Rivals must take Literato seriously in Dubai

London: With a career counting nine wins and just two defeats, Literato is a horse his rivals must take seriously when he runs in the $5 million Dubai Sheema Classic (Gr 1) on March 29.

This French horse, sold from Jean-Claude Rouget's stable to Godolphin last autumn, never stopped improving in his three-year-old campaign.

He closed it out with a gutsy win over Eagle Mountain in the Champion Stakes (Gr 1) at Newmarket. He beat the Irish-trained rival by a nose, with the subsequent Hong Kong Vase (Gr 1) winner Doctor Dino three lengths behind in third.

Under the radar

Up to this fine win at the highest level, Literato had been "flying under the radar" somewhat in European racing. Sure enough, in France they knew about his talents, but he was never seen as a top class horse outside his native country.

Perhaps that is exactly what he is. The Champion Stakes at Newmarket is run over a course similar to Nad Al Sheba, so if he is to have a chance there, Literato must be both adaptable and versatile.

He seems to be, having won races at Longchamp, Deauville, Vichy, Toulouse and Parilly in France before producing his very best at Newmarket.

You cannot win the Champion Stakes without a fair amount of stamina and back in June last year, Literato was second in the "French Derby", the Prix du Jockey-Club (G1), run over 2,200 metres.

He was beaten by Lawman, who went on to win the Prix Jean Prat (Gr 1) on his next start.

In third came Shamdinan, winner of the Secretariat Stakes (Gr 1) in the USA in August, and fourth place went to Zambezi Sun, who landed the Grand Prix de Paris (Gr 1) next time out.

The French Derby may have been dismissed by many as a sub-standard classic at the time but it does not look so bad now, does it?

Between his run in the French Derby and his win at Newmarket, Literato picked up two valuable prizes over 2,000 metres in France, winning the Prix Guillaume d'Ornano (Gr 2) at Deauville and the Prix du Prince d'Orange (Gr 3) at Longchamp.

He has won stakes races on good to soft and very soft ground. Turf runners with a preference for some give in the ground often do well at Nad Al Sheba's dirt track.

-Geir Stabell is editor and handicapper of Globeform/ www.globeform.com