Monday, 1 February 2010: Australian stables have supplied a record 45 individual entries for the Dubai World Cup meeting at Meydan on March 27.
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David Hayes
Photo by Racing and Sports | |
They hold 72 nominations across the star-studded racing program, many trainers keen to keep their options open for an invitation to be a part of the world's richest racing program.
However only two Australian horses – Heart Of Dreams (Mick Price) and Weekend Hussler (Ross McDonald) – have been entered for the $US10 million Dubai World Cup (2000m) due to the race being run on the all weather Tapeta track, a surface foreign to Australia's top horses.
Australian trainers are focused on the turf events, providing 31 nominations for the $US5 million Dubai Duty Free (1800m) and 15 for the program's new feature, the $US1 million Al Quoz Sprint (1200m).
But they have been tempted to lodge 14 entries for the $US2 million Golden Shaheen over 1200m on the all-weather. It will be run for the first time around a turn on the new Meydan course, having previously been run on the straight dirt course at Nad Al Sheba.
David Hayes is the only trainer interested in the $US5 million Sheema Classic (2400m) on the all-weather, lodging five nominations, while the $US1 million Godolphin Mile (1600m) on the all-weather has attracted only three Australian entries.
The $US2 million UAE Derby (1900m) on the all weather has also been shunned by all but Hayes with two entries.
The notable name missing among the Australian entries for the Dubai races is the Bart Cummings-trained W.S. Cox Plate winner So You Think. Cummings has not been tempted by the Dubai prizemoney and does not have an entry in any race on the World Cup program.
Lee Freedman's name is also missing from the entry lists but Hayes, Peter Moody, Chris Waller, Mick Price and
Gai Waterhouse have all lodged multiple entries across the program.
Australia's 45 individual entries for the meeting is the fourth highest from overseas countries behind the USA (159); Great Britain (75) and Japan (58).
No New Zealand-trained horses have been entered for the World Cup meeting.
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AUSTRALIAN ENTRIES - DUBAI WORLD CUP MEETING
DUBAI WORLD CUP: Heart Of Dreams; Weekend Hussler
DUBAI SHEEMA CLASSIC: Changingoftheguard; Extra Zero; Largo Lad; Our Aqaleem; Zagreb.
DUBAI DUTY FREE: Carrara; Changingoftheguard; Danleigh; Danzylum; Dao Dao; Dealer Principal; El Segundo; Extra Zero; Growl; Heart Of Dreams; Irish Lights; Largo Lad; Manhattan Rain; Mentality; O'Lonhro; Our Aqaleem; Pillar Of Hercules; Pimpernel; Rangirangdoo; Road To Rock; Rock Kingdom; Sister Madly; Sniper's Bullet; Starspangledbanner; Theseo; Triple Honour; Trusting; Turffontein; Typhoon Tracy; Weekend Hussler; Zagreb.
GOLDEN SHAHEEN: All Silent; Avenue; Black Caviar; Burdekin Blues; Duporth; Eagle Falls; Gold Trail; Headway; Irish Lights; Lucky Secret; Nicconi; Tickets; Turffontein; Wanted.
AL QUOZ SPRINT: All Silent; Avenue; Black Caviar; Burdekin Blues; Duporth; Eagle Falls; Gold Trail; Headway; Lucky Secret; Nicconi; Royal Ida; Tickets; Turffontein; Wanted; Weekend Hussler.
GODOLPHIN MILE: Heart Of Dreams; Typhoon Tracy; Weekend Hussler.
UAE DERBY: Extra Zero; Voile Rouge.
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