The Aussie pair Barbaricus and Valedictum fly to the UAE on Tuesday following their runs at Flemington at the weekend.
Barbaricus, third in the 2008 Caulfield Cup, ran well despite his finishing position of ninth in his comeback race, the 1600-metre Tauto Handicap.
The favourite endured a nightmare passage through the race under young apprentice Duncan Miller, but finished strongly and could have taken closer order but for “pilot error”.
"It was just an inexperienced rider,” trainer Danny O’Brien told the Melbourne Age. “He had ridden a beautiful race to the 600, but then when everyone else went, he was asleep and in the wrong spot. If the horse had been able to track into it from the 600 he's right in the finish.
"I am more than happy with his run, but a little bit of pilot error probably cost him the race."
Barbaricus is likely to have two runs at Nad Al Sheba before his main target, the 2400-metre, $US5 million Dubai Sheema Classic, sponsored by Nakheel, on March 28.
"He's obviously a very progressive horse. If he made the step from what we saw in the spring hopefully he can win a couple of those lead-ups," he added.
Group 1 winner Valedictum was closer to the action in his lead-in race to Dubai, finishing fourth under champion jockey Damien Oliver in the Chester Manifold Stakes (1410m).
"He seems to be going as well as ever,” said the Flemington-based trainer. “He will probably run two or three times in the carnival there. I don't see why he couldn't win, pick one up.
"For a horse like him a new environment can give him a lift. Last year we took him up to Sydney and had a few weeks there and he came out and blew them away in the last on Slipper day.
"He's an eight-year-old gelding so there's not much left for him. If we can win a couple of races in Dubai then it will be a terrific end for him."
2007 Caulfield Cup winner Master O’Reilly is also set to line up for the Sheema Classic, following his first target, the Australian Cup.
"If we are happy with him he will go there for the Sheema, too. Its $US5 million, a mile-and-a-half race, that's $7.5 million Australian.
“It rates similar to the Caulfield Cup. You just have to be there."
O'Brien mentioned seven-time UAE champion Ted Durcan and Irish ace Johnny Murtagh as possible riders — but said Oliver could be brought over "later in the piece". Vlad Duric, the regular partner of Master O'Reilly, would be aboard the gelding if he travelled.
No comments:
Post a Comment