TWO of Mike de Kock’s 13 runners at Dubai World Cup this Saturday have been priced up favourite in their respective races.
Soft Falling Rain, winner of all six races, is 7-2 favourite for the $1-million Godolphin Mile with London bookmakers William Hill, in spite of having drawn at No 13 in the ballot for starting gate positions on Monday.
De Kock’s other runners in the Godolphin Mile, Master of Hounds and Rerouted, are at 9-1 and 10-1 respectively.
Shea Shea (headline photo), winner of last year’s Computaform Sprint and champion sprinter in South Africa last season, is dominating the early betting on the $1-million Al Quoz Sprint over 1000m on turf.
“He must have a serious chance, but this is a stronger race,” said De Kock.
He has Igugu, Mushreq and The Apache in the $5-million Dubai Duty Free and Mushreq is the shortest of the three in the early betting at 10-1. De Kock says Mushreq is in really good form, while he’s expecting a solid run from The Apache. “Hopefully Igugu can bounce back to something like her best,” he added.
Trade Storm, bought recently by Qatar Racing, is favourite at 7-2 on the strength of two good wins at Meydan in recent weeks.
Gentildonna, Horse of the Year in Japan in 2012, and Irish raider St Nicholas Abbey dominate the betting on the Sheema Classic, in which De Kock runner Await The Dawn looks fair value at 12-1.
Treasure Beach is De Kock’s hope in the topliner, the $10-million Dubai World Cup, in which USA raider and dual Breeders’ Cup winner Royal Delta is 4-1 favourite. Treasure Beach, runner-up in the Epsom Derby of his year, is at 20-1 and could do a lot better than many expect.
William Hills Dubai World Cup betting: DUBAI WORLD CUP: 4-1 ROYAL DELTA; 9-2 HUNTERS LIGHT; 5-1 ANIMAL KINGDOM; 8-1 AFRICAN STORY; 11-1 DULLAHAN; 12-1 KASSIANO; 14-1 AND UPWARDS OTHERS
SHEEMA CLASSIC: 13-8 GENTILDONNA; 10-3 ST NICHOLAS ABBEY; 11-2 SHARETA; 7-1 DUNADEN; 11-1 TRAILBLAZER; 12-1 AWAIT THE DAWN; 20-1 AND UPWARDS OTHERS
DUBAI DUTY FREE: 9-2 TRADE STORM; 11-2 OCEAN PARK; 8-1 GIOFRA, LITTLE MIKE, SAJJHAA; 10-1 FRENCH FIFTEEN, MUSHREQ; 11-1 THE APACHE; 14-1 AND UPWARDS OTHERS
GOLDEN SHAHEEN: 11-4 MENTAL; 5-1 GORDON LORD BYRON; 6-1 TRINNIBERG; 7-1 KAVANAGH; 8-1 REYNALDOTHEWIZARD; 10-1 FREDERICK ENGELS; 12-1 KRYPTON FACTOR, PRIVATE ZONE; 25-1 AND UPWARDS OTHERS
UAE DERBY: 9-2 LAW ENFORCEMENT, SECRET NUMBER, SHURUQ; 7-1 NOW SPUN; 8-1 DICE FLAVOR, LINES OF BATTLE; 9-1 KEIAI LEONE; 12-1 ZAHEE; 14-1 AND UPWARDS OTHERS
AL QUOZ SPRINT: 7-4 SHEA SHEA; 9-2 EAGLE REGIMENT; 7-1 SOLE POWER; 9-1 DUX SCHOLAR; 12-1 SPIRIT QUARTZ; 16-1 AND UPWARDS OTHERS
GODOLPHIN MILE: 7-2 SOFT FALLING RAIN; 7-1 PENITENT; 9-1 MASTER OF HOUNDS; 10-1 MUFARRH, REROUTED, SURFER; 12-1 CAPITAL ATRACTION, MOONWALK IN PARIS; 14-1 AND UPWARDS OTHERS
DUBAI GOLD CUP: 5-2 IMPERIAL MONARCH; 7-2 CAVALRYMAN; 5-1 SADDLER’S ROCK; 7-1 AHZEEMAH, TENENBAUM; 10-1 STAR EMPIRE; 12-1 VEREMA; 14-1 AND UPWARDS OTHERS
-Robert Garner, Racing Express.
