A multiple Grade 1 winner with more than $2.7 million in the prize-money
Shortly thereafter, Ron the Greek was purchased privately
“They bought him with Dubai World Cup day in mind,” said Bachalard, who spent 16 years as an assistant to Christophe Clement.
“He missed the Breeders’ Cup and had to spend 30 days in quarantine at Payson
Under the name Wattani, a Saudi word for “my country,” Ron
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“It was allowance in name but the competition was good and the horse who ran
second is solid,” Bachalard explained. “It was a perfect
comeback race. He needed it, the timing was right and the distance suited. We
thought about running back (before the Group 1 Dubai World Cup), but a race three weeks out
was the only option and the timing wasn’t perfect.”
Bachalard, who is completing his fourth season in Saudi
Arabia, trains roughly 50 horses.
“I’m very fortunate to be in this position,” he said. “The facilities and the
dirt track at Riyadh are second to none. When they come over, the European and
American riders love it.”
American-based jockey, Jose Lezcano, who has piloted Ron
the Greek in half his previous starts, has the World Cup riding assignment.
“He probably knows the horse better than we do,” Bachalard
said of Lezcano. “It’s a very competitive field, but there are no standouts. You
have Dubai World Cup Carnival horses who are proven over the surface and some
classy ones who have been laid off. We haven’t run on the all-weather, but he is
a good horse and you don’t know until you try.”
For the third consecutive morning, Ron the Greek galloped over the Tapeta on
Friday, and Bachalard is pleased with the way
he’s handling the surface.
“He’s traveling very well over it,” Bachalard said. “We’re
confident he’ll run his race.”
Bachalard indicated that the plan is for Ron the Greek to
run “at least part of next year” before heading to stud in Saudi Arabia.
“The main season in Saudi is over, so he would get time off
until October,” Bachalard said of post-World Cup plans. “They (the
Saudi royal family) will decide what’s
next, but if he stays in training The King’s Cup (Custodian of the Two
Holy Mosques Cup) would be a possibility.”
In other World Cup news:
Trainer Richard Gibson declared Akeed Mofeed spot-on for Saturday’s $10
million contest.
“He is in very
good shape. The preparation has gone well and he is in fantastic health,” Gibson
said of the Hong Kong Derby and Cup hero. “You
need to be 100 percent to win this race and I reckon that’s where he is.”
Fellow Hong Kong horseman John Moore sounded equally delighted with his
reigning Horse of the Year Military Attack.
“The final day
preparing and I couldn’t be happier,” Moore said. “He finished his feed bin last night and
he’s bright and happy out on the track this morning.”
Trainer Kunihide Matsuda reported that Belshazzar was eager to do more than
planned on Friday.
“He put
in a routine canter on the all-weather this morning,” Matsuda said of the Japan
Cup Dirt winner. “He wanted to go faster but
was well controlled. Although he has lots of fighting spirit, he was settled
well mentally and walked fluidly. He got in the starting gate smoothly and stood
by quietly, which was good.
“Actually I felt he was too relaxed and was quiet
last week, but his conformation including his eyes, muscles and everything has
adapted to the training on the all-weather track. He really concentrated on his
work. He’s tuned up for tomorrow.”
All systems are likewise go for Japan’s other contender, Hokko Tarumae.
“He worked very well today,” trainer Katsuichi Nishiura said. “He was in good
order, and all has been set for tomorrow.”
Hillstar’s regular work rider Katie Reed was back in
the saddle on Friday morning, after big-race jockey Ryan Moore’s early 800-meter
workout over the main all-weather track on Thursday. The Royal Ascot winner was
confined to the turf track for a leg-stretcher.
“Very pleased,” trainer Sir Michael Stoute said. “Hillstar
and Dank (who runs in the Group 1 Dubai Duty Free) were out early on Thursday to give them experience of
the floodlights but we were back to the normal routine today. He’s in a very
open race, with the biggest field ever, but we’ve a good draw and he’s thrived
since he arrived.”
Looking ahead to Hillstar’s first run on an artificial
surface, Stoute added, “He hasn’t been on the all-weather here but we took him
to Great Leighs and he handled the Polytrack fine.”
Following his exercise on Thursday under
jockey Paul Hanagan, Mukhadram spent a quiet morning Friday in the
quarantine barn area, a routine he will repeat on Saturday morning prior to the
world’s richest race.
Trainer William Haggas said the five-year-old son of Darley sire Shamardal seems to have handled his first trip outside of England to race
in fine fashion.
“He seems fresh and well,” Haggas said, “although we won’t really know how
well he has traveled until he runs.”
Haggas recalled that Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid
al Maktoum, Mukhadram’s owner, began to plan for his run in the Dubai World Cup about nine months ago after the horse ran a huge race
and was just edged at the wire by Al Kazeem in the Prince of
Wales’s Stakes.
“When His Highness said to me last June after he ran so
well at Royal Ascot that he would like to run in the World Cup, I was thrilled
to death. It is such a privilege to be here,” said Haggas, who is hoping that
Mukhadram will give Sheikh Hamdan a performance in which he can be proud.
Red Cadeaux, last year’s Dubai World Cup runner-up, had
his final leg stretch ahead of the main event when seen on the
all-weather track just after 7 a.m.
“His preparation has gone smoothly and everything is
tickity,” trainer Ed Dunlop said. “The track is getting warmer, which will suit
us, and I am looking forward to tomorrow.”
Mike de Kock is hopeful of a big run from the improving Sanshaawes.
“We were delighted with the draw — after his Super Saturday effort from
a wide draw (second in Round 3 of the Maktoum Challenge) we have to be hopeful
of a big run from a good one,” the South African trainer said.
“We knew he was going to be a good horse to bring for the
Dubai World Cup Carnival as we thought he was well handicapped. To win two, be
Group 1-placed on Super Saturday and receive an invitation to the world’s
richest horse race is more then we could have hoped for.
“Fingers crossed, he is going to be competitive in a good field.”
Surfer was third from a bad post in the Maktoum Challenge Round 3, and
regular rider Richard Mullen believes that his mount is set for another solid
performance.
“I am really looking
forward to it and, considering his record of getting a terrible draw, we have to
be quite happy with 10,” Mullen said. “He ran a great race on Super Saturday,
from his bad draw and hopefully he can be competitive again.”
Andrew Balding kept Side Glance, last year’s World Cup fourth,
to the training track this morning where the Mackinnon Stakes winner had gentle
exercise under work rider Leanne Masterton.
“He is in good form and has won a Group 1 in Australia
since he was last here so we are very much looking forward to it,” said
Balding’s wife, Anna-Lisa.
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