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| Staff Writer |
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The Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline is set to take place on Saturday, and Ushba Tesoro, the defending champion, will be starting from stall five. This Japanese horse, trained by Noboru Takagi, will be facing off against Senor Buscador from the United States, in what promises to be an exciting rematch at Meydan.
The two horses were separated by just a head in the Saudi Cup last month. During the ceremony held at the Armani Dubai Hotel on Wednesday evening, Ushba Tesoro's name was the first to be called out, and the stall position was assigned randomly.
Jockey Yuga Kawada said, "Stall five is not so bad but he’s a horse that has to come from behind so really one to 12 makes no difference."
Takagi added: "He’s going to come from the back anyway so it doesn’t really matter."
Todd Fincher’s Senor Buscador, the pride of his breeder and co-owner Joe Peacock Jr, was the second name selected and will break from stall 10.
"Very happy," Peacock Jr said. "We wanted outside and we got outside."
Kabirkhan, the sensation from Kazakhstan who is trained in the UAE by Doug Watson, drew two.
"I kind of wanted the middle," Watson said. "If he always broke really well I’d be delighted but he hasn’t done that. We’ve been working on it, but we hope he can do it on the night. At least it’s a shorter way around."
Owner Tlek Mukanbetkaliyev added, "Happy to get an inside draw and hopefully he can be comfortable near the lead."
A formidable lineup from Japan is set to compete in the 2000m showdown, with skilled jockey Christophe Lemaire returning to ride Derma Sotogake (starting from stall eight). The talented horse was an impressive winner of the UAE Derby at the same event last year and went on to finish second in the Breeders' Cup Classic.
Trainer Hidetaka Otonashi said, "We didn’t mind any stall really. Eight is considered a lucky number in Japan so that’s pretty good."
Lemaire described stall eight as "a very good draw in the middle which allows me to go forward into the first bend without burning up too much gas."
Bob Baffert's Newgate gets a boost as Frankie Dettori makes a comeback in Gr.1 Santa Anita Handicap, assigned to stall six. Meanwhile, Bhupat Seemar's Laurel River, the rising star from Juddmonte, enters the Dubai World Cup after a convincing win in the Burj Nahaar Sponsored By Emirates SkyCargo, but will have to run from the widest stall position - 12.
Jockey Tadhg O’Shea said, "Obviously being right on the outside is far from ideal. Saying that he’s a horse with a lot of early speed and we’ll just have to play the cards we’re dealt."
The line-up is completed by Crupi, other Japanese runners Dura Erede and Wilson Tesoro, Defunded, Military Law and Clapton.
Trainer Chad Summers said of Clapton: "We were hoping to be drawn in the middle."
Alex Solis, owners' representative of Crupi, said, "We’re drawn inside so hopefully we can save all the ground."
Wilson Tesoro’s jockey, Yusuke Hara, said, "The last two starts the jockey asked him to take a position early, so I’m expecting him to be a little bit keen. So that stall is ideal."