Dettori, Baffert team up in bid to win Dubai World Cup

Racing Writer

It’s a combination to put the fear of God into any opposition — jockey Frankie Dettori and trainer Bob Baffert. The duo will team up on Saturday aiming to capture the £5.33m first prize in the Dubai World Cup.

The horse they are associated with is Country Grammar, who  arguably put up the best trial for the race when it came in second to Emblem Road in February’s $20m Saudi Cup.

Dettori will be aware that Country Grammar — winner of the 2021  Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita — may have found the nine furlongs of the Saudi Cup on the sharp side. Saturday’s distance is 10 furlongs.

Irad Ortiz Jnr, who rides the favourite Life Is Good, will have ridden against Dettori on many occasions and will know he is tough to beat. However, he may feel he is on the better horse — most people would agree the four-year-old is a worthy market leader.

Another interesting jockey booking in the World Cup is Christophe Soumillon, who has been engaged for Saeed bin Suroor’s runner Real World.

After struggling on dirt in the Saudi Cup, Bin Suroor indicated the five-year-old — unbeaten in five starts on turf — would probably be aimed at the Dubai Turf on World Cup night.

It seemed the most sensible move with the race worth £2.22m to the winner, but it would appear that Real World’s owners, Godolphin, want to have a go at the bigger prize.

William Buick rode Hot Rod Charlie to victory at Meydan in February, but his regular pilot, Flavien Prat, is back in the saddle on Saturday. If there is a strong pace, this horse could throw down a huge challenge to Life Is Good.

Grocer Jack will represent the combination of William Haggas and Tom Msrquand and they have enjoyed success in their foreign travels, notably in Australia.

Another American challenger is Midnight Bourbon, who represents the stable of former top jockey Cash Asmussen. Jose L Ortiz has been booked for the ride.

On the local front, former champion Anton Marcus flies up to the highveld to take two mounts on the eight racecard at Turffontein on Thursday. The main reason for Marcus’s trip is to partner Carl Vinson in the fourth race. The Dynasty colt was bred by Ridgemont Highlands and the KwaZulu-Natal-based rider is contracted to the stud.

Carl Vinson started even money favourite on his debut at Turffontein on New Year’s Day, but the three-year-old had to settle for fourth place behind Naval Guard. That winner notched the fifth win of his career at the city track last Saturday.

With Mcebisi scratched, the main threat to Sean Tarry’s runner may come from Brett Crawford’s raider Chasing Mavericks.

Marcus partners another Tarry inmate, Magical Flight, in the fifth race in which Elusive Current, Humdinger and Golden Spoon possess the best form.

Humdinger, formerly with Robbie Hill in KwaZulu-Natal, is now in the care of Mike de Kock and ran third behind Dance Lesson earlier this month. Richard Fourie retains the ride on the daughter of What A Winter.

With three seconds in her past three outings, Elusive Current is overdue for a third win but Warren Kennedy will have to overcome the worst draw in this 1,450m contest.

SELECTIONS

1st Race: (1) Crown Plaza (3) Red Hot (2) In The Ether (6) Mychancetodream

2nd Race: (3) Sonnenstrahl (2) Integrate (1) Cross Examiner (4) Bevoeterd

3rd Race: (1) Twice A Miracle (4) Lazer Grace (3) Pretty In Pearls (5) Maria's World

4th Race: (9) Carl Vinson (5) Chasing Mavericks (10) Chasing Cheetahs (6) Grand Escape

5th Race: (11) Humdinger (2) Elusive Current (7) Golden Spoon (9) Prairie Falcon

6th Race: (5) Verolina (7) Queen Anne's Lace (9) Abalus (3) Wokonda

7th Race: (5) Bonnaroo (1) Chyavana (6) Spiritofthegroove (2) Into The Future

8th Race: (8) Edward Longshanks (6) Trust The Fire (1) Corvette Captain (2) Rising Fenix