African Story faces eight opponents in bid to re-write record books at Dubai World Cup

Peter Ward 04:00 19/03/2015
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  • History beckons: Come World Cup night, African Story will be hoping to become the only horse to have defended his crown.

    The Dubai Racing Club have released provisional fields for the eight Thoroughbred races on next Saturday’s Dubai World Cup card, with no less than 32 Group/Grade One winners among them.

    According to the list, nine are set to go to post in the world’s richest horse race, the $10 million (Dh36.7m) Dubai World Cup, with the Doug Watson-trained Candy Boy the only one of the nine not already a winner at the highest level.

    Godolphin’s African Story is set to seek his place in the record books with the Saeed bin Suroor-trained runner looking to defend his crown earned last year.

    No horse has won the World Cup twice and, if he could achieve the feat, Bin Suroor’s charge would have landed the prize on different surfaces – Tapeta 12 months ago and dirt this year.

    He won the main trial, the third round of the Al Maktoum Challenge over the same course and distance, on Super Saturday and his trainer has won both races in the same year on three previous occasions (Dubai Millennium 2000, Street Cry 2002 and Electrocutionist 2006).

    He was chased home, on Super Saturday, by stable companion Prince Bishop who had won the same race 12 months earlier before disappointing when only ninth in the World Cup.

    If the international markets have it right, California Chrome is the one to beat, perhaps not surprisingly considering he won last year’s Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, before an excellent third in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

    Trained by Art Sherman, he will build to emulate Silver Charm who won both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness in 2007 before landing the 2008 World Cup. 

    Lea also represents America and is trained by Bill Mott who won the inaugural running of the World Cup with Cigar, who had won the Donn Handicap on his previous outing. Lea was second in the same race this year in his final prep for next Saturday.

    Ron The Greek won three times in Grade One company in America, when trained by Mott but is now based in Saudi Arabia with Nicholas Bachalard. He was well beaten in last year’s World Cup but will relish the dirt surface this time round.

    Japan won the World Cup in 2011 with Victoire Pisa and have both Epiphaneia and Hokko Tarumae set to take their chances. Elsewhere on the projected card, only Amber Sky joins African Story in attempting to repeat a victory achieved last year, in his case in the 1,000m turf Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint.

    The Group 2 UAE Derby, first run in 2000, was traditionally dominated by Godolphin and Bin Suroor, as well as South African Mike De Kock, who have seven and five previous winners respectively.

    Ireland’s Aidan O’Brien then won both the 2012 and 2013 renewals, before the race went to England and Jamie Osborne’s Toast Of New York 12 months ago.

    Bin Suroor’s Maftool won the UAE 2000 Guineas when chased home by the De Kock-trained Mubtaahij, subsequently winner of the Al Bastakiya on Super Saturday.

    De Kock’s charge beat Godolphin’s Sir Fever, trained by Charlie Appleby in that race and the trio all look to boast leading claims.

    Martin Talty, Dubai Racing Club International Manager, said: “We are very happy with the fields that have been lined up for races on Dubai World Cup day this year. In the Dubai World Cup race alone there are eight Group or Grade 1 winners from five countries.

    “Across the entire card we have 31 Group or Grade 1 winners from 12 countries and we look forward to a huge day of racing for the 20th renewal.”

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