By Emma Berry
Another race with a strongly fancied Godolphin runner, the G1 Al Quoz Sprint could give Charlie Appleby his first World Cup night win with Shamardal colt Blue Point (Ire).
Thoroughly tested at two, the Gimcrack winner was seen less frequently last season but has been a consistent performer in black-type sprints on varying ground. His sole Dubai start saw him finish runner-up by a head to Ertijaal (Ire), a defector from today's contest, and more than three lengths ahead of Darren Bunyan's Hit The Bid (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), a winner at five furlongs at Meydan in February who reopposes.
Appleby also has an excellent chance with Jungle Cat (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}), now six, who was fourth in last year's race and is two for two since returning to Dubai this winter.
Won by the French-trained The Right Man (GB) last year, the international credentials of the Al Quoz remain strong, with four American-trained runners, three from Australia, and two each from Britain and Ireland.
Peter Miller has brought four horses to Dubai, including G1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner Stormy Liberal (Stormy Atlantic), one of three from the Miller barn to be lining up over the straight turf sprint track, along with Conquest Tsumani (Can) (Stormy Atlantic) who beat his stablemate last time in Sants Anita's GIII Daytona S., and Richard's Boy (Idiot Proof).
Stormy Liberal didn't travel well when shipping to Hong Kong for the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint, in which he finished 11th of the 13 runners, but Miller has reported that the 6-year-old has coped much better in Dubai.
Mark Casse will be aiming to add another international victory to his Royal Ascot success with Tepin when he saddles Lonhro (Aus) 5-year-old Holding Gold, his first runner at the Dubai World Cup meeting.
“It's up to Javier Castellano to do what needs to be done,” said Casse's assistant Randi Melton. “It's always helpful when you have a rider like Javier who can adjust when he needs to.”
David Hayes has already tasted victory at Meydan this Carnival with Sheikh Hamdan's Faatinah (Aus), a son of the trainer's former globetrotter Nicconi (Aus). He beat Godolphin 9-year-old Baccarat (Ire) (Dutch Art {GB}) in a handicap back in mid-January and was then second to him over course and distance a month later.
Bjorn Baker's first Dubai runner Music Magnate (NZ) (Written Tycoon {Aus}) has the services of jockey Blake Shinn and the multiple Group winner comes here fresh from victory in the Christmas Classic at Randwick.
“He's a genuine Group 1 horse and he's set for the race,” said Shinn. I wouldn't have travelled over all this way if I didn't think that he was up to winning. He's got good gate speed. He puts his head on his chest. You can put him virtually anywhere you need to be. He's just like driving a car. You can put your foot on or off the accelerator whenever you need to.”
The two greys in the race, G1 QIPCO Champion Sprint winner Librisa Breeze (GB) (Mount Nelson {GB}) and Kennet Valley Thoroughbreds' Group 2 winner Magical Memory (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}), will fly the flag from Britain. The former, aiming to give owner Tony Bloom another big-race win following his Cheltenham Festival success with Penhill (GB), is notably better on softer conditions than he will encounter here.
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