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Dubai the place to identify world's best


according to Racing Post Ratings

MORE than two months into the year, and still no standout performance anywhere from a ratings point of view, despite a plethora of Group and Graded stakes around the globe.

However, the temperature is set to rise at Nad Al Sheba on Saturday, when some of the world's best can be expected to lay down some big markers for the year ahead.

Performances at the Dubai Carnival already feature heavily on our top-ten lists of worldwide Racing Post Ratings - and although the World Cup is hardly likely to produce a Dubai Millennium-sized figure, it should be the race which throws up the best dirt performance of the year so far.

The current favourite Albertus Maximus already holds a share of top spot on the dirt/all-weather list alongside three other horses after posting an RPR of 121 for his half-length success in the Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park in January.

The five-year-old has run to an RPR of 121 on his last three starts and, while he is certainly solid at that level, he will probably need to improve a few pounds to land the big one, as the lowest winning rating in 13 runnings of the World Cup stands at 125.

Well Armed goes into the race with the highest figure in the book, having posted a mark of 124 when beating Tiago and Well Armed in the Goodwood Stakes in September.

A repeat of that performance should put Eoin Harty's six-year-old in the frame, but there are a number of horses who may just have the potential to improve past him, including Albertus Maximus, Maktoum Challenge winner Asiatic Boy (121+) and Japanese raider Casino Drive (120).

Looking at the pre-race figures, this hardly stands out as a vintage line-up for the world's richest race and there is a good chance that the best RPR of the year will actually come in one of the big turf events of the night - the Dubai Duty Free and the Sheema Classic.

The leaders on the turf list are Duty Free hopefuls Jay Peg and Russian Sage, who both posted an RPR of 122 when finishing in a dead-heat for second behind Balius (120) in the Jebel Hatta on Super Thursday.

An RPR of 123 saw Jay Peg come out on top in the Duty Free last year, but that may not be enough this time around if any of Paco Boy (127), Creachadoir (124) or Vodka (121) can produce their best on the night.

Vodka could finish only fourth in the 1m1f event last year, but she has been prepped in Dubai thistime, finishing an unlucky fifth in the Jebel Hatta, and she should be capable of a big run against ratings choice Paco Boy under her handy mares' allowance.

The Sheema Classic has also attracted a top-class field, with the progressive Prix de L'Opera winner Lady Marian (123) stepping up in trip to take on the dual-Arc runner-up Youmzain (128).

In the Golden Shaheen, it's last year's European champion sprinter, Marchand D'Or (126), who sets the standard, but there is a serious question mark over his ability to reproduce that level on the dirt surface and the race is more likely to fall to the leading American hope Indian Blessing (117), who is set to receive a useful sex allowance.

Gayego currently leads the global sprint standings and he would have had a good chance in the Shaheen judged on his success over Big City Man (118) in the 6f Mahab Al Shimaal, where he a career best RPR of 121.

He alsohas solid form at up to 1m1f in America, however, and he is being stepped up in trip for the Godolphin Mile. His biggest rival in that race will be stablemate Two Step Salsa, who earned a mark of 120 when running away with a Dubai handicap last month, while he also ran to marks as high as 122 in the US last year.

TOP TEN DIRT/AW PERFORMERS

Name Race RPR

1. Albertus Maximus (US) Donn Hcap 121

Einstein (US) Santa Anita Hcap 121

Gayego (UAE) Mahab Al Shimaal 121

Success Brocken (Jap) February Stakes 121

5. Casino Drive (Jap) February Stakes 120

Kane Hekili (Jap) February Stakes 120

Two Step Salsa (UAE) Wasel Trophy 120

8. Asiatic Boy (SA) Maktoum Challenge III 119

Ventura (US) Santa Monica Hcap 119

10. Big City Man (Saudi) Mahab Al Shimaal 118

Friesan Fire (US) Louisiana Derby 118

TOP TEN TURF PERFORMERS

Name Race RPR

1. Jay Peg (SA) Jebel Hatta 122

Russian Sage (SA) Jebel Hatta 122

3. Apache Cat (Aus) Australia Stakes 121

Asakusa Kings (Jap) Kyoto Kinen 121

Company (Jap) Nakayama Kinen 121

Scenic Blast (Aus) Newmarket H 121

7. Balius (UAE) Jebel Hatta 120

Egyptian Ra (HK) Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup 120

Imbongi (SA) Jebel Hatta 120

Maldivian (Aus) Orr Stakes 120

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Albertus Maximus continues to please


DUBAI World Cup favourite Albertus Maximus continues to please connections in his preparations.

With trainer Kiaran McLaughlin due to be at Nad al Sheba on Wednesday, the five-year-old cantered about 1m4f on Tuesday under exercise rider Rob Massey.

"I couldn't be happier," said Massey. "He's very professional - he just wants to get on with his job.

"He can be a little aggressive, but he's settled in very well here and if he wasn't a little aggressive now, I'd be concerned."

Massey has been working Albertus Maximus sincelate last year after Sheikh Hamdan acquired the five-year-old son of Albert the Great following his victory in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

"He's taken to Kiaran's training programme very well," Massey said. "And he's as well as we've ever had him right now."

Rick Nichols, vice president and general manager of Sheikh Hamdan's Shadwell Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, visited Albertus Maximus in the quarantine barn area on Tuesday and said he was very pleased with the horse's condition.

Nichols noted there are some similarities between Albertus Maximus and Sheikh Hamdan's 2007 Dubai World Cup winner Invasor.

"He's got a lot of the same personality traits," Nichols said. "He's very kind to be around and nothing bothers him."

Nichols added that he also is keenly interested in Sheikh Hamdan's other World Cup entrant, Snaafy, as the five-year-old son of Kingmambo was foaled at Shadwell Farm.

Snaafy won the Burj Nahaar on March 5 for Dubai-based trainer Musabah Al Muhairi.

World Cup is 'wide-open' says Dubai Racing chief


ONE of two options for a perfect Dubai World Cup – a full field of high-class, competitive horses – will be played out on Saturday night, according to Dubai Racing Club chief executive Frank Gabriel, the stage manager of the richest horseracing show on earth.



His other option – a small turn-out, in which an outstanding horse confirms best-in-the-world status – was realised 12 months ago, Gabriel said on Tuesday, recalling Curlin’s crushing defeat of Asiatic Boy and company.

He added: “Those are my two ways of assessing the success of the World Cup, and though there might not be a Curlin in the field this year, we have a wide-open race, with 14 runners, of which at least ten appear to have a very good chance.

“Albertus Maximus is a quality horse; Casino Drive has shown a lot of consistency, and Asiatic Boy looks as if he is coming good at the right time.

“Then there is My Indy, who has won both legs of the Maktoum Challenge.

“But they are not the only ones withgood chances. In fact, 13 of the 14 runners are rated within 6lb of each other.”

Elsewhere, Gabriel points to the Dubai Duty Free – “one of the highest quality races that will be run anywhere this year” – and the Sheema Classic – “full of returning veterans” – as the other two sides of “a perfect triangle to end the night.”

Juggling the demands of organising the last World Cup event to be run at Nad Al Sheba and preparing for the short move to the futuristic Meydan racecourse in a year’s time has not been easy, Gabriel admitted.

He also asked for patience and understanding from racegoers on Saturday, given the need to manoeuvre crowds past the building work that will transform the site for 2010.

Conscious of last year’s criticisms from patrons asked to park-and-ride from some distance from the course, Gabriel said: “We have made adjustments and are trying to improve the level of service, but we are still in an area of development, and I’d ask customers to bear with us.

Kings Gambit at 33/1 (Nice Price) Like 16/1 Russian Sage too

Looks like there will be some decent doubles up for grabs with these 2.