Mott, Motion happy with Dubai hopefuls

Champion filly

Royal Delta galloped with her usual

eye-catching style on Thursday at Meydan, her ears pricked and her stride long

and easy as she traveled approximately 1 3/8 miles for Saturday's Group 1 Dubai

World Cup.

"It was just a regular gallop, nothing fancy," Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott

said. "But she looked great to me. We wouldn't change a thing."

Mott, who made history by saddling the inaugural Dubai World Cup winner Cigar,

is trying for another record with Royal Delta, who would be the first female

runner to win. Since Wednesday's post position draw, during which Mott got

first choice and selected his lucky number, seven, he has been studying the form

for the field.

"It looks like there is some good speed in the race -- Game on Dude, Smart Falcon

and Capponi," he said. "We could be in a stalking position just behind the leaders.

Hopefully, we're not far off them."

Royal Delta is known for her strong stretch run, so if the Empire Maker filly can keep a good

position early, she will be ready to rally in the stretch.

The connections of Group 2, $2 million UAE Derby contender Lucky Chappy were able to

breathe a sigh of relief on Thursday when the small but spirited colt galloped

without misbehaving.

On the previous day, Lucky Chappy dislodged assistant trainer and exercise rider

Alice Clapham from the saddle, and there was the possibility he could have run

off and risked injury. But Clapham was able to hold on to the colt and resume

their work session, revealing later that the son of High Chaparral is well known

back at his home base for his antics during training.

"We're quite used to it," trainer Graham Motion confirmed after the gallop. "But everything went smoothly this morning. He had a proper gallop

without any unusual events."

Lucky Chappy, who began his career in Europe and trains better when accompanied

by another horse or a string of horses, has been going out at Meydan with

Royal Delta. Since the filly breezed down the stretch on

Wednesday, Clapham kept Lucky Chappy on his own and that's when the trouble

occurred.

Other than that incident, Motion said Lucky Chappy's preparations have been

outstanding, and Royal Delta has not only helped keep the colt focused on most

days but also has led him through some very strong gallops that have honed his

condition.

The UAE Derby is highly competitive this year, and Motion said he is not sure

how to assess Lucky Chappy's competition, which includes runners from South

America, Europe, Japan and the UAE.

"As I read in a quote by Bob Baffert, this is one of the places where you take

them over and you don't know what to expect in the race -- it's so hard to

evaluate," Motion said. "But I guess that's one of the things that makes it so

special."

Baffert, who is recovering from a heart attack he suffered on Monday while on

the grounds at Meydan, could receive the perfect "Get Well" gift on Saturday as

his talented gray sprinter, The Factor, attempts to improve on the second place

finish of the trainer's 2011 starter, Euroears, in the Group 1, $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen.

The Factor, who has trained beautifully all week, jogged and cantered one lap

around the Meydan main track Thursday morning, before standing in the starting

gate, located in the chute near the 1,400m mark.

Regular exercise rider, George Alvarez, was aboard the Grade 1-winning son of War Front as the

colt loaded eagerly and stood like a perfect gentleman in the stalls.

Photographers snapped photos only a few meters from The Factor, but

the four-year-old was unfazed.

Fellow Golden Shaheen starter Giant Ryan out onto the main track Thursday

morning at his usual 6:15 a.m. to jog an easy lap and then jog a little more

serious second lap under his regular Meydan exercise rider James Heavey. The

six-year-old son of Freud completed his final serious preparations in the United

States last week, and had a slight "blow out" over the Meydan all-weather on

Tuesday.

"He knows what he has to do Saturday," trainer Biznath Parboo said Thursday

morning as he watched Giant Ryan cruise the main track. "He'll

let us know what he wants to do tomorrow by how he acts after this. He's a smart

horse."

Giant Ryan will start from post 3 in the Golden

Shaheen with jockey Willie Martinez in the irons.

"Willie won on him at Calder (in an overnight handicap in June 2011)," Parboo

said.