Godolphin are mounting another big challenge in the Dubai World Cup Carnival second fixture with 16 horses entered across six races at Meydan on Thursday.
Godolphin trainers Saeed bin Suroor – who saddled a double in last week’s opening Carnival meeting – has nine entered and Charlie Appleby the remaining seven.
A trio represents Bin Suroor in the UAE 2000 Guineas Trial with his stable jockey Christophe Soumillon electing to ride First View, undefeated in two starts in the all-weather track at Kempton Park in the summer.
“First View is a nice colt,” Bin Suroor said of the three-year-old Exceed And Excel colt. “He has done well out in Dubai and I am hoping for a good result, provided he copes with the dirt.”
Laser Show and Lost In Time are the Emirati’s other two in the race that has drawn the maximum 16 runners.
“Laser Show is improving with every piece of work and he too looks like he will get further,” Bin Suroor said.
“Lost In Time is a solid horse, who always tries very hard. He has worked alongside First View and there is not much between them. This is a trial, so it is a test for all three horses, and we have to see whether they can go on the surface.”
Bin Suroor is double-handed in the Group Two Singspiel Stakes with Benbatl (Soumillon) and Dream Castle (Patrick Cosgrave).
Both the six-year-olds boasts Group One victories over the course and distance, with Benbatl having won the 2018 Dubai Turf and Dream Castle successful in the Jebel Hatta last season.
“Benbatl has been enjoying a nice winter out in Dubai and is in good form,” Bin Suroor said.
“He goes well fresh and this looks a good starting point for him and I am hoping for a good result. Dream Castle is in good order too and ran some excellent races at the Carnival last year.”
Team Talk carries Bin Suroor’s hopes in the Group Two Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1.
The seven-year-old disappointed on his only previous dirt appearance at Meydan, trailing home last behind the re-opposing North America.
“Team Talk has changed a lot since last year’s Carnival and I hope that he can continue to show what he displays in his work,” Bin Suroor concurred.
“He is a horse that I like a lot and from what I have seen in the mornings, he could be anything this season.”
North America is bidding for a hat-trick of the Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 but has to deal with the widest draw in gate 8.
“It’s not an ideal draw but I do know he will give it his best,” said his handler Satish Seemar.
“You have two speed horses inside of him with Muntazah and [2018 Godolphin Mile winner] Heavy Metal and if he breaks on top, he should be alright. He’s had that experience before. It’s hard to say what will happen.”
Seemar is double-handed in the race with Secret Ambition who made a winning reappearance in the Listed Dubai Creek Mile against the re-opposing Kim Bear Rodaini and Thegreatcollection.
Doug Watson has three entries, Muntazah, Kimbear and Thegreatcollection.
“Muntazah is honestly training great,” Watson said. “He’s had two nice works over at Meydan the last two weeks.
Muntazah is drawn in Gate 1 and Watson said: “If it was our second or third run, I’d be very happy with the post.
“I don’t know how he’s going to jump and travel in the first run of the season. He’s a big, heavy horse and we’ve done more with him than ever before the beginning of the season, but if it’s enough, we don’t know.
“Kimbear ran extremely well in the Dubai Creek Mile. Thegreatcollection got stuck on the rail last time. His jockey [Sam Hitchcott] felt that he could have won the race [if he had not encountered traffic] and he wound up finishing fifth.”
