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| Rowan Anderson |
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The Dubai World Cup fast approaches and that means the arrival of the world’s best contenders touching down in Dubai.
Panthalassa took the spoils in the Dubai Turf last year as well as being crowned in the world’s richest race, the Saudi Cup, this year and leads the contingent of top class horses ahead of the Dubai World Cup meeting on March 25th.
He has been nominated for the Dubai World Cup and to defend his Dubai Turf title with his trainer expected to announce his decision closer to race day.
The Yoshito Yahagi-trained entire became the third-highest earning Japanese-trained horse of all time after his victory in Riyadh, which was won in front of runner up for a second year Country Grammer.
Country Grammer is the horse with the weight of expectation upon him and given the fact he has not run any worse than second for the past two years, he continues to show his potent ability and turn of foot in the finish.
The Tonalist x Arabian Song product is the reigning Dubai World Cup winner and he also flew in from Saudi Arabia on Tuesday ahead of his title defence of the $12 million race.
Country Grammer was joined on the short flight by the Steve Asmussen-trained Gunite, who is nominated for the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen. The winner of the Group 2 Amsterdam Stakes at Saratoga last summer, the four-year-old finished second to Breeders’ Cup winner Elite Power in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint on Sunday.
Third in the Riyadh Sprint was four-year-old Remake who has also travelled on to the UAE where he will take his chance in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen, as will Justin, who has visited Dubai before, finishing eleventh in the 2021 Shaheen.
Japan has once again made their intentions clear having 13 horses made the on to Dubai from Saudi. They include Bathrat Leon, winner of the 2022 G2 Godolphin Mile, who landed the 1351 Turf Sprint in Riyadh but is now likely to switch back to dirt for a defense of his title.
Vin De Garde, placed in the last two editions of the Dubai Turf for trainer Hideaki Fujiwara, is also back for another attempt, while Lauda Sion will attempt to better his ninth in last year’s G1 Al Quoz Sprint.
Crown Pride, winner of the 2022 Group 2 UAE Derby over this track, will form part of a strong Japanese challenge in the Dubai World Cup, in which he will be joined by Group 1 February Stakes winner Café Pharoah, who finished third in the Saudi Cup. Geoglyph, fourth in Saudi, is another nominated for the big race, as is Jun Light Bolt, seventh.
The Japanese will have a strong hand in the Group 2 UAE Derby also with Derma Sotogake, third in the Saudi Derby over a mile, having travelled onto Dubai, as has Continuar, who finished fifth.
The recently landed team is completed by the Hideyuki Mori-trained Echt, seventh in the Red Sea Turf Handicap, who is likely to head to the Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup.
“It was gratifying to see our 2022 Dubai World Cup winners do so well in Saudi, with Panthalassa and Bathrat Leon winning and Country Grammer running an honourable second,” said Stephanie Cooley, International Manager for Dubai Racing Club.
“We are delighted that so many top class horses have travelled on from Saudi and they will now have plenty of settling in time ahead of the big day. The Japanese look likely to have their strongest Dubai World Cup team ever, with several more arriving over the next few weeks.”
The Japanese team on the big night will be bolstered by Group 1 Arima Kinen winner Equinox, the highest-rated three-year-old in training in 2022, who runs in the Longines Dubai Sheema Classic along with defending champion Shahryar, while Serifos and Do Deuce have accepted invitations to the G1 Dubai Turf. Japan Cup winner Vela Azul will switch to dirt for the World Cup, where he will be joined by Ushba Tesoro and T O Keynes, all of whom will fly straight to Dubai from Japan.