Dubai: Only the outstanding pair Zenyatta and Goldikova have stood in the way of wins at the past two Breeders' Cups for Gio Ponti.
He took second behind Zenyatta in the Group One Breeders' Cup Classic in 2009 and filled the same place behind Goldikova in the Group One Breeders' Cup Mile last year.
This North American champion returns to Meydan for a second attempt at winning the Group One Dubai World Cup.
He finished fourth 12 months ago, when the pace scenario worked against him. Gio Ponti is better than that showing and he has a big chance on Saturday.
The Christophe Clement-trained star will be coming off a long break, not having raced since the Breeders' Cup in November.
Horses with similar preparations have ended up on the podium after many a top race around the world, so we know it can be done.
Also, don't forget Gio Ponti takes one of the best Globeform ratings into the battle. He is a solid performer.
Gio Ponti stayed on late to take fourth to Gloria de Campeao last year, when he — like Twice Over — found the early pace too slow.
Being a Grade One-winning miler, Gio Ponti has more speed than Twice Over, and he handled the disadvantage better and was beaten by only one-and-a-half lengths by the winner.
Gio Ponti and Twice Over also met in 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita, where the mighty Zenyatta won the big race. Gio Ponti grabbed second, with Twice Over in third.
Not quite ready
Gio Ponti had taken a preparatory race at home then — having been nosed out by Karelian in the Tampa Bay Breeders' Cup Turf five weeks earlier.
The plan was to race him once in Florida ahead of his trip to Dubai this year, but he missed the race as he was not quite ready, according to his trainer.
He won the Group One Manhattan Handicap after a three-month break in 2009.
This time, however, he will have been trained to peak on reappearance — and there is no reason to suggest that he cannot do it.
The writer is editor of www.globeform.com
