Ronan Groome

IT wouldn’t be like Dubai to do anything by half measure would it? Today the Dubai World Cup, the culmination of the Dubai racing carnival, features a card that holds three Group 2s, five Group 1s and another Group 1 race for purebred Arabian horses. Horses from 13 different countries will compete for a total prize fund just short of €28m and the card will be broadcast to over one billion homes in 150 territories. It is also the first race meeting to be made available to watch on a plane and on a cruise boat. For Irish viewers, all today’s Meydan action will be shown on At The Races and Racing UK, while 3e is showing the final three races live in a 90-minute broadcast starting at 3pm.

The highlight attraction on the card is undoubtedly Arrogate in the Dubai World Cup (€9.5m), the Bob Baffert-trained colt who arrived in the UAE as the highest-rated horse in the world. There are 11 Irish-trained horses competing on the card (nine for Aidan O’Brien, one for Mick Halford and one for Tony Martin)

11:45 GODOLPHIN MILE (Group 2) (Dirt) 1M

There isn’t much to split North America and Sharp Azteca, the American raider, at the top of the market. Sharp Azteca, trained by Jorge Navarro, won the Gulfstream Park Handicap in really good style last month and also holds form with Golden Shaheen favourite Mind Your Biscuits. However, North America is unbeaten since joining Satish Seemar from Charlie Appleby’s yard and all four of his wins have come over this course and distance by an accumulated winning distance of 25 lengths. He has progressed on each run for his new trainer and should have too much for this field.

SELECTION: NORTH AMERICA

Next Best: Sharp Azteca

12:50 DUBAI GOLD CUP (Group 2) (Turf) 2M

Heartbreak City returns to the flat here after proving a little disappointing off his low weight in the Coral.ie Hurdle at Leopardstown in January. His trainer Tony Martin did stress before that race that he may need the run and may not be as good over hurdles so there is good reason for optimism back on the level, where he has progressed into a Group 1-rated horse. He will have to deal with some of the best stayers around today with last year’s 1-2 Vazirabad and Big Orange in the line-up again.

Vazirabad, trained by Alain de Royer-Dupre, will likely start favourite given his excellent win ratio of 10 wins from 14 runs and his course-and-distance form. However, he was beaten fair and square on his most recent start against Beautiful Romance who reopposes today. Saeed Bin Suroor’s mare ran an eye-catching race in the Melbourne Cup, where she blew the start before coming home well to finish seventh, and since that she has looked progressive, winning twice.

SELECTION: BEAUTIFUL ROMANCE

Next Best: Vazirabad

1.25 UAE DERBY (Group 2) (Dirt) 1M1F110Y

Japan took this race last season with Lani and they may have an even better contender for this year’s renewal with Epicharis, the unbeaten colt trained by Kiyoshi Hagiwara. The son of Gold Allure has four wins from four runs and comes into the this off the back of a comfortable win in the Hyacinth Stakes at Tokyo, a race Lani only finished fifth in last season. Thunder Snow will be the one to beat, following his excellent first win on dirt on his previous run, but Aidan O’Brien’s Lancaster Bomber may also have a say. The American-bred son of War Front should handle the surface okay on his first try and he was progressive towards the end of last season.

SELECTION: EPICHARIS

Next Best: Lancaster Bomber

2:00 Al QUOZ SPRINT (Group 1) (Turf) 6F

Home hope Ertijaal, trained by Ali Rashid Al Rayhi, has won six of his last seven runs. He looks set to start a warm favourite with British champion jockey Jim Crowley taking the ride, but there is a little question about whether he can be at his best over six furlongs in a Group 1 race like this. He finished a highly commendable second in this race last year but the race has since had its distance changed back to six furlongs and so that may prove a little problematic for the Hamdan Al Maktoum-owned colt.

In any case, he will have his work cut out dealing with Limato, who really came into his own last season when winning at the top level twice; in the July Cup and the Prix de la Foret. Henry Candy’s gelding, who will be ridden by regular partner Harry Bentley, has won coming off a break before and conditions should pose no problem.

SELECTION: LIMATO

Next Best: Amazing Kids

2:35 DUBAI GOLDEN SHAHEEN (Group 1) (Dirt) 6F

This could be dominated by the American horses with Mind Your Biscuits and St. Joe Bay heading the market. The home challenge is strong as well however with Doug Watson’s Cool Cowboy, last year’s winner Muarrab and Reynaldothewizard who would be the best story in the race as he has another go at this at the age of 11.

Mind Your Biscuits has a little to prove. He finished second to Drefong in the Breeders Cup Sprint last season before going on to score in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita in December. However, he has since switched barns from Robert Falcone Jr to Chad Summers and he was beaten in a Grade 3 at Gulfstream Park on his first start for his new trainer. St. Joe Bay, representing trainer Peter Miller, looks in better form having won his last three runs and shown improved form on each occasion.

Wild Dude represents Mick Halford here but he would have to improve a great deal to get involved and maybe Reynaldothewizard is the outsider to concentrate on. Satish Seemar’s gelding looked as good as ever on his previous run beating last year’s winner of this race Muarrab.

SELECTION: ST. JOE BAY

Next Best: Reynaldothewizard

3:30 DUBAI TURF (Group 1) (Turf) 1M1F

This race has a typically international feel with a particularly strong European presence. Zarak should start favourite for France. Alain de Royer-Dupre’s colt, the only horse out of Zarkava as yet to have raced, was closely matched with Almanzor last season and impressed with the way he took to the track here last month. He is drawn in stall two and beside him will be Ribchester, who heads a strong British challenge backed up by Mutakayyef and Decorated Knight, who set himself up for a crack at this by winning in good style here on Super Saturday for Roger Charlton. Ribchester could take all the beating but he does have a little stamina concern, considering this is the farthest he has run. Richard Fahey is hopeful the son Iffraaj can get the trip, pointing to a stamina influence on the dam side.

Aidan O’Brien runs three horses, the pick of whom is Deauville, who will be ridden by Ryan Moore. He won the Belmont Derby last season but has to overcome a 224-day absence. One that could run well at a very big price is Very Special for Saeed Bin Suroor who took this race with Sajjhaa in 2013. She was beaten on her previous run, in the Balanchine, but that race turned into something of a tactical affair with only six runners. The daughter of Lope De Vega finished a very good fifth in this race last season and she should get to lead at her own pace this time.

SELECTION: VERY SPECIAL

Next Best: Decorated Knight

4:05 DUBAI SHEEMA CLASSIC (Group 1) (Turf) 1M4F11Y

A race that wouldn’t look out a place in Leopardstown or Newmarket. Last year’s winner Postponed heads the market for Roger Varian and Andrea Atzeni. He should be cherry ripe for this but, saying that, it was disappointing that he got beaten here on Super Saturday, failing to chase down Prize Money, who reopposes today. Jack Hobbs is interesting for John Gosden but he hasn’t been seen since October, where he finished a good third to Almanzor in the Qipco Champion Stakes. Highland Reel and Seventh Heaven represent Ballydoyle. The latter-mentioned is an interesting runner given the way she won the Irish Oaks last season and then went on to beat Found impressively in the Yorkshire Oaks. She is a player if she can run to that sort of level but, for the selection, Highland Reel looks more solid. The globetrotting son of Galileo has the fewest questions to answer, has the best jockey in the race and should have his own way in front in what could well turn into a tactical affair.

SELECTION: HIGHLAND REEL

Next Best: Seventh Heaven

4:45 DUBAI WORLD CUP (Group 1) (Dirt) 1M2F

“If he runs his race, we all know what he can do,” were the words from Bob Baffert regarding red-hot favourite Arrogate, who comes into this race as the highest-rated horse in the world. It seems to be that simple for the son of Unbridled’s Song, whose rate of progression has been staggering given he only made his debut at Los Alamitos last April. He broke the track record in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga before going onto to take the Breeders’ Cup Classic and Pegasus World Cup on his next two starts. Connections were content with his draw in stall nine and, worryingly for his rivals, this is only his eighth ever run so there could well be more improvement to come.

Finding meaningful opposition to the favourite is tough. Hoppertunity, also trained by Bob Baffert, finished third in this race last season and is apparently thriving in Dubai this week. Expect him to be finishing fast. Gun Runner, another US raider, who is trained by Steven Asmussen, could be the horse who makes the pace, while the Irish-bred Mubtaahij (bred in Dunmore Stud) is a previous UAE Derby winner but could have been better served by the draw as he will start from stall 14. Todd Pletcher’s Keen Ice is another one who could be staying on late and, while he has it all to do with the favourite, it would be no surprise to see him make the frame at a big price.

SELECTION: ARROGATE

Next Best: Keen Ice