Dubai World Cup Carnival commences at Meydan

The 2014 Dubai World Cup Carnival gets underway at Meydan on Thursday evening

after weeks of anticipation and Barbecue Eddie will seek to repeat his 2013

victory in the opening round of the Al Maktoum Challenge.

The Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1 carries Group 2 status and the Doug

Watson-trained Barbecue Eddie could become the first horse to win the race

twice. Watson is hopeful of a big run.

"He is in great form at home and has certainly improved from his one run this

season which he needed badly," Watson said. "He is now 10 and owes us nothing,

but we hope he will run a big race despite the widest draw."

Godolphin trainer, Saeed bin Suroor, has won this race on no less than seven

occasions and relies on Shuruq, the only filly in the race this year.

"She won the U.A.E. Oaks last year having been second in the U.A.E. One

Thousand Guineas so the surface is ideal and trip is perfect for her first run

back," bin Suroor said. "She looks great and has been working well.

"She was a bit disappointing over the summer and has to take on the colts

here but we have to be hopeful judged on her home gallops."

Fellow Godolphin handler, Charlie Appleby, is saddling his first U.A.E.

runners and will be represented by Steeler, who missed the whole of the 2013

season having been a highly progressive juvenile for Mark Johnston in 2012.

A Group 2 winner, he was last seen in competitive action in October 2012 when

third in the Racing Post Trophy.

"We are very happy with him," Appleby said. "Obviously he has been off a long

time and will improve from this run but it looks the ideal place to start him

back."

South African Mike de Kock has twice saddled the winner of this race and has

two runners this year, Rerouted and Daddy Long Legs. By far the most successful

international trainer at the Dubai World Cup Carnival over the years, de Kock

sounds hopeful as opposed to confident.

"We are behind our normal schedule so expect all our runners to need their

first run," de Kock said. "Daddy Long Legs had a wind operation last year and

ran well enough on his only subsequent start. This is the perfect place to bring

him back and the same with Rerouted. He will definitely improve for the run and,

with his rating, this is a good slot to get him back out."

Ireland's Ger Lyons saddles Brendan Brackan and said, "This horse has done

nothing but improve and seems in great order. Obviously he has not been here

long and we are basically running straight off the plane but we chose to do that

as it has worked well for us in the past. We have a nice draw and expect a big

run."

A new addition to the Dubai World Cup Carnival calendar is the Singspiel

Stakes, held over the same 1800-meter turf trip as the Al Rashidiya Stakes and

the Dubai Duty Free held on Dubai World Cup day.

After the late defection of the David Marnane-trained Elleval, who is said to

be suffering from a temperature, 12 are set to face the starter, with the Mike

de Kock-trained David Livingston conceding weight all round after his win in the

Rose of Lancaster Stakes at Haydock in August. The South African also saddles

Mushreq, a dual Dubai World Cup Carnival winner last year.

"They will both improve from the run and Mushreq showed last year how much he

can improve for racing," de Kock said.

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