HONG KONG BECKONS FOR LIZARD'S DESIRE AND IMBONGI

Click above to watch the full Dubai World Cup (Gr1)
(Image and Footage : TVG)

THE AUDEMARS PIGUET QE II CUP
AND THE HONG KONG MILE

Following his narrow defeat in the US$10,000,000 Dubai World Cup (Grade 1) this past Saturday, Lizards’s Desire is likely to have a crack at the Audemars Piguet QE II Cup (Group 1) in Hong Kong and if all goes according to plan, his stablemate Imbongi, third in the US$5,000,000 Dubai Duty Free, will line up in the Hong Kong Mile (Group 1).

Racingweb reports that the pair’s trainer Mike de Kock, who returned to Johannesburg from the UAE on Tuesday evening, said that he was looking forward to spending some quality time back home after his smashing results in Dubai.

De Kock said that he won’t be campaigning in the UK this season, but rather concentrating on the latter half of the Gauteng Summer/Autumn Season followed by the Champions Season in KwaZulu-Natal.

“I think we have possibly our best ever string of two-year-olds in Durban this year and as always this will be our testing ground for those horses who prove to be good enough for next year’s Dubai Carnival. Dubai really is our most important focus every year and the foundations for success are laid in South Africa.”

He was full of praise for Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai and his team headed by Meydan CEO Saeed Al Tayer and Dubai Racing Club CEO Frank Gabriel.

“Just three years ago Sheikh Mohammed announced his vision for Meydan and a spectacular racing centre arose in the desert from nothing when there were some who predicted it wouldn’t happen. Our authorities in South Africa can take a leaf from their book. They think and plan imaginatively, find the money and do the right things!”

Mike de Kock added compliments for the Tapeta track at Meydan. I believe it is a massively important development with great future benefits for world racing.”

Dubai Racing Club and Tattersalls join forces

Frank Gabriel Jr (intereports)The Dubai Racing Club and Tattersalls have entered into a partnership to host a revised format of the annual Dubai International Racing Carnival Horses in Training Sale held at Nad al Sheba in Dubai. The two-day sale, which will be moved forward on the schedule, will include a DIRC session where horses that have competed at the Carnival can be put up for auction. The sale will be held March 4-5, preceding the “Super Thursday” card held at Nad al Sheba March 6. “The new session of the sale is open to all horses who were eligible to race during the Carnival and with the quality of horses we have had here in 2008, it promises to attract the attention of buyers worldwide,” said Dubai Racing Club Chief Executive Officer Frank Gabriel Jr. Approximately 200 international competitors have arrived, or are due to arrive, in Dubai for this year’s Carnival. Gabriel added, “With the growth of the Carnival, has come an ever-increasing demand from owners to have horses compete here, and this is a prime opportunity for them to purchase a Carnival candidate for the following year.”

Extract from Thoroughbred Daily News 08.02.08 

JAY PEG sets sights on $5 Million Dubai Duty Free

Jay Peg (mikedekockracing)Group 1 winner Jay Peg is the headline attraction at the third meeting of the 2008 Dubai International Racing Carnival on Thursday, sponsored by DUBAL.

The South African champion is one of 10 lining up for the feature race on the turf, the Group 3 Al Rashidiya, over the same 1777m trip as the Group 1 Dubai Duty Free on Dubai World Cup night.

“The main race on Thursday night should provide some valuable clues to the Dubai Duty Free,” said Dubai Racing Club CEO Mr Frank Gabriel Jr.

“The Carnival, as well as being a leading international event in its own right, is designed to reveal stars who can shine at the Dubai World Cup meeting.

“The first meeting saw Happy Boy stamp his credentials for a Dubai World Cup place, and he is set to be joined in the world’s richest race by Asiatic Boy, who was also impressive when taking last week’s feature race.

“DUBAL has been a long-time partner of the Dubai Racing Club, and sponsored a meeting at the Winter Racing Challenge earlier in the season. We are grateful as ever for their enthusiasm and support of racing in Dubai.”

The Herman Brown-trained Jay Peg heads the weights of the main race, courtesy of his Group 1 penalty, and his trainer has his sights set firmly on the US$5million Dubai Duty Free, sponsored by Dubai Duty Free, on March 29.

“Obviously his penalty makes his task harder but he was the top three-year-old at home last year and has a lot of class,” said Brown. “We hope he is a Dubai Duty Free horse and will find out a lot more here. He will come on for the outing but should be fit enough to run a big race.”

It is the four-year-old’s first run for Brown, having previously been trained by Basil Marcus. Brown won this race with Linngari in 2006 on his first start for the yard.

Extract form SAHorseracing.com 

Mike De Kock returns to Nad Al Sheba

The top international trainer in the UAE over recent years, Mike De Kock, makes his return to Nad Al Sheba tomorrow for the sixth Winter Racing Challenge meeting, sponsored by Al Nasr Leisureland.

De Kock saddles two runners, the latter being Kayak, who lines up for the concluding 1600m conditions race which has attracted a field of 12. With good dirt form in his native South Africa, De Kock is hoping for a bold show, saying: “He will benefit for the run but is fit enough to do himself justice. I am hoping he is capable of improving on his rating on the dirt to get into the Carnival. Obviously it is a competitive race but I have to be hopeful of a big run.”

One danger could be Erwan Charpy’s Where With All, who won two of his three juvenile starts for Godolphin but has been off the track since July 2004.  However, the trainer has a good record with similar types and has his string in fine fettle, with 10 winners so far this season.  He explained: “He has obviously had problems and has a long break to overcome. It looks a tricky race but he is working well and is ready for a run. I would say I was hopeful rather than confident but he seems a nice horse.”

De Kock’s first runner of the campaign is Ablaan in the 1400m maiden and this juvenile son of Sunday Break could be very hard to beat. The trainer explained: “He is in good form and should certainly handle the dirt. I would be very confident if the race was over further but he certainly appears to have a big chance.”

Racing opens with a 1600m conditions race for Purebred Arabians in which Watson’s highly-touted Paris Gagner makes his UAE debut and Martin Dwyer will be hoping for a win on his first mount of the season. In the Al Nasr Leisureland Challenge, Daybreak Dancer bids for a hat-trick following his two wins last month, which puts him at the top of the Winter Racing Challenge (Sprint) leaderboard with 68 points.

Dubai Racing Club CEO Mr Frank Gabriel Jr said: “Al Nasr Leisureland have long been associated with the Dubai Racing Club, and we are delighted that our valued partnership continues with Thursday’s meeting. With only three meetings to go now to qualify for Winter Racing Challenge Finals day, a number of horses will be looking to impress and guarantee a top-six place for the three categories which will earn them a spot for Finals day on January 3.”

Extract from Gold Circle 12.12.07

Visit Mike de Kock Racing www.mikedekockracing.com 
Visit Godolphin www.godophin.com 
Visit Dubai Racing Club www.dubairacingclub.com 
Visit Al Nasr Leisureland www.alnasrll.com

Dubai World Cup shifts to new date and new racing initiative launched

The dates for the 2007 Dubai World Cup have been unveiled as have the details of the all-new Winter Racing Challenge.

The world’s richest racemeeting, the Dubai World Cup, (a day - and a surrounding Carnival - that always attracts the best horses from South Africa) will take place on Saturday, 31st March 2007.
 
With prize money of US$6,000,000 the Dubai World Cup, celebrating its twelfth running in 2007, is the world’s richest race and is supported by the US$5,000,000 Dubai Duty Free and the US$5,000,000 Dubai Sheema Classic, the richest turf races in the world.
 
Also run at the Dubai World Cup meeting is the US$2,000,000 Dubai Golden Shaheen, the US$2,000,000 UAE Derby, US$1,000,000 Godolphin Mile and the US$250,000 Dubai Kahayla Classic; giving total prize money for the day over US$21,000,000.
 
Along with the top class racing there is a huge range of hospitality options and glamorous events surrounding the day; making it a sporting and social spectacle not to be missed.
 
Super Thursday, run on the 1st March 2007 during the Dubai International Racing Carnival, is the lead in day to the Dubai World Cup and there will now be just over four weeks between Super Thursday and the Dubai World Cup giving the horses an extra week than in previous years to prepare for the big day. The extra week will also give the organisers more time to prepare the racecourse for an event of world class proportions.
 
Being run on the 31st March, the 2007 Dubai World Cup will coincide with the international holiday season, which will mean the event will be available to more international guests than ever before.The Winter Racing Challenge will encompass all racemeetings held at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse during the early part of the season from Thursday, November 9th 2006 until Thursday, January 11th 2007. 

Meanwhile, in an all new initiative, The Winter Racing Challenge to be held betwen 9 November 06 and January 11 2007 will feature a series of races over three different distances, 1,200, 1,600 and 2,000 metres.

The leading six horses in each of these race distance categories will have a chance to compete in their individual distance finale on Thursday January 11th with each race carrying a purse of AED150,000. The Winter Racing Challenge finale on January 11th will also feature two additional AED 100,000 turf races and an Arabian conditions race with a purse of AED 100,000. 

The Dubai Racing Club will also acknowledge the leading owner, trainer and jockey over the nine weeks of the Winter Racing Challenge with a custom designed trophy, to be presented at the opening night of the Dubai International Racing Carnival. 

In addition to the on-track action there will also be a number of glamorous social occasions being held throughout the Winter Racing Challenge, including Ladies Night, and after racing live music events.  Further information on all of the events can be found on the Dubai Racing Club website, where you can also book a host of attractive hospitality options. 

Mr. Saeed H. Al-Tayer, Chairman of the Dubai Racing Club, said, “The Winter Racing Challenge is a new initiative which will appeal to the local racing fraternity and the race fans based here in the UAE. The Winter Racing Challenge will not only showcase racing at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse in the early part of the season but also give racegoers a chance to sample the exciting new range of hospitality packages.” 

Mr. Frank Gabriel Jr., CEO of the Dubai Racing Club, said, “We are very enthusiastic about the launch of the Winter Racing Challenge, it will give a completely fresh feel to the early part of the racing season at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse. The finale meeting of the Winter Racing Challenge, with a total prizemoney of AED 750,000 on Thursday 11th January will be a fitting prelude to the 2007 Dubai International Racing Carnival. “We look forward to welcoming all racegoers to Nad Al Sheba Racecourse on Thursday, November 9th, to what promises to be a thrilling racing season ahead.”