Stefan Friborg, the former Dubai World Cup-winning owner, will have strong representation at the Dubai World Cup Carnival after the acceptors were released by the Dubai Racing Club yesterday.
The energy tycoon, who owned Gloria De Campeao, the winner of the first Dubai World Cup run at Meydan Racecourse, in 2010, could have as many as five runners during the US$37 million (Dh135.9m) Carnival that kicks off at the UAE’s flagship racecourse on January 9.
The five runners will be trained by Marco Botti, and will be ridden by Martin Harley, the Newmarket trainer’s new stable jockey.
The string of the Swedish owner, who has a penchant for grey horses, will be headed by Linton, the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap winner in Australia. Linton’s most recent run was Sunday, when he was 13th in the Hong Kong Mile.
Linton has remained in Hong Kong and will transfer to Dubai directly.
Friborg will also have the Dubai returnee Energia Davos, a five-year-old Group 1-winning grey, while Edu Querido, Energia Elegante and Energia Eros have all transferred to Botti’s Newmarket base in England from the Brazilian trainer Givanildo Duarte and will commence their transportation to Dubai in mid-January.
Botti said Energia Davos may run at England’s Lingfield Park on December 21 in a Listed race, or at Wolverhampton over a mile and a quarter, after Christmas, before being transferred to Dubai.
“They are an interesting group of horses from Brazil and are all in good form,” Botti said. “The plan is for Martin to remain in Britain during the winter and fly over to ride all of our horses in Dubai.”
Friborg’s quintet forms part of a large raiding party assembled by Botti, who also hopes to have the Italian Group 1 winner Biz The Nurse, and the Australian-owned stayers Jakkalberry and Tac De Boistron engaged at Meydan among a total possible group of 11.
In all, 26 international Group 1 winners were among the 228 foreign entries for the 10-week Carnival announced yesterday. Pencilled in for a return to Dubai are Red Cadeaux, who was second to Animal Kingdom in the Dubai World Cup in March before an international campaign for trainer Ed Dunlop culminated in a fourth-place finish in defence of his Hong Kong Vase crown at Sha Tin on Sunday.
Side Glance, who was fourth in the world’s most valuable race, also could be seen in Dubai and the pair spearhead a total of 87 runners trained in Britain that also includes Brown Panther, owned by the former England footballer Michael Owen.
South Africa have 45 entries courtesy of Mike de Kock, whose string is already stabled in Dubai and is headed by Shea Shea, the Al Quoz sprint winner, and Soft Falling Rain, the Godolphin Mile winner.
Ireland have 29 entries, led by the Dubai regular Sole Power, who will be joined by stablemate Slade Power from the Ed Lynam yard, while France could be represented by the likes of Dunaden, the 2011 Melbourne Cup winner; Flotilla, Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa’s French 1,000 Guineas winner; and Flintshire, the former favourite of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
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