Derby Trail Forums - Dubai World Cup

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Dubai World Cup (Group 1), sponsored by Emirates Airline
Thoroughbreds
$6,000,000 - 2,000m - Dirt
1st: $3,600,000. 2nd: $1,200,000. 3rd: $600,000. 4th: $300,000. 5th: $180,000. 6th: $120,000
BULLISH LUCK Tony Cruz Wong Wing Keung
DISCREET CAT Saeed Bin Suroor Godolphin
FORTY LICKS Ian Jory HRH Price Sultan Al Kabeer
INVASOR Kiaran McLaughlin HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum
KANDIDATE Clive Brittain A J Richards
PREMIUM TAP John Kimmel King Abdulla Bin Abdulaziz & Sons
STORM MAYOR Juan Bianchi H.H Prince Tirki bin Badr bin Saoud
VERMILION Sei Ishizaka Sunday Racing Co. Ltd.

I think it's sad that there is not a single American owner with a horse in the DWC. I realize that Premium Tap, Invasor and Discreet Cat have had US based campaigns but none is owned by an American.

Which American owned horse would you send? This is a great field. Considering how shipping and the race knock alot of horses out for awhile, I wouldn't be tempted to send any of the current older horses.
Are the races going to be televised here?

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Originally Posted by Rileyoriley

Are the races going to be televised here?

I know that last year they were on TVG.

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Originally Posted by Cardus

Thankfully, this race has a compelling story -- Invasor vs. Discreet Cat -- because it is not a great field. Top heavy with these two and Premium Tap, but it lacks sizzle for me. And it is a short field, too.

Surprizing isnt it ?. Its not like the prize money is bad,This should be a large quality field, surely for that amount of money i dont understand dont they have quality horses in dubai or is everyone too scared to race against invasor & cat ?

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Originally Posted by Cardus

I do not think this race is a two horses history. Beware of the yellow floyd, they will be dangerous.

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Originally Posted by Rileyoriley

corinthian,

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Originally Posted by Cardus

I don't think that this is a two-horse race, for Discreet Cat will not win. I'll have at least one ticket with him off the board.

The lead-up to the race is Invasor vs. Discreet Cat, though. Dubai Sheikh vs. Dubai Sheikh. Gee, what a thrill; I've been waiting for another Dubai brother battle.

I'm certainly looking for a longshot; maybe the Japanese can surprise, like it nearly did when Captain Steve won in 2002. I keyed that mare that night, so I'd have no problem with playing a Japanese horse on dirt now.

I wonder if last year's Brass Hat debacle had an effect on Americans' interest in shipping for the race.

How does the brother vs brother thing effect whether the race is thrilling or not? The horses make it thrilling to me, not the owners.

What owners do you really expect to show up in Dubai every time with their best horses? They raced both of these horses over here several times last year, and those were exciting races.

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Originally Posted by POINTGIVEN1985

corinthian,

laughable....

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Originally Posted by POINTGIVEN1985

corinthian,

no chance. . .

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Originally Posted by Rileyoriley

i'm pretty sure it will be on hrtv

two best dirt horses in the world here.. you could argue top 3..

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Originally Posted by Cardus

I just looked at all of the Dubai World Cup results. Many other fields were deeper, but after seeing what you typed above, I have to change my stance somewhat. If we have the best two dirt horses in the world facing off, I should be happy with that.

How does Ireland stand in this meeting? Any horses on whom we should focus?

I dont think we have anything to note running. Coolmore tend not to send their horses ("its too early" they say) .

You're certainly right that the turf fields look very deep and should be quality races. And the UAE Derby look class as well.. Im just worried for the come from behind horses, they dont usually do too well in nad al sheba..

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Originally Posted by Cardus

Jim,
Are you really excited about this race? I'm not. Invasor is a terrific horse, but his presence isn't electric for me. I think of the hype that Cigar, Silver Charm, Megdalia D'Oro, Pleasantly Perfect, Victory Gallop could elicit, and Invasor -- who might be every bit as good as those horses -- doesn't do it for me. Discreet Cat? I don't see him running lights out at 1 1/4, and that is a purely race-related reaction.

If I look at the fields from other Dubai World Cups, then I see this group as subpar. Maybe not as bad as the fields for the 1999-2002 (appx.), but I don't see much about which to be excited.

I don't know how the race stacks up, historically speaking, maybe it isn't that deep. However, yes, I'm very excited about the race primarily because of Invasor. Why doesn't he generate the hype like the other horses you mentioned? It seems you would agree that Invasor may even be as talented, so why doesn't he "do it for you"? Ask yourself how much hype there would be on this horse if he were owned by Americans? I think it would be huge. Yes I am saying that there is a bias against the horse and therefore less hype because of who the owners are. That's just my take on it. I'm not comparing him to any particular horse on your list (although a couple on your list couldn't warm up Invasor), just making a general statement that if Invasor had US ownership and as reigning BCC winner was going over to Dubai for the world cup there would be pandemonium over here.

All of that doesn't matter one bit to me. I don't need the hype or hoopla in order to get excited about this race. Personally I feel Invasor is in a class that is bordering on great. I have never been such a fan of a horse.

On top of that he is meeting once again the horse that defeated him last year, Discreet Cat, who is another horse who I consider a phenom. Were you honestly not excited by the Met Mile? That was a WOW race if you ask me.
Discreet Cat also looked awfully comfortable last year winning in Dubai. I don't think its a foregone conclusion that he cannot win this event. I don't think he will only because of Invasor who I think is more talented at 10 furlongs.

Its an undefeated horse vs. a horse that has won 10 of 11 including 8 GR1's.
What's is not to get excited about? In this day and age what races do we get that offer more than that? To me its a minor miracle that Invasor is still running and I just pray that this isn't his last race.

Not to discredit Premium Tap either who developed last year very nicely and will make his prescense felt.

So yes, if you can't tell I am excited!!

also, who knows what's coming out of Hong Kong? : )

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Originally Posted by Cardus

Good points all around, Jim, though all of the horses on the other list were as good or better than Invasor.

Given the state of American racing, where it is rare to see to horses of Invasor and Discreet Cat's quality, I should have a brighter outlook on the World Cup.

(And I'm not usually someone who cares about the "hype" if the event is a world-class event, like the Super Bowl, World Series, Stanley Cup, etc. And of course, I need no prompt for our classics, Breeders' Cup, and other big, but lesser, racing days. Maybe a little too much sports talk radio listening for me recently!)

The Godolphin boys are asking way too much of Discreet Cat in this spot.

Maybe my memory isn't so good, and I usually don't debate these kinds of things, but Pleasantly Perfect? Medaglia D'oro? I don't think their records even come close. I just feel this horse is still under-rated.