Real Steel denied chance to defend Dubai Turf
Defending Dubai Turf champion Real Steel has been withdrawn from the US$6 million (Dh22m) contest at Meydan on Saturday.
The Japanese raider was due to work Tuesday but was found to have bled from both nostrils.
At the time of writing he had yet to be replaced, and there were 13 left in the 2,410-metre contest. The safety limit is 16.
The five-year-old gelding, trained by Yoshito Yahagi, was due to be ridden by Christophe Lemaire.
Real Steel easily saw off the challenge of Euro Charline 12 months ago but had not been in the same form since.
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Ballydoyle team arrive in Dubai
Aidan O’Brien’s bumper raiding party arrived at the international quarantine barn on Tuesday morning. The nine-strong party flew from Shannon Airport in the Republic of Ireland and travelled in two horseboxes from Dubai International Airport.
The Ballydoyle team are led by Highland Reel and Seventh Heaven, who both run in the Dubai Sheema Classic. Deauville and Cougar Mountain run in the Dubai Turf while Lancaster Bomber and Spirit Of Valour represent him in the UAE Derby. Kingfisher takes his chance in the Dubai Gold Cup, while Washington DC runs in the Al Quoz Sprint.
Furia Cruzada needs to take it easy
Furia Cruzada has not been the easiest at morning track work this week and the only mare in the Dubai World Cup field will be equipped with a hood to go to post before the US$10 million race on Saturday.
“It is a big international meeting. There is music and all sorts of other distractions,” trainer Erwan Charpy said. “The pressure can get to these horses. We will play around and try to chill her out. Realistically, she is out to get as close to Arrogate as possible.”
Debt Collector out in the big wide world
Singaporean racing has hit the skids in recent seasons with the loss of their international meeting and funding problems. Debt Collector is out to change that impression with a big run in the Dubai Turf, but trainer Cliff Brown is concerned at the strength of the field.
“He’s the best horse in Singapore but this is a very strong race and that is the main problem we face,” he said. “It’s like he’s moving from the goldfish bowl to the wide open ocean.”
Navarro late to the party
Jorge Navarro is back at Meydan for a second year in a row. Last season the US-based trainer saddled XY Jet to finish second in the Dubai Golden Shaheen and is responsible for Saturday’s Godolphin Mile favourite Sharp Azteca. Navarro’s experience here has clearly not stood him in good stead.
“I overslept and when I got to the barn at 6.15am they were already walking him,” he said, sheepishly.
“I was like, ‘What are you doing? You’re supposed to wait for me!’
“And they said, ‘No, Jorge, we had to take him out, he was on his toes’.
“We’ve done everything right, he has done everything right – it’s up to him now.”
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