Cat favoured for Dubai World Cup

Dubai: Godolphin's Discreet Cat was installed the favourite to win next Saturday's $6 million Dubai World Cup even as his biggest threat, American Horse of the Year Invasor, landed in Dubai on Wednesday.

English bookmakers Coral were offering odds of 6/5 for the unbeaten four-year-old following his impressive gallop at Nad Al Sheba racecourse last Saturday.

Invasor, who won four Grade 1 races on the trot culminating in his sensational victory in the Breeders' Cup Classic last November, is a best-priced 13/8.

Saudi Arabia's Premium Tap, winner of seven of his 18 career starts including the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes and Clark Handicap last year in the US, is a 6/1 third favourite.

Only eight runners, the smallest field since Almutawakel's victory in 1999, are expected to contest this year's World Cup following the list of likely runners issued by the Dubai Racing Club yesterday.

The field includes Storm Mayor, a former South American champion who has been sold to Saudi Arabian interests, while Hong Kong champion Bullish Luck may also take his chance. Storm Mayor, the winner of six Group 1s in his native Argentina, is a 12/1 shot with Coral while eight-year-old Bullish Luck, who was fifth behind David Junior in last year's $5 million Dubai Duty Free and is curiously being switched to dirt for the first time in his career, is at 20/1.

Smashes record

Saudi Arabia's former Argentine Horse of the Year Forty Licks, who smashed the track record at Janadriyah racecourse last month, has been priced at 14/1.

Japan's Vermillion, winner of the Group 1 Kawasaki Kinen Memorial, is available at 20/1 while British raider Kandidate, who won the second round of the Maktoum Challenge (Group 3) in early February, is a 50/1 outsider.

The $5 million Dubai Duty Free (Group 1) has attracted a maximum field of 16 runners led by Lava Man, a six-time Group 1 winner in America and Breeders' Cup Mile champion Miesque's Approval.

Among the other noteworthy runners likely to contest what looks like being the classiest race at the Dubai World Cup meeting, are Japan's multiple Group 1 winner Daiwa Major and Hong Kong Cup third Admire Moon.

South African trainer Mike de Kock, who won this race twice in the past with Right Approach (2004) and Ipi tombe ('03) is three handed with Irridescence, Kapil and Bad Girl Runs while compatriot Herman Brown will have another shot at the $5 million purse with Linngari, 13th in the race 12 months ago.

Indian superstar Mystical, an exciting two-race winner at the Dubai International Racing Carnival, was handed a late invitation to the race which sees former UAE champion trainer Dhruba Selvaratnam also try to win the race at the second attempt, with Seihali, last year's third place finisher.