Twice Over primed for Dubai World Cup glory

The two ‘dark horses’ have been ideally drawn in the middle and could pose the biggest challenge to Twice Over who will begin wide when a full field of 14 runners go to post in the 2,000 metre race on the All-weather Tapeta surface.

The Dubai World Cup is one of eight races that make up the $26.25-million card attracting horses and connections representing diverse countries including the UAE, US, Japan, England, Ireland, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and the Chechen Republic.

A back-to-back winner of the Champions Stakes in England, Twice Over gets his second chance at the most lucrative horse race after finishing a disappointing 10^th in the Dubai World Cup meeting last year.

Legendary British trainer Henry Cecil is hoping that a new preparation strategy will give the three-time Group 1 winner by Observatory a fighting chance to capture horse racing’s most lucrative race.

“I thought he would win last year,” said Cecil who is baffled at his failure last year. “He did get a bad bump and couldn’t get in. Whether that was the reason, I don’t know.”

But Cecil feels the six-year-old is more matured and wiser by the experience.

“He’s definitely better than he was last year, and he’s definitely in great form. He’s got a great chance. I’m very hopeful.”

Last season, Twice Over entered race following a four-month layoff after finishing third behind Zenyatta and Gio Ponti in the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Santa Anita Park.

This year, Cecil sent the Juddmonte Farms homebred to Dubai early to get the horse a prep race. Twice Over obliged by winning the 2000m Al Maktoum Challenge-Round 3 over Musir and Gitano Hernando.

“We thought last year, after seeing the horses that had already been in Dubai run so well, that we’d try that route,” Juddmonte racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe said.

Cecil said he thinks the successful prep run could have Twice Over sitting on a big performance.

“I think the difference this year compared to last is that he’s adapted to life over here. He’s more balanced and has benefited from training on the track regularly. I’ve kept all his training to the main track, rather than the training track or the turf - he’s just a happy horse,” he said.

Jockey Tom Queally concurred that his favourite mount has had the perfect build-up.

“I do actually think we’ve got his preparation spot on. His win in the Maktoum Challenge earlier this month was everything, and a little more, than we’d been hoping for.

“Of course, we’re drawn out wide again in 12, and we’ll just have to find a way to the inner. It’s better than 14, but you’d love to be drawn in the middle. Someone has to be in 12, and it just happens to be us. I just need to get him on an even keel and then he’ll be happy. He’s best when he’s happy.”

American raider Gio Ponti will attempt to improve on his fourth-place finish in the 2010 World Cup. The son of Tale of the Cat, who will break from post five, enters the World Cup without the benefit of a prep race. The six-year-old’s last start came last November, when he was second to Goldikova in the TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile at Churchill Downs. Ramon Dominguez will ride for trainer Christophe Clement.

“Everything is great,” said Clement. “He is very sound and very happy. There’s not much I can do now - I don’t do the running, he does. We are confident and hope for the best.”

Cape Blanco was twice successful in group I company last year, notching victories in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby (Ire-I) and the Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes (Ire-I). The four-year-old colt by Galileo will be making his 2011 debut in the World Cup, but does fire well off the bench, having captured the Totesport Dante Stakes (Eng-II) in his seasonal debut last year. Jamie Spencer will ride.

Godolphin has been fortunate enough to win the Dubai World Cup, five times already but it will be the toughest test yet for Poet’s Voice, Monterosso and Prince Bishop.

Fittingly, all three of Godolphin’s contenders are four-year-old colts sired by Dubawi, the best son of the late lamented Dubai Millennium, Godolphin’s greatest horse whose successes included a scintillating triumph in the Dubai World Cup in 2000.

Godolphin’s main hope is Poet’s Voice, who came from last to first to beat many of Europe’s best milers last year in the Group One Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot, England, on turf.

He made his Meydan debut in the Group Two Jebel Hatta Sponsored By Emirates Airline over nine furlongs on turf on March 3 and went down a neck in a blanket finish.

Poet’s Voice, the mount of Frankie Dettori, switches to Tapeta for the first time in the Dubai World Cup but has been training throughout the winter on the surface at Saeed bin Suroor’s base at Al Quoz.

“Poet’s Voice has matured and looks more relaxed this year and I think the mile and a quarter of the Dubai World Cup will suit him. He has had one run already here in Dubai and did well that day,” said Al Suroor.

“I think Poet’s Voice will be fine switching to a different surface, Tapeta. He shows plenty of speed and draw number 10 will be no problem for him. I am looking for a good run from him.”

Monterosso won on his first start for trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni. “He’s a really fast horse and has both stamina and speed so I think he can take a good position in the race. If he likes the surface on Saturday, he will be thereabouts,” said Mickael Barzalona, who takes the ride again.

Prince Bishop, trained by Saeed bin Suroor, will be ridden for the first time by Ahmed Ajtebi in the Dubai World Cup.

A winner of four of his eight starts, his biggest success came in the Group Two Prix du Conseil de Paris over 12 furlongs at Longchamp, France, in October.

“I like Prince Bishop and think he is improving while it looks like he handles Tapeta well,” said Bin Suroor.

Trainer Mike de Kock will send out a pair of runners in Musir and Golden Sword. Musir, a five-year-old horse by Redoute’s Choice, won four straight races in Dubai last season, capping things off with a victory in the UAE Derby. He will be ridden by Christophe Soumillon.

Golden Sword, the second de Kock runner, will break from the far outside from post 14 who boasts a fine record this season, with two wins and a second in three starts at Meydan. Kevin Shea will ride.

“Musir has the best draw of the pair but Golden Sword is a hold-up horse anyway. Both are in good form,” said De Kock.

Jockey Ryan Moore is hoping reigning Japanese Horse of the Year Buena Vista, the only filly in the field, can bring some measure of comfort to fans in Japan that are suffering in the aftermath of the massive earthquake and tsunami that battered the island on March 11.

“For the Japanese people who are now having a difficult time, I would like to say that the racing is my answer. What is going on is very terrible, and I suppose horse racing can lift them,” he said.