Godolphin double-handed in seeking 7th World Cup

Godolphin has excellent prospects of lifting Saturday’s 23rd running of the G1 Dubai World Cup at Meydan in an extremely open year.

Saeed bin Suroor, Godolphin’s longest-serving trainer, is set to saddle the well-credentialled Thunder Snow, while Chantilly-based Andre Fabre sends Talismanic on his third major foreign raid in the past five months.

The Royal Blues’ double-barrelled attack is an attempt to counter the strong American challenge mounted by the Bob Baffert-trained West Coast, who brings solid form to Dubai’s mega-feature, one of the world’s most important races.

There have been six Dubai World Cup winners carrying Godolphin’s famous royal blue silks — Dubai Millennium (2000), Street Cry (2002), Moon Ballad (2003), Electrocutionist (2006), Monterosso (2012) and African Story (2014).

Saeed has won the World Cup seven times, five of those victories in Godolphin colours.

Two in particular, Dubai Millennium and Electrocutionist, drew inside, but Thunder Snow (Helmet) has drawn the extreme outside, gate 10.

Philosophically, the trainer said: “I’m not good in the draw. But Thunder Snow has done well (in his preparation) as he has done in the past. He’s a multiple G1 winner in France.

“He’s doing good. He’s the type of horse, who can handle both surfaces, Turf and Dirt, and physically, he looks good.”

Saeed added: “Kieran Fallon (former six-times British Champion jockey) rode Thunder Snow in his last piece of work, and he was pleased with the way he finished the work.

“(From gate 10), it’s not that difficult for the jockey to get a nice position early. The horse jumps well from the stalls....except in America,” he added with a smile.

That reference to America was the only blip on Thunder Snow’s record — he inexplicably pulled himself up after going 50 yards in the G1 Kentucky Derby.

Fabre has sent over Talismanic, who the trainer reports has settled nicely into the local routine after arriving in Dubai three weeks ago.

Talismanic (Medaglia d’Oro) an attractive bay with flashy white markings, won the G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar and then travelled to the Far East, via his base in France, to finish a solid second in the G1 Hong Kong Vase.

“It’s his first attempt on dirt, but Talismanic has the conformation and the pedigree to act on the surface,” Fabre said.

“I feel that to run on dirt, you need more strength, and he has that now,” he added.

Talismanic, drawn gate seven, will have West Coast (nine) on his outside, and he faces a reduction in distance, from 2,400m to 2,000m.

The American challenge extends beyond West Coast, to Gunnevera and Forever Unbridled, while Japan are well represented by Awardee, and then there is the Baffert second string,

Mubtaahij, and locally-trained North America (both by Dubawi).