The world’s richest race has been peppered with unforgettable winners but while there are no Cigars, Dubai Milleniums or even Arrogates lurking in tonight’s pack, the 13-runner finale to a glittering occasion holds inside it a saucerful of secrets – truly fascinating. Read Neil Morrice’s preview on the 2019 Dubai World Cup below.
Dubai World Cup sponsored by Emirates Airline (Group 1)
Two scenarios hit me, the most likely being a ferocious speed duel involving NORTH AMERICA, THUNDER SNOW, CAPEZZANO and PAVEL that results in at least one of that quartet running out of juice in the straight and setting the race up for a closer.
There is of course the alternative possibility of one or two of them maintaining blistering fractions throughout the mile and a quarter on dirt, but it’s less likely.
NORTH AMERICA is the big hope of Dubai and a winner for trainer Satish Seemar and jockey Ritchie Mullen of two rounds of the Al Maktoum Challenge in preparation for this. Drawn 3, with Capezzano inside him, he will almost certainly lead the latter to the bend.
THUNDER SNOW was in need of the run when subject to a nine lengths routing by Capezzano on Super Saturday and trainer Saeed Bin Suroor has made it clear the intention from stall 12 is to break well, get across to the rail and be competetive from the get go. However that will almost certainly result in all our war between those vying for the lead, and can play into the hooves of the Americans YOSHIDA and AUDIBLE, both representing Winstar Farm, Kentucky.
Yoshida has looked more adept to dirt than he was to turf, landing the Grade 1 Woodward and finishing fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic with Thunder Snow second. This has been on his radar since he finished sixth (Audible fifth) in the Pegasus World Cup.
Audible was a top flight three-year-old who finished just over two lengths off the Triple Crown winner Justify in the Kentucky Derby, and though 1 for 3 since returning from a lay off he caught a wet track on each occasion. His connections’ prayers for a dry weekend seen to have been granted !
Thunder Snow will create history in becoming the first dual winner of a World Cup and can make a good fist of it under Christophe Soumillion. He’s tough and digs deep when getting into a fight. He will almost certainly get caught up in pace duel with North America whilst Cappezano will also be competetive although his Super Saturday win probably flatters him. The one I like is AUDIBLE remembering that the toughest fast track he performed on was at Gulfstream Park in the Florida Derby where he got a fast pace up front. Under Flavien Prat he will hopefully stalk the leaders and along with fellow closer Yoshida wear them down in the final 300 metres.
Neil Morrice’s Predicted Finish
4-3-10-12-2
1st – AUDIBLE
2nd – North America
3rd – Yoshida
4th – Thunder Snow
5th – Capezzano
|
No
|
Horse
|
Odds
|
Jockey
|
Trainer
|
|
1
|
Gunnevera (USA)
|
14/1
|
Emisael Jaramillo
|
Antonio Sano
|
|
2
|
Capezzano (USA)
|
4/1
|
Mickael Barzalona
|
S. bin Ghadayer
|
|
3
|
North America (GB)
|
3/1
|
Richard Mullen
|
S. Seemar
|
|
4
|
Audible (USA)
|
12/1
|
Flavien Prat
|
Todd A. Pletcher
|
|
5
|
Seeking the Soul (USA)
|
7/1
|
Mike E. Smith
|
Dallas Stewart
|
|
6
|
Pavel (USA)
|
33/1
|
Joel Rosario
|
Doug F. O’Neill
|
|
7
|
Gronkowski (USA)
|
25/1
|
Oisin Murphy
|
S. bin Ghadayer
|
|
8
|
Axelrod (USA)
|
25/1
|
Royston Ffrench
|
S. bin Ghadayer
|
|
9
|
New Trails (USA)
|
25/1
|
Connor Beasley
|
A. bin Harmash
|
|
10
|
Yoshida (JPN)
|
8/1
|
Jose L. Ortiz
|
William I. Mott
|
|
11
|
K T Brave (JPN)
|
33/1
|
Joao Moreira
|
Haruki Sugiyama
|
|
12
|
Thunder Snow (IRE)
|
4/1
|
Christophe Soumillon
|
Saeed bin Suroor
|
|
13
|
Dolkong (USA)
|
33/1
|
Olivier Doleuze
|
Simon Foster
|
Watch Neil Morrice’s interview with Richard Mullen below:
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