Royal Delta, Lucky Chappy happy as workmates

Kicking up her heels a bit as she passed a throng of media members with

whirring camera lenses, Group 1 Dubai World Cup contender Royal Delta

energetically leapt into her daily exercise at Meydan on Tuesday with her Dubai

work partner and Group 2 U.A.E. Derby entrant Lucky Chappy at her side.

"That's the first time we've seen that from her -- she's feeling good," said

Mylor Rider, stable foreman for trainer Bill Mott, of the filly's brief display

of exuberance."

"She saw all those people and just decided to do something silly," added

Mott's assistant Leana Willaford, who has been riding Royal Delta in Dubai. "She

feels great. She just does things so easily."

Royal Delta quickly settled down, and she and Lucky Chappy galloped

approximately about 1 3/8 miles, with the smaller colt following the statuesque

filly around the track. As she has done ever since she visited the Meydan

all-weather track for the first time on Saturday, Royal Delta cruised through

her work with her ears up, and she pulled away from Lucky Chappy without

extending herself.

Trainer Bill Mott arrived in Dubai shortly after Royal Delta completed her

work. When he visited the four-year-old daughter of Empire Maker in the

quarantine barn area, the smile on his face showed that he is delighted with her

condition coming into the Dubai World Cup.

With trainer Graham Motion watching by the Meydan rail after flying into

Dubai with his family the previous night, Lucky Chappy turned in a strong

gallop.

"He galloped great," called out Alice Clapham, Motion's assistant and the

rider of Lucky Chappy, as they walked to the trainer following the exercise.

"I couldn't be happier," Motion said.

While, by the trainer's own description, the smallish Lucky Chappy is "not an

imposing horse," looks can be deceiving. "There's not much to him, but he's a

tough little guy," Motion said.

Although no American-based horse has previously won the U.A.E. Derby, Motion

said this seemed to be a good year to take a chance with a colt like Lucky

Chappy, a son of High Chaparral who was previously raced in Europe and does not

seem the type to excel in American dirt races.

However, he has raced well, finishing second by a nose in a Grade 3 race, on

the same type of all-weather surface as at Meydan, and he has trained over that

type of track at Motion's base at the Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland.

Motion said he may send Lucky Chappy out for a brief turn of speed on

Wednesday, depending partly on what trainer Bill Mott plans for Royal Delta.

Mott's assistant Leana Willaford has said he also is contemplating a short

blowout for the filly.

Lucky Chappy and Royal Delta have been working together because the colt, who

is used to European-style training, performs better when he is following another

horse. In turn, the filly does not like to leave the barn area unless she

follows another horse, so Lucky Chappy takes the lead at that time.

"It's worked out well for both of them," Motion said.

Grade 2 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner Regally Ready galloped 1 1/2 miles

on the turf course at Meydan Tuesday morning. Winner of nine of 19 races, the

son of More Than Ready drew post 3 of 16 for the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint on

Saturday.

Trainer Steve Asmussen's Toronto-based assistants Devron Leingang and Mandy

Seim have been overseeing Regally Ready's training. The couple has been in Dubai

since February, when they arrived with the five-year-old gelding. Regally Ready

started in the Meydan Sprint on March 10 over the Al Quoz course, but finished a

disappointing 13th.

"We can't say this is the reason why or this is the reason why," Leingang

explained. "We are just hoping that the flight took a little something off of

him or the course was a little bit softer, but no excuses. He's a little

stronger now than before."

Regally Ready has been basking in the Dubai sunshine according to assistant

Seim.

"I just like to get him out for a little while in the afternoons, and he

stands and stares for what seems like hours," Seim said. "I'm not sure what he's

looking at, but he seems to enjoy it here."