The favourites for Dubai Gold Cup

Group 2; 4.55pm; $1 million; 3,200m; sponsored by Al Tayer Motors

 

Manatee

 

Andre Fabre, arguably one of the world’s best racehorse trainers, has an intriguing contender for the Gold Cup, Godolphin’s five-year-old Manatee. This son of Monsun carried a tough weight to a solid win last spring over dual Group 1 winner Prince Gibraltar in the Grand Prix de Chantilly over 2,400 metres on soft ground. Manatee looked tapped for toe as the pace lifted up a notch when the field came into the straight, but soon found an efficient stride to launch an attack.

 

Jockey Mickael Barzalona had him in full flight as he took the lead with under 200 metres to go. Prince Gibraltar, winner of the Grosser Preis von Baden later on, stayed on for second, though was always held by Manatee. The winning margin was three parts of a length. Agent Murphy finished third and Spiritjim took fourth.

 

Manatee stepped right up in class four weeks later but had to settle for fourth in the Grand Prix de Saint Cloud, beaten by three high-profile names; Treve, Flintshire and Dolniya. A break followed, before he was thrown into the deep end in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in early October. Starting as one of the outsiders, Manatee finished 11 of the 17 runners, eased in the closing stages and beaten 7¼ lengths behind champion Golden Horn. Manatee’s next task was a test of stamina, as he went for the Prix Royal-Oak. The stayers’ classic was won by Vazirabad, who was followed home by Siljan’s Sage, Mille Et Mille, Cirrus des Aigles and Manatee, who was once more beaten 7¼ lengths by the winner. 

 

Manatee opened his 2016 campaign by running a game second in the Prix Darshaan over 1,900 metres (surely too short for him) at Deauville three weeks ago. Beaten a length by Elliptique, he pipped Sheema Classic contender Gailo Chop for second that day. Manatee may just turn out to be the biggest threat to Gold Cup favourite Vazirabad.

 

Star Empire

 

Mike de Kock’s experienced stayer Star Empire, who was third and second in the past two editions of the Gold Cup, goes to post with an obvious chance again this year. This nine-year-old recorded his first win for almost three years beating Elleval in a 2,000-metres handicap in January, but don’t be fooled by that stat; Star Empire 

is nothing but game and consistent. His past twelve results read 322337832153. Five of these runs came in Group races, while the other seven were under tough weights in handicaps. 

 

That he was able to win over 2,000 metres underlines his versatility. Staying is his game. The slow early pace was therefore against him in the Nad Al Sheba Trophy over 2,800 metres three weeks ago. He was a bit slow from the gates, then took up a position in midpack, before fighting his way up to third place. But Star Empire carried too much weight on this occasion, due to a mistake. His camp will be looking for a real test on World Cup night. 

 

Vazirabad

 

Vazirabad, owned by the Aga Khan and trained by Alain de Royer-Dupré in France, will be a tough nut to crack in the Dubai Gold Cup. This four-year-old son of Manduro is one of Europe’s best young stayers.

 

He notched up five straight wins at home last year, ending with a game one-length success in the Prix Royal-Oak over 3,100 metres at Saint-Cloud in Paris, where he beat older horses for the first time. 

 

Jockey Christophe Soumillon rode his normal patient and confident race on the gelding, biding his time at the back of the field early on. He delivered the favourite with a relentless run and Vazirabad won by a length from Siljan’s Saga. Mille Et Mille finished third and the well-known globetrotter Cirrus des Aigles (who failed to see out the trip) came home in fourth place. Vazirabad’s sire Manduro excelled over 1,600 and 2,000 metres, and this Gold Cup contender probably gets more stamina from the dam, Visorama, who ran third in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud over 2,400 metres.