Murtagh bullish on Asiatic Boy

Asiatic Boy is primed to peak in the World Cup (Dubai Racing Club)

Johnny Murtagh, who rides ASIATIC BOY (Not for Sale) in Saturday’s $6 million
Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1), hopes that home advantage might tilt the scales in his
favor over American raider ALBERTUS MAXIMUS (Albert the Great) in the richest
race on the globe.

Murtagh was aboard Asiatic Boy in last year’s World Cup, when he finished a
distant second to two-time Horse of the Year Curlin.

“There is no Curlin around this year, and, while I have a lot of respect for
Albertus Maximus, having seen him win at the Breeders Cup (in the Dirt Mile), my
fellow has been trained here, whereas the favorite has had to endure a long
journey being shipped over,” Murtagh said.

“I rode Asiatic Boy the other morning, and he has definitely improved since
he won so well here on Super Thursday (in the March 5 Maktoum Challenge Round 3
[UAE-G2]), and if he runs the same race that he ran last year he will be right
there fighting out the finish and, hopefully, will get the job done.

Joe Louis will try to deliver a knockout for Saudi Arabia (Dubai Racing Club)

“We gallop him over five furlongs and he finishes strongly and it’s the same
over six, so I have no reason to doubt his ability to stay,” McLaughlin said.
“Ever since we got him last year his work has been brilliant. He works like a
superstar but now we have to see him do it against the best on race night. This
is a great race, and we all know you should keep yourself in the best company
and your horses in the worst.

“When Invasor won we thought it was just a matter of putting him in the
stalls and picking up the check, but Albertus Maximus has a lower profile and
still needs to prove he is a superstar,” the trainer admitted. “There’s a couple
of questions with Albertus Maximus — it’s only his second start on dirt and his
first at 10 furlongs, but having said all that, we still expect him to be hard
to beat.”

Frenchman Pascal Bary was on hand with owner Stefan Friborg as GLORIA DE
CAMPEAO (Impression) eighth behind Curlin last year, had a final canter on the
main track.

Anak Nakal will attempt to pull an upset (Dubai Racing Club)

Jockey Joe Bravo took ANAK NAKAL (Victory Gallop) to the main dirt track
Friday for a gallop as the final countdown begins in earnest. Tim Poole,
assistant trainer to trainer Nick Zito, said the four-year-old is ready for the
big night.

“It’s all good,” he said.

Bravo’s luggage, which contained his riding gear –saddle, helmet, and boots
— was recovered, much to the rider’s delight. The bag wasn’t actually lost.
Fellow American rider Clinton Potts flew on the same plane as Bravo did from New
York, and mistakenly took Bravo’s bag off the carousel. When Potts’ luggage was
found at the airport, it was delivered to Bravo, who then discovered Potts had
his bag.

“I’m just happy I got it; I was getting nervous,” Bravo said.

Well Armed is instilling Eoin Harty with confidence (Dubai Racing Club)

“I like my chances; I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t,” Harty said. “I was
confident last year, and I am equally confident this year.”

Kazuo Fujisawa, who was the Japanese champion trainer by number of wins, most
recently in 2007, had his first opportunity to come to Dubai this year.  He
watched his contender CASINO DRIVE (Mineshaft) go through his morning routine.

“My horse has already made two starts this year, so he is in top form now,”
Fujisawa said. “He has traveled abroad many times in his career so far, and the
change of surroundings has not bothered him.  He has not lost weight since
his arrival.

“After he ran over 1600 meters (about one mile) in the February S. (Jpn-G1)
(and was beaten a neck in second), he wanted to go faster in his daily works.
There seem to be some horses in the World Cup with early pace, so I hope he can
track them easily enough.