As the man who holds the record for the highest strike rate of 2012, Steven
Burridge has a lot to live up to at this year’s Dubai World Cup Carnival as he
opens his seasonal account this week.
The Singapore-based trainer enjoyed a dream start to his Dubai career last
season, achieving a 33.36 per cent strike rate with a string of just four
horses. That translates to four wins from 11 runs and becomes all the more
impressive when you consider that only three of his horses actually ended up in
the winner’s enclosure.
Given the level of success he enjoyed while in Dubai last year it is perhaps not
unexpected that Burridge has come back for more. What may be surprising, however,
is that the Australian former jockey has opted for a completely different
raiding party to the one that bought him so much success last term.
Burridge’s wins in 2012 came via Dark Matter, Ip Man, who has since been renamed
El Padrino after owners were threatened with a lawsuit from people associated
with the film of the same name, and handsome old campaigner, Captain Obvious.
Yet this season Burridge has opted for Dubai debutants, Benji’s Empire, the
Irish maiden, Tiger Stripes, the promising Devil’s Cut and Freezemaster.
“They are all horses that we thought would go well in Dubai,” says Burridge, who
rode more than 1,000 winners. “The others did very well for us last season and
Captain Obvious went on to race in Japan, but he was getting a bit high in the
ratings by the end.”
Benji’s Empire and Freezemaster both run at the opening Dubai World Cup
Carnival meeting on Thursday.
“Benji’s Empire has had seven wins for 39 starts and has really started to come
good over the last season,” Burridge said. “He’d done a few things wrong but
over the last 12 months he’s come into himself and become really consistent in
his racing.”
Benji’s Empire has won at about five furlongs and at about seven furlongs, and is looking at a race over the
minimum trip on Thursday while Freezemaster, a winner at about seven furlongs
and a metric mile in Singapore, is likely to line up over about seven furlongs.
Devil’s Cut, who gave Burridge his 400th win as a trainer when winning
the Fort Canning Park Stakes at about 5 1/2 furlongs of Kranji’s Polytrack in
September, is set to make his debut at the second Dubai World Cup Carnival
meeting on January 17, alongside stablemate, Tiger Stripes.
“Devil’s Cut is definitely the one that I’m most looking forward to,” Burridge
said of his charge who has recorded three wins for five starts between 5 1/2 and
six furlongs.
“He’s only lightly raced, he ran second on his first start but he
didn’t jump well and was a really green so we put him away for a few months.
When we got him back to the track he won first up and then he won his second
start back, so he’s an exciting prospect.”
Tiger Stripes represents an unknown quantity to Burridge. The horse, which ran
into second place on his last two starts and has been placed in Group 2 company
in Ireland, flew to Dubai and will join Burridge’s yard in Singapore
following his Dubai World Cup Carnival campaign.
“This season we are not coming over with proven horses, they are down in the
ratings a little bit but we just feel that these are horses that could do well
in Dubai,” said the trainer, who comes to the Dubai World Cup Carnival on a high
having recently claimed the Group 1 Yang Di Pertua Negeri Gold Cup in Penang,
Malaysia — with Hint.
Burridge, who will jet back and forth between Singapore and Dubai during the
Dubai World Cup Carnival, is relying on assistant Mick Lockett, who also oversaw
his horses in Dubai last season. Jockey Stephen Baster is expected to ride.
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