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| Staff Writer |
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Walk of Stars and Imperial Emperor will lead trainer Bhupat Seemar's formidable assault on the US$12 million Dubai World Cup as the local challenging stars prepare to face Japanese superstar Forever Young. With Dubai World Cup Day rapidly approaching, the Zabeel Stables duo head a seven-strong team for Seemar across the prestigious card, with both horses peaking at precisely the right moment.
"Forever Young is a top-class horse, one of the best horses in the world," Seemar acknowledges before adding with the measured certainty that defines his approach: "But every horse can be beaten. There's no guarantee. This is why horse racing is exciting."
Seemar's dynamic duo represents the strongest local challenge, and the trainer believes home advantage could prove decisive when the gates crash open.
"We are on our home ground, and they all have to travel. “We’ve already performed on this track," Seemar points out. "Horses for courses, as they say. We can only worry about what our horses are doing, and they're both doing good."
The evidence certainly supports that assessment. Walk of Stars, a Dubawi gelding who once struggled to finish his races effectively, has undergone a remarkable transformation since joining Seemar's operation. His front-running demolition job in the Gr.1 Al Maktoum Challenge, leading home a stable one-two, confirmed his newfound ability to dominate from the front.
Despite a subsequent 12th-place finish in Saudi Arabia, Seemar remains confident the 5YO has had "enough time to recover fully" ahead of World Cup night.
"Walk of Stars has been very good over here. He won a Group One by a few lengths," Seemar notes, referencing the impressive five-length victory at Meydan that proved he has decisively put those frustrating tendencies behind him.
Described by jockey Tadhg O'Shea as "a front-runner, but not a runaway," Walk of Stars' transformation has been one of the season's most satisfying storylines for the Zabeel team.
Meanwhile, stablemate Imperial Emperor, another son of the mighty Dubawi, stayed home. At the same time, Walk of Stars travelled to Saudi, instead annihilating his rivals by an astonishing 8½ lengths in the Gr.2 Al Maktoum Classic.
"Imperial Emperor was drawn wide that day [in the Al Maktoum Challenge when finishing second], and then Emperor won the next time," Seemar explains. "They're both doing very good. They're both at the top of the division in UAE."
This two-pronged attack gives Seemar a tactical advantage, which few others can match in the World Cup, with complementary running styles that could allow them to dictate terms to their international rivals.
"All we can do is worry about our horses and train them the best we can, keep them as healthy as we can," Seemar emphasises. "Nothing is a cakewalk, ever. But we've already performed on this track."
While the World Cup challenge naturally commands attention, Seemar's Dubai World Cup night ambitions extend beyond the main event. Chief among his other chances is the remarkable Tuz, described by O'Shea as "a ball of muscle and a ball of fire," who brings an undefeated seasonal record into the Gr.1 Al Quoz Sprint.
The 8YO has been nothing short of sensational since dominating the Dubai Golden Shaheen by six lengths on last year's World Cup card and recently signalled his well-being with a strikingly similar 5¾-length romp in the Listed Al Garhoud Sprint.
"In my opinion, he's one of the fastest horses in the world," declares Seemar with rare emphatic conviction. "He beat some of the fastest horses from Japan and America in the Golden Shaheen (2024)."
Now Tuz faces a fresh international challenge, with Straight No Chaser emerging as his chief rival after impressive victories in both the Gr.1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint and the Gr.2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint.
"Tuz has done nothing wrong since he won Golden Shaheen, and he won the Golden Shaheen quite impressively by over six lengths. And since then, he has been unbeaten," Seemar says with evident pride. "He's in good shape. He's done everything right this year."
Seemar, however, again sees an advantage in his horse's home preparation: "While other horses travelled to Saudi, have now travelled to Dubai. So, they’ve got many miles on their clock while we were at home. Hopefully, that works in our favour. Tuz loves this track."
Despite qualifying for a Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" berth should he triumph again, Seemar believes Tuz will not travel overseas regardless of the result.
"There's so much prize money here; why must he travel elsewhere? Plus, the Breeders' Cup is the wrong time for us in November," he explains, detailing the logistical complications. "You have to leave and give a prep run in August and then another one in late September. That takes too much out of a horse, in my opinion."
"Horses need some time off somewhere to rest, recuperate, and then return. So, he's going to stay here."
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The trainer's Dubai World Cup night team extends further with recent American import Mufasa presenting an intriguing proposition in the Gr.2 Godolphin Mile, despite only being in Seemar's care for three weeks.
"He's had two gallops. He's doing everything right," Seemar enthuses. "He broke the track record in his last race in America, a seven-furlong race. He's quite an exciting horse. Although we don't know him well, he's showing all the right signs."
The RRR Racing-owned son of Practical Joke made his name in America with a devastating upset of 2023 Breeders' Cup Classic Hero White Abarrio in December's Mr Prospector Stakes at Gulfstream, showcasing his blistering turn of foot. A perfect four from four at seven furlongs, including a victory in the Vosburgh Stakes at Aqueduct, Mufasa brings impressive credentials to Meydan as he steps up for the mile contest. While he faltered when trying the two-turn Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar, finishing 11th, his subsequent return to sprinting distances saw him immediately bounce back to winning ways. A former Chilean Group Three winner before amassing three victories from five American starts, Mufasa boasts a remarkable overall record of 11 wins from 15 outings.
Also targeting the mile is Mendelssohn Bay, who became the second Northern Hemisphere winner of the year for his sire when landing the Gr.3 UAE 2000 Guineas, while Trafalgar Square provides Seemar with a representative in the Gr.2 Dubai Gold Cup. In October, the former French galloper was last seen finishing second in the Gr.2 Prix Chaudenay over 3000m at Longchamp.
Completing Seemar's World Cup night squad are two UAE Derby contenders in Galactic Star and Undefeated, giving the trainer enviable strength in depth across the card.
"We just hope that they stay healthy from here to the World Cup, and we get a good job," Seemar adds, underlining the focus on maintaining his team's well-being in the crucial final preparation days.
Success or otherwise, there will be no time for Seemar to rest on his laurels on the big night. The global talent scout will be back on his travels immediately following World Cup night, with the Tattersalls’ Craven Sale his first port of call.
"We're back to recruiting players again for next season. So, no rest for the weary," he says with a knowing smile. "The last race is on the 12th of April. So, I leave on the 12th or the 13th, depending, back in the UK for the Craven sale."
There, Seemar purchased Galactic Star, winner of the Al Bastakiya and now a UAE Derby contender, giving him added incentive to unearth more future stars.
"Usually, the best of the UK and Ireland go to that sale, or they go to the Arqana sale in France. There's a lot of quality in that sale."
From there, a whirlwind schedule beckons: "I'm going to come back, and then I'm going to go to Arqana, and then from Arqana to America, from America on the way back to Ireland."
This relentless pursuit of talent underscores the continuous cycle of racing life that defines Seemar's approach to the sport.
"This is our racehorse trainer's life. We're lucky to get some time off, which we spend looking at horses to buy."
This dedication to perpetual improvement has established Seemar among the elite trainers in UAE racing. While many focus solely on World Cup night glory, his eyes are simultaneously fixed on building future champions.
For now, all attention remains on his formidable Dubai World Cup Day squad. With eight runners spread across the card, including two contenders for the main event, Seemar stands poised for what could be a career-defining evening.
The confident yet measured demeanour never wavers. There's respect for the opposition, especially the mighty Forever Young, but no fear. In Seemar's world, every horse can be beaten—and with his powerful home team peaking at the perfect moment, World Cup night might just prove him right.