Godolphin's GI Breeders' Cup Turf winner Talismanic (Medaglia d'Oro), most recently second to Highland Reel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Hong Kong Vase on Dec. 10, will target the Mar. 31 G1 Dubai World Cup, where he would be making his first start on dirt.
“Talismanic is on course for the Dubai World Cup,” said Godolphin's French representative Lisa-Jane Graffard. “Andre Fabre suggested it after he came back from the Breeders' Cup as a potential long-range target. The horse has wintered really well and looks in great condition. He appears to have fully recovered from his trips to Del Mar and Hong Kong.”
“The [Dubai World Cup] is the target for him now as the horse appears to have some aptitudes which would suggest it's worth trying him on dirt,” Graffard continued. “In regularly training, albeit doing steady work, at Del Mar he showed a very easy action on the dirt track there. He's also a horse who is easy to place in his races and can lie up with the pace and is by a top-class dirt stallion. He has an excellent temperament and is a good traveller, adapting to different situations easily. It's a big step into the unknown, but Andre Fabre is very talented at pinpointing objectives that might not seem obvious to anyone else.”
Graffard said Talismanic could prep at Meydan on Super Saturday on Mar. 10 or at Chantilly on Mar. 6.
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