Dubai: Meydan Racecourse’s decision to revert to dirt track racing from the 2014-2015 season has met with a mixed response from trainers who have regularly targeted the Dubai World Cup Carnival.
British handler Jamie Osborne, who claimed the biggest win of his career in March this year when he saddled Toast Of New York to win the $2 million (Dh7.3 million) UAE Derby (G2) on the Tapeta, said his initial reaction to the news was one of “disappointment”.
“It wasn’t a surprise as we heard it was coming and my initial reaction was obviously one of disappointment,” he told the Sportinglife website.
“We have a very talented horse who acted on the Tapeta very well, but it’s not the end of the world as far as we’re concerned.
“Our horse might well go on dirt and we’re certainly not abandoning Plan A (to run in the 2015 Dubai World Cup).
“What it might mean is we may have to have a practice on dirt somewhere in the autumn. Whether that is at Santa Anita (for the Breeders’ Cup) or somewhere else, we’ll just have to see,” he added,
“It might also change the way we arrive in Meydan next year. We will probably train him out there, rather than running him straight off the plane.”
Newmarket-based David Simcock, who amassed three Group 1 wins with the Khalifa Bin Dasmal-owned Dream Ahead in 2010-2011, sounded more optimistic.
“I’m open minded, I raced at Nad Al Sheba when it was dirt and really enjoyed it,” said Simcock, who saddled Sheikhzayedroad to win a turf handicap at this year’s Carnival and has been a regular at Meydan since it opening in 2010.
“If you have the right horse that acts on dirt then it is fantastic. Dubai is a world occasion and not a European occasion, which means it is important to get the Americans there.
“It is their decision and won’t change anything for me. The turf track is fantastic, and most of us that go over from England would prefer to race on the turf anyway.”
Closer to home Arabian horse trainer Jaci Wickham, who has been in the UAE since the early nineties, welcomed the switch from Tapeta to dirt.
“Dirt is a more natural and consistent surface than Tapeta. I’ve never been a fan of artificial race tracks, so I’m really looking forward to see how the dirt track will change the face of racing at Meydan. It’s nothing new for us, we’ve almost always raced on dirt, at Nad Al Sheba, Sharjah and Jebel Ali.
“It will also open out racing more, for one the Americans will return, and I think overall we’ll see a much better quality of horse compete in all the big races at the Carnival and the Dubai World Cup.”
Meanwhile, Michael Dickinson, the creator of the Tapeta all-weather track that has been the subject of much criticism over the years, defended the surface.
“Tapeta Footings are disappointed to hear that Meydan are replacing the Tapeta track with an American dirt track,” he said in a statement issued to Sportinglife.
“On Dubai World Cup night of 2014 the six Tapeta races were won by six different countries, it was fair, formful and above all safe.”
“It is sad that we have already lost two Polytracks in the USA and now we are losing yet another synthetic track at Meydan.”
Ironically, the Meydan decision has come at a time when Wolverhampton and Newcastle have announced that they will be installing Tapeta tracks for the fall.
