Mucho Macho Man heads star-studded Dubai World Cup nominations

The nominations for the $10 million Dubai World Cup sponsored by Emirates Airline represent a unique line-up of international stars that includes the current winners of the Breeder’s Cup Classic, the Breeder’s Cup Turf and Irish 2000 Guineas, the Japan Cup, the Epsom Derby, the Hong Kong Cup, the Durban July victor and a previous Melbourne Cup winner.

Breeder’s Cup Classic star Mucho Macho Man, Breeder’s Cup Turf winner, Magician, Japan Cup Dirt winner, Belshazzar, Epsom Derby hero, Ruler of the World, Hong Kong Cup victor, Akeed Mofeed, Heavy Metal the winner of the Durban July and former Melbourne Cup winner, Dunaden are among 341 nominations for the world’s richest race, according to the Dubai Racing Club.

The 19th renewal of the Meydan Racecourse showpiece will be held on Saturday March 29 and at the closing of the free nomination stage, has attracted entries from 15 countries.

Secretariat Stakes winner, Admiral Kitten, owned and bred by Ken Ramsey, winning owner of the 2005 Dubai World Cup with Roses in May, has also been nominated alongside Big Blue Kitten.

The 2013 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes winner, Olympic Glory, trained by Richard Hannon Jr and John Gosden’s Irish Champion Stakes winner and Breeder’s Cup Turf and Hong Kong Vase runner up, The Fugue have also been nominated.

Game on Dude, who finished out of the placings in the 2012 Dubai World Cup for trainer Bob Baffert is back for more after experiencing a resurgence to his best form in 2013, with three Grade 1 wins.

Godolphin’s 2014 Group 2 Cape Verdi winner, Certify could follow in the footsteps of the Dubai racing operation’s Dubai Duty Free heroine, Sajjhaa, as she holds nominations for the same race, as well as the Dubai World Cup and the Godolphin Mile.

In addition to Epsom Derby winner, Ruler of the World and Irish 2000 Guineas and Breeder’s Cup Turf star, Magician, the highly-successful racing operation of Irish trainer, Aidan O’Brien has nominated 13 other runners.

Kingsbarns, the 2012 Racing Post Trophy winner, dual Group 3-winner, Ernest Hemingway and St Leger winner, Leading Light are among the group slated to make the trip to Dubai.

As often happens at this early stage, a number of runners hold nomination for multiple races.

The Joey Ramsden-trained South African runner, Variety Club, a multiple Grade 1 winner on home soil, has been nominated for the Dubai World Cup, Dubai Duty Free, Dubai Sheema Classic and the Godolphin Mile.

Helene Superstar, a horse that may be more familiar to Dubai race fans by his former name, Lines of Battle, the 2013 UAE Derby winner, has been nominated by new trainer, Tony Cruz for the Dubai Duty Free, the Dubai World Cup and the Dubai Sheema Classic.

Japan’s best racemare, Gentildonna has been nominated for a second shot at the Dubai Sheema Classic, after finishing runner-up to the ill-fated St Nicholas Abbey in the 2013 running of the $5m turf race.

Meanwhile, the David Simcock-trained Trade Storm, the winner of the 2013 Zabeel Mile and Battle of Marengo, a former Ballydoyle star now trained by reigning UAE Champion Trainer, Ernst Oertel both hold nominations for the Dubai Duty Free and the Dubai Sheema Classic.

The winners of both the Dubai World Cup day sprints have been nominated for a defence of their 2013 titles, with the Satish Seemar-trained Golden Shaheen hero, Reynaldothewizard and Mike de Kock’s Shea Shea, the Al Quoz Sprint winner, both holding nominations for both sprint races.

Hong Kong’s newest sprint sensation, Amber Sky winner of the recent local Group 1 Centenary Sprint Cup holds a nomination for the Al Quoz Sprint.

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