Post Script on the Dubai World Cup
Overview of Dubai World Cup Press Junket to be Noted
The Dubai World Cup 2008 is the unofficial international flat season opener attracting entrants from all the world's hemispheres. Results prove that it is the only racing Day that truly attracts high-class horses from every part of the world.
Two year's running, the DWC was won by the world's top-rated dirt horses: Invasor Arg (Candy Stripes USA) in 2007 and Curlin USA (Smart Strike USA) who is rated 130.
Of the seven races, only one was won by the UAE with a Purebred Arabian mare Mizzna UAE (Akbar Fr) trained by a French trainer.
Three races each were won by American and South African trainers.
Two trainers, Richard Dutrow Jr USA and Mike de Kock SAf, won two races each. USA jockey Edgar Prado won two races in partnership with Dutrow.
Mike de Kock not only won two races, but had a number of places making him the leading DWC Day trainer. He brings his horses to the Carnival and targets their preparation to the DWC.
Fillies and mares came into their own with brilliant futures waiting.
USA-bred horses dominated the four dirt races with some good competition from Argentina, Brazil and Chile.
Strangely, Japanese-trained horses seem to perform much worse abroad than their form would suggest.
European, Australian, New Zealand and South African-bred horses dominated the two turf races with the exception of Archipenko USA (Kingmambo USA) whose sire is known to produce good turf horses.
Winners of the two turf races were Jay Peg SAf (Camden Park USA) and Sun Classique Aus (Fuji Kiseki Jpn)--both were trained in SAf.
The best results for Britain and France were in the Nakeel Dubai Sheema Classic (Group 1), 2400m (a12f), on turf with Viva Pataca UK (Marju Ire) and Doctor Dino Fr (Muhtathir UK) coming in second and third to the brilliant filly Sun Classique and with the valiant filly Darjina Fr (Zamindar USA) losing to Jay Peg in the Dubai Duty Free (Group 1), 1777m (a8.89f).
The home team Godolphin won no races, did not whinge nor make excuses. They need not worry as they have some powerful ammunition for the coming Classic season.
Whinging, however, is natural to certain members of the British press (referred to by the Aussies as 'whinging Poms' and a few other unprintable names).
Several British print journalists perfected their Mr Snide routines throughout the week. They hated everything.
The following writer was not one of them however; he is an intelligent, thoughtful journalist.
Perhaps because European horses cannot win dirt races, respected Racing Post writer James Willoughby offered Sheikh Mohammed a more exciting revised Dubai World Cup:
"The World Cup should be moved to turf and staged as a $10m race."
His rational is that "The World Cup is on fragile territory. It faces a most uncertain future as a dirt race."
Why? If there were no world's top-rated dirt horses like Invasor or Curlin (both trained in the USA) in the race, lower-rated horses would win the DWC.
That is a stunningly insightful conclusion.
He explains to the Sheikh that there already is the Breeders' Cup on dirt--staged in late October or early November in the USA.
I suspect His Excellency is aware of that event. He announced his intention 13 years ago to establish an early-season equivalent of the Breeders' Cup that would attract and promote the widest international participation drawn by the most valuable purses in the world. He is even building the 'dream' Meydan Racecourse to accommodate his massive, growing audience.
It appears that he has succeeded in achieving his goals. Why change?
The Breeders' Cup has a long way to go before it is more than the fabulous USA racing championships with increasing, but limited foreign participation.
Willoughby also offers other interesting suggestions to help Europe compete more effectively against the more physically mature turf stayers from the Southern Hemisphere.
I was amused by one of the Racing Post's readers, Patrick Durney (of Newbridge, County Kildare), who wrote "that if they (US runners) concentrated solely on turf racing in the US they would dominate that as well....Here's to yet another American superstar--stand up, Curlin."
Here's to Mr Durney who got the point. It is always America's or the Southern Hemisphere's fault (subtext to much of the British press whinging) that Europe does not win everything.
It is the Sheikh's fault that he has not staged and adapted the Dubai World Cup to showcase Europe's abilities.
Perhaps it is time for Europe to either catch up or belt up.
Respectfully submitted by an American living in Britain who traveled with several of the Mr Snides on this glorious press junket.
The Dubai World Cup 2008 is the unofficial international flat season opener attracting entrants from all the world's hemispheres. Results prove that it is the only racing Day that truly attracts high-class horses from every part of the world.
Two year's running, the DWC was won by the world's top-rated dirt horses: Invasor Arg (Candy Stripes USA) in 2007 and Curlin USA (Smart Strike USA) who is rated 130.
Of the seven races, only one was won by the UAE with a Purebred Arabian mare Mizzna UAE (Akbar Fr) trained by a French trainer.
Three races each were won by American and South African trainers.
Two trainers, Richard Dutrow Jr USA and Mike de Kock SAf, won two races each. USA jockey Edgar Prado won two races in partnership with Dutrow.
Mike de Kock not only won two races, but had a number of places making him the leading DWC Day trainer. He brings his horses to the Carnival and targets their preparation to the DWC.
Fillies and mares came into their own with brilliant futures waiting.
USA-bred horses dominated the four dirt races with some good competition from Argentina, Brazil and Chile.
Strangely, Japanese-trained horses seem to perform much worse abroad than their form would suggest.
European, Australian, New Zealand and South African-bred horses dominated the two turf races with the exception of Archipenko USA (Kingmambo USA) whose sire is known to produce good turf horses.
Winners of the two turf races were Jay Peg SAf (Camden Park USA) and Sun Classique Aus (Fuji Kiseki Jpn)--both were trained in SAf.
The best results for Britain and France were in the Nakeel Dubai Sheema Classic (Group 1), 2400m (a12f), on turf with Viva Pataca UK (Marju Ire) and Doctor Dino Fr (Muhtathir UK) coming in second and third to the brilliant filly Sun Classique and with the valiant filly Darjina Fr (Zamindar USA) losing to Jay Peg in the Dubai Duty Free (Group 1), 1777m (a8.89f).
The home team Godolphin won no races, did not whinge nor make excuses. They need not worry as they have some powerful ammunition for the coming Classic season.
Whinging, however, is natural to certain members of the British press (referred to by the Aussies as 'whinging Poms' and a few other unprintable names).
Several British print journalists perfected their Mr Snide routines throughout the week. They hated everything.
The following writer was not one of them however; he is an intelligent, thoughtful journalist.
Perhaps because European horses cannot win dirt races, respected Racing Post writer James Willoughby offered Sheikh Mohammed a more exciting revised Dubai World Cup:
"The World Cup should be moved to turf and staged as a $10m race."
His rational is that "The World Cup is on fragile territory. It faces a most uncertain future as a dirt race."
Why? If there were no world's top-rated dirt horses like Invasor or Curlin (both trained in the USA) in the race, lower-rated horses would win the DWC.
That is a stunningly insightful conclusion.
He explains to the Sheikh that there already is the Breeders' Cup on dirt--staged in late October or early November in the USA.
I suspect His Excellency is aware of that event. He announced his intention 13 years ago to establish an early-season equivalent of the Breeders' Cup that would attract and promote the widest international participation drawn by the most valuable purses in the world. He is even building the 'dream' Meydan Racecourse to accommodate his massive, growing audience.
It appears that he has succeeded in achieving his goals. Why change?
The Breeders' Cup has a long way to go before it is more than the fabulous USA racing championships with increasing, but limited foreign participation.
Willoughby also offers other interesting suggestions to help Europe compete more effectively against the more physically mature turf stayers from the Southern Hemisphere.
I was amused by one of the Racing Post's readers, Patrick Durney (of Newbridge, County Kildare), who wrote "that if they (US runners) concentrated solely on turf racing in the US they would dominate that as well....Here's to yet another American superstar--stand up, Curlin."
Here's to Mr Durney who got the point. It is always America's or the Southern Hemisphere's fault (subtext to much of the British press whinging) that Europe does not win everything.
It is the Sheikh's fault that he has not staged and adapted the Dubai World Cup to showcase Europe's abilities.
Perhaps it is time for Europe to either catch up or belt up.
Respectfully submitted by an American living in Britain who traveled with several of the Mr Snides on this glorious press junket.
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