Postponed and Real Steel will advertise the strength of Dubai World Cup night turf form this weekend, but it is the former who has by far the easier task in the Coronation Cup at Epsom on Saturday.
Postponed, owned by Sheikh Mohammed Obaid, augmented his easy victory in the Dubai City Of Gold on the Super Saturday card when he was an effortless winner of the Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan in March.
Postponed has not raced since, but warmed up for his Group 1 assignment by taking part in last week’s Breakfast With The Stars event at Epsom under jockey Andrea Atzeni, who guided him between two work partners with ease.
The Coronation Cup is staged over the same 2,400-metre roller-coaster track as that of Friday’s Oaks and Saturday’s Derby.
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Postponed clearly handled the unique racecourse layout and trainer Roger Varian believes that even with over 100,000 spectators his stable flag-bearer will have no problem dealing with the Derby Day atmosphere.
“He’s a got a great temperament, and you wouldn’t notice him in the string,” Varian said. “He goes out, eats, sleeps and doesn’t give us many headaches.
“On World Cup night the temperature was very warm and there was plenty of atmosphere and I should think his heart-rate didn’t falter. He has one of those to-die-for attitudes.
“I’d seen him on a racecourse before he came to me, and you can’t help but be drawn to him as he is an exceptionally good-looking horse. He has a good mind and I’d love to have another few more like him.”
Both the now-retired Cirrus Des Aigles and the ill-fated St Nicholas Abbey were victorious at Epsom having won the Sheema Classic, but there is a trio of high-class fillies that stand in Postponed’s way of completing the double.
Found, last season’s Breeders’ Cup Turf heroine, Simple Verse, who beat the colts in a controversial English St Leger in September, and Arabian Queen, who upset Golden Horn in the International at York in August, all should be declared at lunchtime today.
The Corsican was also expected to take his chance but trainer David Simcock reported yesterday that the five year old, owned by Fitri Hay, died tragically in a gallops accident.
The Corsican finished seventh in the Dubai Turf when Real Steel was pushed wide from his draw in Gate 14, and then ran in fifth place in the Group 1 Prix Ganay in France a month ago.
It will be Real Steel’s first attempt at 1,600 metres, and he will be ridden by Yuichi Fukunaga.
Real Steel’s stamina will be fundamental to his chances if Fukunaga can secure a prominent position, but they will have to go some pace to hold off the Japanese monster that is Maurice.
Maurice, rated equal third in the Longines World Rankings with Postponed, Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist and Hong Kong’s Werther, is on a winning streak of seven and looks hard to beat.
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