Imperial Emperor is ‘every owner’s dream’; all the Monday trackwork news
Dubai World Cup Trackwork Notes
The build-up begins towards one of the great meetings on the global racing calendar
$12,000,000 Group 1 Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (2000m, dirt)
Bhupat Seemar may not have last year’s champion Laurel River in the Dubai World Cup but he has two very able deputies in Imperial Emperor and Walk Of Stars, both of whom were on the work tab on Monday on the Meydan main track shortly after sunrise.
It is the former who has courted the most attention in the run up to the event, building on two handicap wins to run his stablemate to within two and three-quarter lengths in the Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge before galloping to a blistering win in the Al Maktoum Classic.
“He’s been a great horse this year,” Seemar said of Imperial Emperor. “He’s had four runs, three wins and a second, so I think he’s every owner’s dream. He’s a great horse for a trainer and my team to be training.
“He worked very well last Monday so hopefully we’ll stay intact, healthy and happy going into the World Cup.”
Part of Imperial Emperor’s popularity can be credited to his passionate British-based ownership syndicate Deva Racing, who purchased him from Godolphin for AED300,000 last March.
Although the group have already enjoyed a runner on World Cup night, this will be the first time their navy and red silks will be represented in the headline race.
Seemar added: “Deva Racing has done very well in Britain and Ireland, and I think they’ve done best in Dubai. They had Royal Mews, who ran in the Godolphin Mile, and now they’ve got Imperial Emperor, who is second favourite for the Dubai World Cup.
“It’s great when a good syndicate comes together. Collectively, so many people can come and enjoy horses at their best at the highest level.”
Stable jockey Tadhg O’Shea was at the controls for Monday’s canter and will be again on Saturday, while Chantal Sutherland partnered Walk Of Stars, with Mickael Barzalona set for the ride in the World Cup.
In other jockey news, Florent Geroux will be back aboard Wathnan Racing’s Hit Show, while four-time Dubai World Cup winner Frankie Dettori gets the call-up for from Doug O’Neill for Mixto, and William Buick rides the Kenny McPeek-trained Rattle N Roll.
Of the two Noburu Takagi representatives, Yuga Kawada will again be aboard Wilson Tesoro, while the horse he steered to Dubai World Cup glory two years ago, Ushba Tesoro, will be ridden by Akira Sugawara, just as was the case when the pair finished fourth and third respectively in the G1 Saudi Cup (1800m)
The one they all have to beat is Forever Young, who was third in both the G1 Kentucky Derby (2000m) and the G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic (2000m) last season and comes here off the back of an epic defeat of Romantic Warrior in the G1 Saudi Cup (1800m).
The Yoshito Yahagi trainee completed a light breeze on the main track before pausing on his way back to the barn to take in every bit of attention from the visiting international media.
