Dubai: Godolphin’s Benbatl, the ante-post favourite for next Saturday’s $12 million Dubai World cup (Group 1) Sponsored by Emirates, is likely to face 11 rivals including five American raiders in a bid to win the landmark 25th running of the iconic race at Meydan.
Trained in Dubai by Saeed Bin Surour, a nine-time winner of the 2,000 metre dirt contest, Benbatl announced himself to be a leading contender for March 28 showpiece with a thumping victory in the Group 2 Singspiel Stakes at Meydan on January 10.
A tri-continental Group 1 winner, Benbatl is the 9/4 international favourite ahead of Pegasus World Cup winner Mucho Gusto (4/1), representing three-time Dubai World Cup-winning trainer Bob Baffert and another American hopeful Tacitus (7/1) who is trained by Bill Mott, winner of the inaugural race in 1996 with the great Cigar.
Other American contenders included the Mark Casse-trained Sir Winston, Elizabeth Bobles’ War Story and Saffie Joseph Jr’s Math Wizard.
The Dubai Racing Club (DRC) also released a tentative lost of horses that will contest eight supporting races — among them five Group 1s and three Group 2s — worth a world-leading total purse of $35 million.
The likely fields include several global superstars led the brilliant Ghaiyyath and Hong Kong Vase (G1) winner Glory Vase in the $6 million Longines Dubai Sheema Classic (G1), defending champion Almond Eye who takes on the likes of Hong Kong Cup (G1) winner Win Bright and eye-catching Jebel Hatta (G1) victor Barney Roy in the $6 million Dubai Turf sponsored by DP World (G1)
Imperial Hint, third in last year’s $2.5 million G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen sponsored by Gulf News, will line-up along Captain Scotty, Killybegs Captain, and Truck Salesman.
Meanwhile the $2 million Al Quoz Sprint sponsored by Azizi Developments (G1) and $2.5 million UAE Derby sponsored by Emirates NBD (G2) will showcase runners from Japan, Europe, UAE and USA.
The $1.5 million Dubai Gold Cup sponsored by Al Tayer Motors (G2) has attracted high class stayers like Melbourne Cup (G1) winner Cross Counter and St Leger (G1) winner Kew Gardens, while the $1.5 million Godolphin Mile sponsored by Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City — District One (G2) features a clash between dominant milers Capezzano and Salute the Soldier.
The world’s richest race day kicks off with the $1 million Dubai Kahayla Classic sponsored by Mubadala (G1), which will be contested by some of the best Purebred Arabians in the world, including defending champion AF Maher.
DUBAI KAHAYLA CLASSIC SPONSORED BY MUBADALA
PURSE: $1m, 2,000m (A10F), DIRT
HORSE (BRED), NATIONALITY, TRAINER
AATEBAT AL KHALEDIAH (KSA), UAE, HELAL AL ALAWI
AF MAHER (UAE), UAE, ERNST OERTEL
AF MATHMOON (UAE), UAE, MUSSABAH AL MUHAIRI
AMWAJ (FR), UAE, ERIC LEMARTINEL
BANDAR (FR), UAE, MAJED AL JAHOORI
DERYAN (FR), FRANCE, DIDIER GUILLEMIN
FAZZA AL KHALEDIAH, GERMANY, MICHAL BORKOWSKI
HAJRES (TUN), FRANCE, ELISABETH BERNARD
MASHHUR AL KHALEDIAH (FR), UK, PHILIP COLINGTON
MUBASHER AL KHALEDIAH (KSA), SAUDI ARABIA, SAAD BIN MUTLAQ
RASI (GB), OMAN, SULIMAN AL-GHUNAIMI
RB MONEY TO BURN (US), UAE, ERIC LEMARTINEL
RB TEXAS HOLD EM (US), UAE, DOUGLAS WATSON
SOMOUD (FR), UAE, AHMED AL MEHAIRBI
TALLAAB AL KHALEDIAH (KSA), SAUDI ARABIA, SAAD BIN MUTLAQ
ZIYADD (FR), UAE, JEAN DE ROUALLE
GODOLPHIN MILE SPONSORED BY MOHAMMED BIN RASHID AL MAKTOUM CITY DISTRICT ONE
PURSE: $1m, 1,600m (A8F), DIRT
HORSE (BRED), NATIONALITY, TRAINER
AXELROD (USA), UAE, SALEM BIN GHADAYER
CAPEZZANO (USA), UAE, SALEM BIN GHADAYER
DERMA LOUVRE (JPN), JAPAN, HIROFUMI TODA
ELUSIVE STATE (AUS), HONG KONG, TONY MILLARD
GRAY MAGICIAN (USA), USA, PETER MILLER
KIMBEAR (USA), UAE, DOUGLAS WATSON
MIDNIGHT SANDS (USA), UAE, DOUGLAS WATSON
MOGIANA FLAVOR (JPN), JAPAN, SATOSHI FUKUNAGA
PARSIMONY (USA), USA, DOUG O’NEILL
SALUTE THE SOLDIER (GER), UAE/BAHRAIN, FAWZI NASS
SECRET AMBITION (GB), UAE, SATISH SEEMAR
DUBAI GOLD CUP SPONSORED BY AL TAYER MOTORS
PURSE: US$1.5m, 3,200m (A16F), TURF
HORSE, NATIONALITY, TRAINER
CALL THE WIND, FRANCE, FREDDY HEAD
CROSS COUNTER, UAE, CHARLIE APPLEBY
DEE EX BEE, UAE, SALEM BIN HADAYER
ISPOLINI, UAE, CHARLIE APPLEBY
KEW GARDENS, IRELAND, AIDAN O’BRIEN
MEKONG, UK, JAMES OSBORNE
MOUNTAIN HUNTER, UAE, SAEED BIN SUROOR
NAYEF ROAD, UK, MARK JOHNSTON
PRINCE OF ARRAN, UK, CHARLIE FELLOWES
SPANISH MISSION, UK, DAVID SIMCOCK
AL QUOZ SPRINT SPONSORED BY AZIZI DEVELOPMENTS
PURSE: $4m, 1,200m (A6F), TURF
HORSE (BRED), NATIONALITY, TRAINER
BLITZKRIEG (USA), USA, DOUG O’NEILL
DARK POWER (IRE), BAHRAIN, ALLAN SMITH
EKHTIYAAR (GB), UAE, DOUGLAS WATSON
EQUILATERAL (GB), UK, CHARLIE HILLS
GHOUL (BRZ), USA, PETER MILLER
GLORIOUS JOURNEY (GB), UAE, CHARLIE APPLEBY
MR MELODY (USA), JAPAN, HIDEAKI FUJIWARA
MUBTASIM (IRE), UAE, CHARLIE APPLEBY
RIGHT ON CUE (JPN), JAPAN, MITSUGU KON
SERGEI PROKOFIEV (CAN), IRELAND, AIDAN O’BRIEN
SPEAK IN COLOURS (GB), IRELAND, JOSEPH O’BRIEN
TEXAS WEDGE (USA), USA, PETER MILLER
WAADY (IRE), UAE, DOUGLAS WATSON
WILDMAN JACK (USA), USA, DOUG O’NEILL
UAE DERBY SPONSORED BY EMIRATES NBD
PURSE: $2.5m, 1900m (A9.5F), DIRT
HORSE (BRED), NATIONALITY, TRAINER
DERMA ONYX (JPN), JAPAN, KAZUHIRO SEISHI
DOWN ON DA BAYOU (USA), UAE, SALEM BIN GHADAYER
DUBAI LOVE (GB), UAE, SAEED BIN SUROOR
EMBLEM STORM (USA), UAE, SATISH SEEMAR
FINAL SONG (IRE), UAE, SAEED BIN SUROOR
FORE LEFT (USA), USA, DOUG O’NEILL
FULL FLAT (USA), JAPAN, HIDEYUKI MORI
NEW WORLD TAPESTRY (USA), IRELAND, AIDAN O’BRIEN
ROWDY YATES (USA), USA, STEVE ASMUSSEN
SEREIN (USA), JAPAN, MIKIO MATSUNAGA
SHOTSKI (USA), USA, JEREMIAH O’DWYER
TIZAMAGICIAN (USA), USARICHARD MANDELLA
TUZ (USA), UAE, SATISH SEEMAR
WRECKING CREW (USA), USA, PETER MILLER
DUBAI GOLDEN SHAHEEN SPONSORED BY GULF NEWS
PURSE: $2.5m, 1,200m (A6F), DIRT
HORSE (BRED), NATIONALITY, TRAINER
BIG TIME BABY (IRE), HONG KONG, MANFRED MAN
BOCHART (GB), UAE, SATISH SEEMAR
CAPTAIN SCOTTY (USA), USA, PETER MILLER
DRAFTED (USA), UAE, DOUGLAS WATSON
GOLD QUEEN (JPN), JAPAN, TOMOYASU SAKAGUCHI
IBN MALIK (IRE), UAE, MUSABBAH AL MUHAIRI
IMPERIAL HINT (USA), USA, LUIS CARVAJAL
KILLYBEGS CAPTAIN (USA), USA, JOHN P TERRANOVA II
MATERA SKY (USA), JAPAN, HIDEYUKI MORI
TRUCK SALESMAN (USA), USA, DOUG O’NEILL
WAFY (IRE), UAE, SATISH SEEMAR
DUBAI TURF SPONSORED BY DP WORLD
PURSE: $6m 1,800m (A9F), TURF
HORSE (BRED), NATIONALITY, TRAINER
ADMIRE MARS (JPN), JAPAN, YASUO TOMOMICHI
ALMOND EYE (JPN), JAPAN, SAKAE KUNIEDA
BARNEY ROY (GB), UAE, CHARLIE APPLEBY
CIRCUS MAXIMUS (IRE), IRELAND, AIDAN O’BRIEN
EPIC HERO (FR), UK, SIMON CRISFORD
LORD NORTH (IRE), UK, JOHN GOSDEN
MAGIC LILY (GB), UAE, CHARLIE APPLEBY
MAGIC WAND (IRE), IRELAND, AIDAN O’BRIEN
MUSTASHRY (GB), UK, SIR MICHAEL STOUTE
PERSIAN KNIGHT (JPN), JAPAN, YASUTOSHI IKEE
PORT LIONS (IRE), UAE/BAHRAIN, FAWZI NASS
WIN BRIGHT (JPN), JAPAN, YOSHIHIRO HATAKEYAMA
LONGINES DUBAI SHEEMA CLASSIC
PURSE: $6m, 2,410m (A12F), TURF
HORSE (BRED), NATIONALITY, TRAINER
ANTHONY VAN DYCK (IRE), IRELAND
CURREN BOUQUETD’OR (JPN), JAPAN, KAZUHIRO SEISHI
DEFOE (GB), UK, ROGER VARIAN
DESERT ENCOUNTER (IRE), UK, DAVID SIMCOCK
FLEETING (IRE), IRELAND, AIDAN O’BRIEN
GHAIYYATH (IRE), UAE, CHARLIE APPLEBY
GLORY VASE (JPN), JAPAN, TOMOHITO OZEKI
LOVES ONLY YOU (JPN), JAPAN, YOSHITO YAHAGI
MOUNT EVEREST (IRE), IRELAND, AIDAN O’BRIEN
STAR CATCHER (GB), UK, JOHN GOSDEN
UNITED (USA), USA, RICHARD MANDELLA
SHOTSKI (USA), USA, JEREMIAH O’DWYER
TIZAMAGICIAN (USA), USA, RICHARD MANDELLA
TUZ (USA), UAE, SATISH SEEMAR
DUBAI WORLD CUP SPONSORED BY EMIRATES AIRLINE
PURSE: $12m, 2,000m (A10F), DIRT
HORSE (BRED), NATIONALITY, TRAINER
BENBATL (GB), UAE, SAEED BIN SUROOR,
CHRYSOBERYL (JPN), JAPAN, HIDETAKA OTONASHI
CHUWA WIZARD (JPN), JAPAN, RYUJI OKUBO
GOLD DREAM (JPN), JAPAN, OSAMU HIRATA
GRONKOWSKI (USA), UAE, SALEM BIN GHADAYER
MASTER FENCER (JPN), JAPAN, KOICHI TSUNODA
MATH WIZARD (USA), USA, SAFFIE JOSEPH, JR
MATTERHORN (IRE), UAE, SALEM BIN GHADAYER
MUCHO GUSTO (USA), USA, BOB BAFFERT
SIR WINSTON (USA), USA, MARK CASSE
TACITUS (USA), USA, WILLIAM I MOTT
WAR STORY (USA), USA, ELIZABETH DOBLES
