Dubai World Cup-winning jockey William Buick is relishing the prospect of being teamed with the brilliant Hawkbill at Meydan on Super Saturday, the dress rehearsal to the Dubai World Cup on March 31.
The Godolphin jockey, who sealed the 2015 World Cup on Prince Bishop, has just recovered from a compression fracture to his T12 vertebrae after falling from Permian at the Secretariat Stakes in August.
Although he didn’t require surgery, the Norway-born rider was ruled out of action until late October – when he returned for the John Guest Bengough Stakes at Ascot.
And the 29-year-old will be hoping to produce something special on Hawkbill on Saturday in the Group Two Dubai City of Gold over a mile-and-a-half.
The Charlie Appleby-trained horse will go into Super Saturday as the favourite – after finishing three-quarters of a length in front of stablemate Frontiersman in Newmarket back in July.
“He looks like he’s wintered very well. He’s done well for the winter in the UAE. In an ideal world this is a preparation race for the Sheema Classic. He brings a lot of class to the race. He’ll be the horse they all have to beat,” Buick said.
“He’s physically done well. Mentally he’s great. He’s a very energetic horse and expresses himself. All the signs of his well-being, he’s showed all of them. The main aim is March 31 and he looks like he’s he’s on an upward curve.”
Buick is no stranger to the grand stage and despite being sidelined due to injury at the back end of 2017, he goes into Saturday’s meet on a formidable 11 winners – four more than the venerable Chris Soumillon of Belgium.
Having committed to six rides in the seven-race card, the Newmarket-resident looks in firm control to win the carnival’s Champion Jockey title.
He added: “It’s an important race day, every race day is important for various reasons but we go out with the aim to win every race we’ve entered, and that makes every race important.
“I’ll approach Saturday, the World Cup or any race in a similar way. The bigger the race day the more coverage you get, but in professional sport you take it as what it is.”
Buick will ride Folkswood and Boynton in the Jebel Hatta and Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 respectively.
He will then be aboard Masar in the Listed Al Bastakiya, Comicas in the Group 3 Mahab Al Shimaal and Jungle Cat in the third race.
The Godolphin jockey will then partner the impressive Hawkbill in the concluding race.
