Dubai: A strong pace will be the key factor to Versac PY shaking off his bridesmaid’s tag in Saturday’s third round of the Al Maktoum Challenge (G1), says his trainer Erwan Charpy.
The seven-year-old has finished runner-up in five of his six career starts but Charpy believes that an astute programme coupled with a brisk race gallop will benefit his stable star and confer on him a long overdue victory.
Versac PY is among ten top class Arabians who will line up to contest the opening race on Super Saturday, the dress rehearsal for the Dubai World Cup meeting on March 29.
The son of Njewman ran a big race to finish one and a three-quarter length second to Rabbah De Carrere in Round 2 of the Al Maktoum Challenge 30 days ago despite the pace being less that ideal for him.
“He got caught for turn off foot on that occasion,” Charpy said on Wednesday. “Rabbah got the first run on us and took four lengths. Versac was closing the gap, but the post came too soon. That’s racing.
“Hopefully there will be a good pace on Saturday. You also need some luck and the right trip. You don’t really know how things will turn out with a stronger pace, but I do known he will be a much more competitive horse if the race is run to suit him.
“Whether he’ll be good enough, we will have to wait and see, but I couldn’t have him in better shape.”
Charpy confirmed that the Dubai Kahayla Classic on Dubai World Cup night was the principal target for Versac PY, who races in the colours of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance.
“Obviously we’d like for him to win a race like that, but if we win the Maktoum Challenge on Saturday, I’ll be happy too,” said the Frenchman, a former champion trainer in the UAE. “I really like him and respect him. He’s a very small horse, but he’s got a big heart. If anything, he lacks a turn of foot. But he’s tough and genuine.
“I’m very fortunate to have trained some fairly tough horses like Hafid du Bac, Daffaq and Shantal. Versac’s of the same brand. He’s not a scintillating horse, but one who just does his business — which is what I like about him.”
Charpy also bemoaned the lack of adequate prep races for middle-distance Purebred Arabian horses.
“I’ve been crying for years and years as there are no proper prep races for horses over ten,” he said. “It’s the way the UAE programme is. Your only option is race over seven and mile but that’s not ideal. You are running against some really quick horses and you know going into the race that you’re going to be beaten and I don’t like to run to be beaten. And it does nothing for the confidence of Arabian horses to be run off their feet.”
Charpy also said that he hoped that Versac will benefit from a light racing programme.
“Most of the horses of his class have been running and running any kind of distance,” he said. “So we thought the way to go is to run him lightly. We’ve seen trainers like Eric Lemartinel adopt a similar approach with Nieshan and it seems to have worked for him as the horse won the Al Maktoum Challenge last year. Let’s hope it works for us as well.”
