Dubai 2012

Cards for Friday are up at emiratesracing.com.

SAf-related runners:

Race 2: AW 2000m, 95+ handicap, $150 000
110 Mr Brock (SAf) -> Mike de Kock, Kevin Shea
109 Bronze Cannon (USA) -> Herman Brown

Race 3: Turf 1800m, 95+ handicap, $150 000
113 Viscount Nelson (USA) -> Mike de Kock, Kevin Shea
105 Mutahadee (Ire) -> Mike de Kock

Race 5: Turf 1600m, GR2 Cape Verdi, $200 000
99 Reem (Aus) -> Mike de Kock, Kevin Shea
113 Mahbooba (Aus) -> Mike de Kock

Race 6: Turf 1600m, 100-110 handicap, $120 000
109 Disa Leader (SAf) -> Mike de Kock, Johnny Geroudis
102 Anaerobio (Arg) -> Mike de Kock,

Flying Johnny G up to ride disa leader is very,very interestng

He knows Disa well, so not surprised....

Well, it was pretty much known from the very day Gilbert Rousset decided to run him in Dubai that he was gonna be paired with Johnny G. Looking forward to see how it goes for him, could be a good advert for Mauritian racing.

Disa leader is rated 109,is a mauritian 109 equal to a european or n american 109?

Actually, the 109 is not a Mauritian rating. His Mauritian rating was 87 after his last race.

Villiers Wrote:

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> Actually, the 109 is not a Mauritian rating. His
> Mauritian rating was 87 after his last race.

Ok tnx,so you think he can be competitive in dubai of that mark?

With MDK anything possible, he took a horse from PE and had it fav for the WC .....

Mahbooba heads eight entries for Cape Verdi
 
BY JASON FORD 1:55PM 17 JAN 2012
 
TRAINER Mike de Kock looks to hold the key to the Group 2 Cape Verdi, the 1m turf feature on Friday's fourth meetingof the 2012 Dubai World Cup Carnival.

Mahbooba, already winner of the Al Rashidiya Trial on the opening night two weeks ago, heads the eight entries in the race restricted to fillies and mares and would appear the one they all have to beat assuming she copes with the drop in trip.

A winner over 1m4f at Newmarket, the 1m would probably be her minimum trip but the handler has a great record with horses he has dropped back in distance, including winning a Group 3 6f Al Shindgaha Sprint with his UAE Triple Crown winner Asiatic Boy.

Stable companion Reem beat the subsequent UAE 1,000 Guineas heroine when they clashed over 7f on Tapeta at the start of the 2011 Carnival before chasing home the same stablemate in the Guineas. She then won over 1m2f but showed little on turf in the UK or back over 7f on Tapeta last week.

De Kock said: "Mahbooba has been great ever since we have had her and has proved herself particularly versatile. She is a 1m Classic winner here in the UAE on Tapeta, won over 1m4f on turf in England and then started her 2012 campaign in the best possible way here over 1m1f. She still shows plenty of speed so 1m should be ok.

"Reem disappointed in England but ran a great race on the Meydan turf last year behind our River Jetez over 1m1f so hopefully she can show us a bit more on Friday."

The trip looks a minimum for the De Kock duo but perhaps a maximum for Al Sharood, a 7f Tapeta winner on her local debut for Doug Watson.

She seemed to be tiring close home on that occasion under Tadhg O'Shea and Watson said: "That was, basically, her prep for this race on Friday. She won over a mile in France so hopefully the extra furlong will be fine but she does show a lot of speed at home.

"She is in great form and weare looking forward to running her but obviously Mahbooba is going to be hard to beat."

First City, who was third in the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes for David Simcock, looks set to have her first start for UAE Champion Trainer Ali Rashid Al Raihe, with the remaining four entries divided equally between England and Ireland.

Tom Dascombe's Rhythm Of Light was second in Turkey on her most recent start in September, while Sooraah was a Listed winner for William Haggas at Ascot in July.

Jim Bolger trains Hurricane Havoc and she is joined by the Ken Condon-trained Marvada who improved throughout 2011.

Addictive Dream, who would be seeking a rapid carnival hat-trick, is among three Dandy Nicholls-trained entries in a 6f Tapeta handicap. Winner of two turf handicaps already, he is joined among 21 entries by stable companions Inxile and Silaah.   

I haven't followed Mauritian racing, so don't know how good Disa Leader was over there, but the obvious comparison is with Mr Brock.

According to racingpost.com, Mr Brock ran 3 times in Mauritius for 3 wins. The last of those was by 9 lengths. He arrived in Dubai with a 102 rating and didn't fare particularly well in the beginning.
He had to go to Abu Dhabi to get his first win (4th start), but it wasn't long before he put up some good efforts.
He ran 2nd and 4th in Gr3's in France, before having a good time in Dubai the next season - 1st (handicap), 4th (Gr3), 1st (handicap), close up 3rd (Gr2) and then beaten less than 3 lengths in the World Cup (but finished 8th).
He went quiet after that but last season finished 3rd in a Gr2 at Meydan and 4th in a Gr3 at Abu Dhabi.
His rating rose from that initial 102 to 117 at the World Cup.

Is Disa Leader (109) better than Mr Brock (110)?

SA horses have their ratings dropped to by a few points when they arrive in Mauritius. Disa Leader had a MR of 99 in SA before he left and was made a 69 in Mauritius. After his first season, he has was back to a 99 (I think). Then after the season, ratings were adjusted down again, and he was dropped back down 10 points.
Only raced 3 times in his second season, winning one domestic Group 1.
I think this rating of 109 is fair.
Mr Brock came from the same yard in Mauritius, and is participating in his 3rd Carnival.
He won the staying race in Mauritius, the Maiden Cup. Disa Leader won all the big mile races. So can't quite compare apples with apples in this case.
The one thing I can say is that Disa Leader was more successful on the island, and i think his name will be remembered for longer. He broke their 1600m course record (1.34.46) which is a fantastic time on that tight track. The next year ran in 1.35 something, which was the second best time recorded on the Champ de Mars mile.
Having a quick look at his opponents of Friday afternoon, none of them have run a mile that fast, it seems.
So, if he does not need the run (last race 16th July 2011), he should definitely be competitive.
Mr Brock left after he had nothing left to prove, and no peers in staying races in Mauritius, that's a fact.
He did his connections proud in Dubai and Europe, that's for sure. What a joy he must have been to own, a dream to race internationally.
Let's just hope the connections of Disa Leader get the same joy.

Reem and Anaerobia are the de Kock horses that I want to watch. Both have good reputations and both showed nothing whatsoever at their first outing of the Carnival. Are they overrated or do they just need to warm up?