Big reward for No Risk?

No Risk Al Maury, trained by Gillian Duffield for Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance, has been one of the best Purebred Arabian runners over the years, and he will take his second crack at this prize — having been runner-up to the Qatari raider Jafeer 12 months ago. No Risk Al Maury was beaten five lengths by Jafeer but he did not produce his absolute best on the big day.

An inside starting position may have worked against him, as he raced prominently from stall one. No Risk Al Maury broke from wide stalls in his best races last season; winning the Al Maktoum Challenge Round One (G1) from stall 12 (beating Santhal by ¾ length), and the Al Maktoum Challenge Round Three (G1) from stall nine (beating Kandhar du Falgas by 2¾ lengths).

He raced in mid-division early on in both these races and finished best of all. The story was the same when No Risk Al Maury repeated his success in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round One (G1) in January this year. He ran out an easy 4½-length winner from Flyvolous, having this time started from stall 10, but he was unable to follow up in the third round of the series on Super Thursday.

Performing below his best, No Risk Al Maury had to settle for third, behind Nieshan and Albar Lotois. On his day, No Risk Al Maury can beat them all. Perhaps he has been saving his best for the big occasion this year.

Nieshan, who ran second in a Group 1 race at Deauville in France last summer, showed improved form to win the Al Maktoum Challenge Round Three (G1) over 2,000 metres on Super Thursday.

The fact that the longshot Albar Lotois finished second may cast a doubt over the form, but last year's winner No Risk Al Maury was back in third and Nieshan must be respected. He seems to be a progressive runner, and is proven over course and distance.

Earlier this winter, he ran third in two valuable events at Abu Dhabi; finishing 4½ lengths behind Dynamite in the National Day Cup (G1) over 1,600m and 3½ lengths behind Seraphin du Paon in the President of The UAE Cup (G1) over 2,200m.

Santhal, unplaced in two previous editions of this race, has improved during the 2010/11 season and must also have a chance. A ten-year-old trained by Frenchman Erwan Charpy, Santhal moved up a notch when winning over 1,900 metres at Meydan in December, beating Paris Gagnar half a length.

Age is clearly no barrier to improvement for Purebred Arabians and Santhal was even better in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round Two (G1) over 2,200 metres in early February. Leading for most of the way and fighting back really gamely when headed 200 metres out, he won again, with Periander a neck behind in second. Kandar du Falgas filled third place.

Santhal also ran well when fourth in the first round of the series in January (behind No Risk Al Maury) but things did not quite pan out for him in the third round of the series on Super Thursday, and Santhal had to settle for sixth behind Nieshan that day. If he shows his best again on World Cup night, he may go close in the Kahayla Classic, a race that looks fairly open this time. n

Worth knowing...

Three Purebred Arabian stallions exported to England became the foundation stallions to the modern thoroughbreds; Godolphin Arabian (born 1724), Darley Arabian (born 1700) and Byerley Turk (born 1684).