Frosted has formula to ice Dubai World Cup rivals

Sport360 staff 07:47 26/03/2016
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  • Frosted has finished in the top three in five of his last six races.

    Given that horses trained in America have won the Dubai World Cup on nine occasions and Godolphin have owned the winner of the world’s richest horse race six times, Frosted could be the one to side with this year.

    Trained in the States by Kiaran McLaughlin, Godolphin’s Frosted has been based at Charlie Appleby’s Al Marmoon Stables since arriving in January.

    The original plan was two runs and then the World Cup. However, he was so impressive in winning the Al Maktoum Challenge Round II on February 4, breaking the track record in the process, McLaughlin had a change of heart.

    McLaughlin said: “We thought he would actually need that first run so to do what he did was amazing. We then decided to just put him away for the big race.”

    McLaughlin, a former multiple UAE Champion Trainer, won the 2007 Dubai World Cup with Invasor so certainly knows what it takes to win the race.

    “It’s hard to describe the fabulous, priceless feeling of winning the Dubai World Cup with an American-based horse for Sheikh Hamdan at the family’s home,” McLaughlin said. “They are so passionate about the racing industry and their horses. I’d put winning the Dubai World Cup right up there with the Kentucky Derby someday. It doesn’t get any better than that.”

    However, he may not be the strongest of this year’s American challengers with bookmakers certainly favouring California Chrome.

    Second in the race last year, on his UAE debut, trainer Art Sherman has changed tact this time around and California Chrome has already won a 2000m handicap at Meydan this year. That was in late February and the equivalent race to that won by Curlin in 2008 before he won the World Cup.

    Chrome galloped on the main track at Meydan and Art Sherman admitted he was visibly more
    relaxed than previous outings.

    Sherman said: “He was stirred up a little bit yesterday (Thursday).

    “Maybe because there were a lot of people around him. I tried to keep everyone away a little bit today. Tomorrow we will jog him at the little training track right near our barn. We go about 15 minutes just warm him up. He likes to train every day, it keeps him relaxed.”

    The rest of the American challenge looks particularly strong this year and also includes Mshawish, a Meydan turf winner in 204. He has since ‘reinvented’ himself as a dirt performer, most recently winning the Grade 1 Donn Handicap.

    Trained by Todd Pletcher, he will be ridden by Frankie Dettori, already a Dubai World Cup winner on three occasions – Dubai Millennium in 2000, Moon Ballad is 2003 and, most recently, on Electrocutionist in 2006. All three being Godolphin horses.

    Also representing The Stars and Stripes is Keen Ice, the only horse to defeat last year’s Triple Crown winner American Pharoah in 2015.

    That was in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes which was, remarkably, only his second career success.

    His UAE debut was uninspiring, to say the least, with a well beaten seventh in Al Maktoum Challenge III on Super Saturday. He has to do better than that but does look in need of a relentless early gallop to aim at which is not guaranteed.

    That Super Saturday race was won by Special Fighter who, basically, made all under Fernando Jara for trainer Musabah Al Muhairi.

    Clearly the apple of his trainer’s eye, he remains a hard horse to predict as everything went right for him in that race.

    Al Muhairi said: “He does not have to lead so is quite versatile, tactically. We have always thought he was a Group One horse and he showed that on Super Saturday.

    “It is really exciting to have a genuine World Cup candidate.”

    Last year’s UAE Derby winner, the Mike de Kock-trained Mubtaahij, has not fired in either start this year but is another who should not be totally discounted.

    However, the American-trained runners would appear to hold all aces in the 2016 Dubai World Cup.

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