Rocket Man highlights Dubai main-track undercard

by Brisnet.com

Dubai Golden Shaheen

Singapore's remarkable sprinter Rocket Man bids

to defend his crown in Saturday's Group 1, $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen, having also finished

second in the 1,200 meter all-weather contest in 2010.

Trained by Patrick Shaw, the Montjeu five-year-old certainly appears the one they all have to beat

and it is hard to make a strong case for many of his 11 rivals who are,

arguably, headed by the only three-year-old in the race, Sepoy.

"I am very happy with the horse. He is coming here off a nice win in his prep

race, just as he did last year," Shaw said at a press conference at Meydan on

Friday morning. "His trip to Japan last year knocked him about, he met typhoons,

his weight wasn't right, and things didn't go his way. And then in Hong Kong the

draw did him no favors. But I believe he is the same horse and still as good as

ever. His weight right now is good -- around 476 kilos, and that's where it

should be.

"I think the race might be a little tougher this year. There's Bob's

(Baffert) horse (The Factor), and he was here last year (with Euroears), so he

knows what's needed, and there are others such as Lucky Nine, Sepoy and Krypton

Factor, so it will be competitive. I think too the (all-weather) surface might

be a little stickier this year compared to last year.

"So far as the draw is concerned (Rocket Man has gate 1) I think the first

100 meters of the race will be crucial, but I'll leave it all to (jockey) Felix

(Coetzee) to decide what to do. He knows the horse and is back on board."

Australian Peter Snowden will saddle Sepoy for the final time before he joins

Godolphin and his jockey Kerrin McEvoy will be sporting the all blue of

Godolphin on Saturday. Sepoy arrives in the UAE on the back of a defeat in his native Australia, but for

the three-year-old sprinting son of Elusive Quality, that was only the second time he was

beaten in 12 career starts and he already has four Group 1 victories to his

name.

Frankie Dettori will ride Soul for Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor.

Formerly a stablemate of Sepoy, he won well on his sole UAE start in a

1,000 meter turf handicap. That form has worked out well and it is interesting he

runs here and not in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint.

Dubai World Cup Carnival form is well represented with both Hitchens and

Krypton Factor having Group 3 course and distance victories to their credit. Trained in the UK by David Barron, Hitchens beat Krypton Factor in the Al

Shindagha Sprint before the latter, owned and trained by Bahrain's Fawzi Nass,

gained his revenge in the Mahab Al Shimaal on Super Saturday.

Iver Bridge Lad and Inxile also represent England but appear to face a stiff

task, as do the locally-trained pair of Happy Dubai and Russian Rock.

The Americans use to win this race regularly on the Nad Al Sheba dirt and are

seeking a 10th success in the race. Giant Ryan and The Factor are their two

challengers but they would appear to have a bit to find against the likes of

Rocket Man.

"We'll leave it to the rider (Willie Martinez)," trainer Biznath Parboo said

when asked about race strategy for Giant Ryan. "All the jock has to do is to ride him

confidently."

Lucky Nine, from Hong Kong, completes the field but his draw, in 12, and a

slight mishap earlier in the week makes

his task very difficult. The Dubawi colt twisted a shoe on Monday, leaving him fractionally lame, and trainer Caspar Fownes

briefly wondered whether his triple Group 1 winner would take his place

at all in the starting gate, but those worries had evaporated on Friday morning.

"He's sound now and he's moving well," Fownes issued an upbeat bulletin.

"He was only 1/10 lame but he's all

clear now. He will race in glue-on shoes and I can feel he will race really well

even if he has a bad gate in 12. The pace will be on and if he can position in

midfield he could run home better than anything as he's all heart."

UAE Derby

One of the most amazing Dubai World Cup meeting

statistics looks in serious danger this year in the Group 2, $2 million UAE

Derby. Introduced in 2000, only two

trainers have ever saddled the winner but Godolphin handler Saeed bin Suroor

(seven wins) is not represented this year leaving Mickdaam to seek a sixth win in the

1,900 meter all-weather contest for South African Mike de Kock.

Winner of the Al Bastakiya on Super Saturday over course and distance, de Kock's charge should have little to fear from those he beat on that occasion but

he faces stiff new competition from overseas.

These are headed by Godolphin runner Helmet, having his final start for

Australian Peter Snowden for whom he is a multiple Group 1 winner, including in

last year's Caulfield Guineas.

Mahmoud Al Zarooni saddles the other two Godolphin runners, like Helmet

already classic winners. Group 3 UAE Two Thousand Guineas winner Kinglet was put firmly in his place by Mickdaam on Super Saturday

in the Al Bastakiya, while Group 3 UAE Oaks heroine Falls of Lora will find this

a lot tougher than her sole local start.

Irish champion trainer Aidan O'Brien was narrowly denied in this last year

when Master of Hounds just failed and he has two major chances this year with

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Wrote joined by Group 2 Royal Lodge

Stakes victor Daddy Long Legs.

British William Haggas trains Entifaadha, who was just denied in his local

debut in the Meydan Classic on turf. He looks set to be a final career ride for

the retiring Richard Hills.

"He will have blinkers on for the first time on Saturday," the trainer said. "I

hope they draw some improvement from him because to my way of thinking he needs

to come forward by about a stone to be competitive. That might be too much."

Haggas' charge was narrowly denied by fellow UK raider Burano, trained by

Brian Meehan, and Red Duke is a fascinating third runner for England. He is

trained by John Quinn and should be competitive in what appears an open race.

Dual Grade 3-placed Lucky Chappy will surely be the smallest runner in the

race but his lack of size should not deflect from his undoubted ability.

"He had a

really good work before he left (the United States when going six grassy

furlongs in 1:12.03 on March 18) and he's had a lot of very strong gallops over

here," trainer Graham Motion said.

While Lucky Chappy once again acted up during his Friday exercise, pinning his ears and

trying to jump around rather than galloping forward, assistant trainer and

exercise rider Alice Clapham was able to keep the difficult colt mostly to task.

"She's done a good job," Motion praised Clapham, who has persevered through

Lucky Chappy's bucking and other gyrations.

"That's pretty much his normal personality."

Motion jokingly replied to reporters who told

him they had been entertained by Lucky Chappy's pirouettes that "I'm glad I

could do that for you."

Godolphin Mile

The Group 2, $1 million Godolphin Mile was first run in 1996 and Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor is

seeking a ninth winner in the 1,600 meter all-weather affair.

His main hope this year looks to be African Story, who won the Super Saturday

prep, the Group 3 Burj Nahaar, in good style and he could be Godolphin's best

chance on the card. Frankie Dettori maintains the partnership and they look certain to be hard to

beat with stablemates Do It All and Sandagiyr

arguably heading the opposition.

Sandagiyr won the Group 3 Firebreak

Stakes over the same 1,600 meter all-weather course and distance

when African Story endured a torrid passage before staying on strongly in third.

Bin Suroor and Dettori combined with Skysurfers to win this race last year

over UK challenger Red Jazz, who is back to seek compensation after a good third

last year. Jeremy Noseda trains Western Aristocrat to supply the English

trainers a strong two-pronged challenge.

"We just wrapped everything up this morning and we are very happy with him," Noseda said. "He did his last piece of

work at home on Friday and he is in great shape."

Noseda's sole concern relates to whether Western Aristocrat will handle the

all-weather surface.

"We don't know whether he will handle the track but if he runs his race he has

got to be in contention. He is a straightforward horse and the trip is ideal, so

we have no worries on that score."

UAE Champion Trainer Ali Rashid Al Raihe saddled Mufarrh to finish second

last year and has three hopefuls this year with Derbaas perhaps looking to hold

more obvious claims than the badly drawn Haatheq and filly First City.

Richard Hills, retained jockey for His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al

Maktoum, has chosen to ride Derbaas with second jockey Tadhg O'Shea electing to

partner Haatheq. That leaves Wayne Smith to pilot Snaafy, trained by his main

employer Musabah Al Muhairi.

Satish Seemar conditions Richard's Kid, who drops in class having contested the

last two Dubai World Cups, but this trip would appear on the short side for him.

Shamalgan has not really fired in his two runs at the Dubai World Cup

Carnival but hopefully will be spot on for Saturday's challenge, while the other

two runners both represent South Africa. Herman Brown will saddle Dux Scholar but Viscount Nelson, trained by

compatriot Mike de Kock, looks a stronger hope for a trainer who won this race

in 2005 with Grand Emporium.