Dubai: Champion trainer Doug Watson (left) believes his rank outsider status may well be the strongest point for his Candy Boy to land the big race on Dubai World Cup night on Saturday.
Watson’s fourth title as UAE’s champion trainer was announced at the post position draw on Wednesday and the veteran of 23 years in UAE flat racing is convinced that speed will be the ultimate litmus test in the $10 million (Dh37.5 million) highlight.
“This is a serious race and obviously the two favourites right now are Frosted and California Chrome. No doubt, there are some great horses who have proved themselves over the season and that is precisely why they are all racing here. This race is going to be a big speed duel and there will be a lot of speed,” Watson told media.
“As we are all aware Candy Boy does not have that much of speed, so maybe we can pick up the pieces and come in late. The early part of the race will be fast, and we will sit in there, and hopefully show a little more speed than we did last year in the later part of the race, get up in the middle of the race and make a nice race out of it,” he hoped.
“This is one of the harder World Cups that I have seen in the last few years, but it sure will be an interesting one.”
Contrary to belief, Watson thinks that the race will pan out in a completely different plane with much of it dictated by the speed factor. “We’ve got to see the speed and how fast the other horses want to go,” he insisted.
“He [Candy Boy] has been winning one in four races that he has taken part this year, and he has one of the best jockeys [Pat Dobbs] on him this season,” he related.
The American horse’s trainer chose gate 6 for Candy Boy for Saturday’s big race. “I chose the sixth gate as I would like him to break off from the middle of the track. We’ve been off for a year and I hope he can break a little bit better than last year. We have been off for a year and he’s just done everything that we’ve asked him to, though it has been step by step up to this point. We feel comfortable that he will be running and we feel comfortable that he will be in a nice race,” Watson added.
“I am convinced that he is coming into the race in a very good form and let’s hope we have him up there as the best on Saturday. It would be fantastic to have a first-ever winner here. It would be a crowning moment of my career as a trainer. We have had a great year and after 23 years here I think I would like to see one right up there. It would be very special to get one.”
