DUBAI // Honour Devil, one of two South African-trained entries in the Dubai World Cup, was dropped from the field today with an injury that will require surgery, race organisers said. The four-year-old was withdrawn because of an entrapped epiglottis leaving the trainer Mike de Kock with last year's runner-up Asiatic Boy in the 14-horse field for Saturday's US$6 million (Dh22m) race, the world's richest.
Honour Devil, the winner of the 2008 UAE Derby, was found to have respiratory troubles, which occur when tissue traps the epiglottis and interferes with breathing. De Kock said the horse will have surgery. Asiatic Boy, who finished last year behind Curlin - the US Horse of the Year - went through his paces on the training track at Nad Al Sheba in preparation for his third Dubai World Cup. "That was a big run last year and Curlin (the winner) was exceptional so we had to be happy with second," De Kock said.
"His preparation has gone well this time and all been based around Saturday night. We have to hope he will go very close." *AP
