Saeed Bin Surour tipped to win Dubai World Cup for first time in seven years

Dubai: Saeed Bin Surour is poised to win the $10m (Dh36.7m) Dubai World Cup for the first time in seven years with Hunter’s Light on Saturday.

Although he has won the world’s richest race five times, a Bin Surour representative has not greeted the judge since Electrocutionist in 2006.

Like all of his horses, Hunter’s Light will be carrying the all-blue of Godolphin, who won the race last year with the Mahmoud Al Zarouni-trained Monterosso.

This season Bin Surour has been on a roll, with 20 winners, and he will have Hunter’s Light primed and ready for the big assignment.

A group 1 winner in Italy before moving to Dubai, the Dubawi five-year-old has adapted quickly to the conditions in the city state. He demonstrated that he is comfortable on the Tapeta at Meydan by winning two rounds of the Maktoum Challenge.

The first of these was over 1900m on February 7. He followed that up by winning over 2000m on Super Saturday, which registered Godolphin’s 200th group 1 success.

On that basis Hunter’s Light, with Silvestre De Sousa on board, is certainly the horse to beat.

It will also help De Sousa that Hunter’s Light has the ability to settle in a forward position from barrier four and finish off with a powerful burst.

The Bin Surour handlers will be saddling two other runners — African Story and Kassiano, who also relish racing on the Tapeta.

Since joining Bin Surour, African Story has blossomed. He won four of his five races last season and, at his only appearance this year, he easily won his second Burj Nahaar, but he will be on trial over the 2000m.

A four-year-old by Soldier Hollow, Kassiano showed promise in France, where he won twice on fibresand and he also adapted to conditions in Dubai. His five starts have produced three wins and a last-start second to Hunter’s Light in Round 3 of the Maktoum Challenge.

Godolphin has a particularly strong representation this year, with last year’s winner Monterosso and runner-up Capponi in Al Zarouni’s care. Interestingly, Al Zarouni is adopting the game plan he has followed with Monterosso over the last two years. He had only one lead-up run in 2011 when third to Victoire Pisa, and only one lead-up race last year when he was triumphant. At his sole appearance this year he finished a lacklustre tenth, but it will not be surprising if he shows considerable improvement.

It is also noteworthy that Capponi, who was comfortably beaten last year, has not had an outing since then.

The major threat to the Godolphin brigade is likely to come from the American pair of Royal Delta and Animal Kingdom.

Royal Delta, who is prepared by Cigar’s trainer Bill Mott, contested the race last year, but her chances were marred by interference. Since then she has performed superbly, with her wins featuring a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic on November 2 over 1800m at Santa Anita. On that occasion she led throughout and Mott will instruct Mike Smith to try and be in a forward position from the outset.

The winner of the Kentucky Derby two years ago, Animal Kingdom subsequently suffered a series of injuries that forced him on to the sidelines for about 18 months.

However, he indicated that he was returning to his brilliant best by being a fast-finishing second to the highly-rated Wise Dan in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. He was not suited by a muddling speed when second at Gulfstream Park, but importantly he showed he can handle the synthetic with two wins on the surface at Keenland.

Another with a US background is outsider Dullahan. Even though Dullahan, who finished third in last year’s Kentucky Derby, has won three Grade 1s on synthetic tracks, he didn’t stretch out when 11th in the Burj Nahaar, so he needs to lift dramatically.

Last year’s third-placed finisher Planteur, who is a Group 1 winner in France, should be about the money again. He was having his first outing for Newmarket-based trainer Marco Botti in the World Cup last year and this year he will have the benefit of a preparatory race, which resulted in a narrow but comfortable win at Lingfield.

Mike de Kock, who is still trying to win his first Dubai World Cup, could have a “smokey” in Treasure Beach. The winner of the 2011 Irish Derby, Treasure Beach finished fourth in the Sheema Classic last year and he did work home stylishly when sixth on Super Saturday at his first start on the surface.

A puzzling aspect of this year’s renewal centres over the three grass specialists — Red Cadeaux, Meandre and Side Glance, who will all be having their first start on the Tapeta.

Red Cadeaux, who was beaten a millimetre by Americain in the Emirates Melbourne Cup in 2011, was a determined winner of the Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin last December. He has a series of top-class efforts behinds him on turf and, if he can cope with the artificial surface and shorter distance, he will be competitive.

The same proviso applies to the Andre Fabre-trained Meandre. A winner at the highest level in France and Germany on the grass, Meandre was beaten by half a length in the Hong Kong Vase.

Side Glance, who is in the stable of Andrew Balding, has a solid record behind him in England. He flashed home from last when fourth in the Jebel Hatta over 1800m on the Turf.

Selections:

1. Hunter’s Light

2. Royal Delta

3. Animal Kingdom

— Peter Ellis is a form expert based in Australia.