best horse who decimated the field last year, or Invasor,
who clocked the second fastest time in the history of the race in 2007, this year’s
Dubai World Cup is expected to be a close and exciting race. Topping
the entries for the 1-1/4 mile race is Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Albertus
Maximus, the second ranked horse in the world, from the United States. The five-year-old
has drawn post 10 with Alan Garcia in the saddle. Albertus Maximus is owned by
Shadwell Stable and trained by Kiaran McLaughlin. Shadwell and McLaughlin sent
out Invasor to win the 2007 World Cup. The
second favourite is Mike De Kock’s Asiatic Boy, winner of the UAE Derby in
2007, and second behind Curlin last year. Well Armed, who has won six of 22 career
starts and earned more than $1.5 million, is another one with a good chance.
Despite
drawing post 10, McLaughlin was happy. “We’re very happy with the draw.
We wanted to be outside of Well Armed as he’s the speed in the race. If he
goes to the lead we can take back a little. Now Albertus Maximus can break and
relax and still be forwardly placed. It’s hard to be as confident as we were
with Invasor because Invasor was a great horse, but we are confident and Albertus
Maximus is doing very well.” A
winner of more than $1.2 million, Albertus Maximus is coming off a win in the
Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park to begin his 2009 season. Overall he has won
six of 16 starts and will be in his first 1-1/4 mile race since finishing eighth
in the 2007 Pacific Classic. The
14th edition of the Dubai World Cup will be the final one to be staged at Nad
Al Sheba Racecourse before Dubai racing is moved to Meydan in 2010. | 