Life is definitely Good for Dubai favourite backers
Bill Esdaile’s Dubai World Cup 1-2-3:
1. Life Is Good
2. Hot Rod Charlie
3. Chuwa Wizard
WHILE it may no longer be the world’s richest race, the Dubai World Cup (4.30pm) is still a huge draw, and this looks a top-class renewal of the £8.8 million spectacle at Meydan.
Form from the best middle distance dirt contests around – the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Pegasus World Cup and The Saudi Cup – comes together and there’s a good international feel to the race as well, with representatives from five nations.
US-trained horses have won four of the last 10 editions and they look to hold a formidably strong hand once again, occupying the first four positions in the betting.
Favourite LIFE IS GOOD was seen at his devastating best in the Grade One Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park in January, where he galloped his rivals into submission from the front.
While the time of that race wasn’t impressive compared with past renewals, it was hard to knock the manner in which he beat Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Knicks Go, winning by over three lengths without being fully extended.
He didn’t look to be tying up at the finish either, so this extra furlong is unlikely to find him out and after only seven career starts, he might even improve for the step up to one-mile-two-furlongs – a frightening thought for his rivals.
Todd Pletcher’s star has drawn the perfect inside stall number to employ the same front-running tactics we saw in Florida and while he’s a short price for a race of this quality, he is tough to oppose.
Breeders’ Cup Classic form suggests HOT ROD CHARLIE has something to find with his main market rival, as he was comprehensively beaten by Knicks Go at Del Mar in November.
Doug O’Neill’s runner does have the advantage of track experience, however, having made all the running to beat inferior rivals in the Group Two Al Maktoum Challenge R2 at the beginning of last month.
That came in a reasonable time, only 0.11 seconds outside standard, but William Buick, who was aboard that day, had to get serious with him to see off the attentions of locally-trained Al Nefud.
That horse is currently favourite for the Group Two Godolphin Mile earlier on the card, so it could yet prove to be reasonable form, but Hot Rod Charlie will need to improve if he’s to trouble his more lightly-raced rival.
It’s notable that top US-based rider Flavien Prat prefers Hot Rod Charlie to Country Grammer, the horse he finished second on in last month’s Saudi Cup.
Both Country Grammer and Midnight Bourbon ran fine races in Riyadh to fill out the frame, but the worry is that a hard race in Saudi could have left its mark so it might be better to look elsewhere.
This is a good race to play on the World Pool with Tote.co.uk and have a go at a Trifecta (pick the first three home in the correct order) or a Quinella Place (find two of the first three horses in any order).
Japanese-trained CHUWA WIZARD finished runner up to Mystic Guide in this race last year, and he looks the one to include in those exotic combinations.
A strong pace, with Life Is Good and Hot Rod Charlie going forward, should suit him and he can be ridden to pick up the places from a good draw in stall three.
Man has huge amount of Promise to become top class sprinter
BLUE Point won the Al Quoz Sprint Sponsored By Azizi Developments (1.35pm) for Charlie Appleby in 2019 before going on to land a historic Royal Ascot double a few months later.
Now, I’m not saying MAN OF PROMISE will scale those heights, but I do think he could be the next superstar sprinter to don the famous Godolphin blue silks.
He bolted up in a Listed race over course and distance in January and was then even more impressive when beating A Case Of You by four and three quarter lengths in the Group Three Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint earlier this month.
Both Blue Point and Jungle Cat, Appleby’s two winners of this race, came here having won the trial earlier that month, and all looks set for another powerful display by Man Of Promise.
The five-year-old was well beaten in last year’s renewal, but he looks a different horse this season and as long as a 21-day turnaround isn’t too short a gap, he is the one to beat at around 2/1.
It could be a Godolphin one-two as Creative Force reappears here having won the Group One Qipco British Champions Sprint on his final start of 2021.
He has gone well fresh in the past and looks the one for a World Pool Quinella (pick the first and second in any order) with Tote.co.uk alongside his stablemate.
Japan have won three of the last five runnings of the Dubai Turf Sponsored By DP World (3.20pm) and they can do it again with SCHNELL MEISTER.
He is a Grade One winner in Japan and has the assistance of Christophe Lemaire who landed a four-timer at The Saudi Cup meeting last month.
Fellow Japanese runner Panthalassa would be the one I would put in a Quinella with Tote.co.uk.
POINTERS TOMORROW
Man Of Promise 1.35pm Meydan
Man Of Promise/Creative Force Quinella
Schnell Meister 3.20pm Meydan
Schnell Meister/Panthalassa Quinella