Cavalryman tops Nad Al Sheba Trophy

Cavalryman will make his first start of the season in Saturday’s Nad Al Sheba Trophy (Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club) Saturday’s ninth meeting of the 2014 Dubai World Cup Carnival at Meydan is highlighted by the fifth running of the Group 3, $200,000 Nad Al Sheba Trophy going 2810 meters on the turf. Twelve have been declared for the contest, including last season’s Dubai Gold Cup star, Cavalryman. Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor won the inaugural running of this contest with Age of Reason and saddled Ahzeemah to win last year’s renewal. This year he has two runners with Cavalryman, the choice of Silvestre de Sousa, with stablemate Statutory to be ridden by William Buick. Cavalryman, having his first start of the season, has not won since his big-race Meydan success last March on Dubai World Cup Day, while Statutory will be making his second start for the trainer, having been well beaten in a 2435-meter handicap just over three weeks ago. “Cavalryman has been working well and we are very happy with him,” bin Suroor said. “Obviously it is his first run of the campaign and he is going to improve from it but he should run a good race. “Statutory was perhaps a bit disappointing last time but will have come on for the run and he too is going nicely at home. We hope to see an improved effort.” Fellow Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby saddles Buckwheat, who made a promising debut for the yard 16 days ago.

“We were pleased enough with that
first run,” Appleby remarked. “We want to try him over this longer trip to see how
well he stays and it would be nice to think he might be a Dubai Gold Cup
prospect. We are on a learning curve with him and this well tell us a lot.”

The Mike de Kock-trained Star Empire was third in this race 12 months ago and
has two good efforts in defeat to his credit this year. He is the mount of
Christophe Soumillon.

“It looks a good race,” de Kock stated. “There is plenty of strong Dubai World Cup
Carnival form in there and we also have some really good horses having their
first starts of the season. Hopefully there will be a good gallop as he really
needs a strongly run race.”

Irishman Michael Halford is having a fantastic 2014 Dubai World Cup Carnival,
with four winners already, and relies on Certerach, runner-up in this race last
year and winner of his penultimate start this season. Regular jockey Shane
Foley is again in the saddle.

Ireland is particularly well represented in the Nad Al Sheba Trophy and Simenon, a first UAE runner for
trainer Willie Mullins, who is better known for his National Hunt runners,
has to be respected.

A dual Royal Ascot winner in 2012, Simenon has not won since but was a nice fifth in last year’s
Hong Kong Vase, having contested the Japan Cup prior to that, after an close
fourth in the Melbourne Cup. The seven-year-old is also a first ride of the 2014 UAE season for former UK
champion jockey
Ryan Moore.

Ireland will also be represented by
Saddler’s Rock, who was fifth in this contest last season before finishing
seventh behind Cavalryman in the Dubai Gold Cup. The John Oxx-trained runner is seeking
a first win since landing the Goodwood Cup in 2012.

Finishing fourth in last year’s Dubai Gold Cup was
Jutland, trained locally by Doug Watson. The bay gelding captured the Abu Dhabi Championship
prior to that contest, but has not
really fired in five starts this season.

“He is fit and well with fitness on his side,” Watson noted. “He really showed his
best form about this time of the year last season so hopefully it will be the
same this time. We think he will run well.”

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