Dubai: Australian trainer Jeremy Gask said Medicean Man could be looking at his last chance to win big in the Al Quoz Sprint (G1) at Meydan this Saturday.
The eight-year-old gelding comes into the race on the back of two wins in three Carnival races this year but is something of a veteran when placed alongside six and seven-year-old favourites Shea Shea and Sole Power.
“I’ve always had a lot of faith in this horse,” said Gask. “I’ve probably been looking through rose-tinted glasses at times. But when things go right for him, he’s a very good horse. I think there’s a big race in this horse, even though he’s probably leaving it late.”
Last year, Medicean Man finished ninth in the Al Quoz Sprint. But now Gask is aiming much further up the field and is even refusing to rule out a win.
“That’s what we get up in the morning and train for,” he said. “That’s exactly what we’re after. Even a winner at the Carnival was a big enough deal but to win on World Cup night would be something exceptional.
“Realistically if he could run third or fourth, we’d be delighted. Shea Shea and Sole Power are the benchmarks. I’m a realist and I know they’d have to be off their game. Tactically it depends where we draw and maybe you could look into that but I won’t be thinking too hard, I’d rather run our own race.”
With Medicean Man being Gask’s only runner on World Cup night, the trainer said there was an added emphasis on his old favourite to succeed.
“You want to make sure everything is done right because you don’t get many of these chances, so you’ve got to make the most of it. I haven’t been able to buy anything of his ilk since. You do treasure them more. I probably need a couple of horses to come through behind him now but if we’re able to win one on World Cup night I’m sure that would create opportunities in itself.
“He’s never had a day unsound, his knees and joints are still like a three-year-old’s. He still has a spring in his step. We haven’t got a lot of horses, so I need to keep him going as long as he’s willing to do it.”
