Twice a fourth-place finisher in the Dubai World Cup sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1), Reddam Racing’s Pavel is looking to get third-time-lucky for trainer Doug O’Neill in 2020. The good-looking son of Creative Cause—often an eye-catcher during track work over the past two Dubai World Cup lead-ups—is part of a different approach by the two-time Kentucky Derby and five-time Breeders’ Cup-winning conditioner, spearheading a mid-January Dubai invasion.
“That is our dream—the (Dubai) World Cup with Pavel,” O’Neill said. “He’s definitely the leader of this group. He really does enjoy it over there and I think all of our horses do when they go. They like the long walk from the barn area to the track. It’s very tranquil for them and I’m looking forward to all the horses getting an opportunity to experience that. We’re excited about it. We’ll play which particular races we run in by ear, but I’ll have more clarity on that by the first of January.”
Pavel has not raced since a disappointing eighth in the Pacific Classic (G1) in August, but counts a good third in the Suburban Stakes (G2) and respectable sixth in the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) to his post-DWC credit in 2019. A G1 winner in 2018, he has finished fourth or better in seven races at the top level in his 18 career starts. Bred by Brereton C. Jones of Airdrie Stud and WinStar Farm, he turns six on Jan. 1 and carries career earnings of $2,090,351.
O’Neill had 17 horses accepted among his applications for the Dubai World Cup Carnival, a $12.74 million, 10-night global showcase in which the average purse is $204,016 among its 61 Thoroughbred fixtures. Of those 17, only one has been withdrawn thus far, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) alumnus War Beast. He still maintains high hopes for G2-placed sprinter Landeskog, as well as San Francisco Mile (G3) winner Blitzkrieg and a few others.
“Blitzkrieg is a really talented turf horse and both Truck Salesman and Wildman Jack are two really gifted sprint horses on turf and dirt and we’re excited about them as well,” O’Neill said. “War Beast was on the list, but he was turned out with a little bit of a shin. There could be changes as we move forward with this, naturally, but Pavel is the big rock star we have coming.”
Alejandro Mercado’s Truck Salesman is a fleet-footed dirt sprinter who recently finished second in allowance company at Del Mar, while Wildman Jack, a sharp turf allowance sprint winner at Del Mar on Dec. 1, is campaigned by his Breeders’ Cup-winning sire Goldencents’ owner, W.C. Racing.
Paul Reddam owns two others who are possible to make the trip, G2-placed stakes winner Fore Left and lightly raced Too Late, who has been clashing with California’s best 2-year-olds and holding his own in maiden ranks. This past summer, he finished ahead of highly touted Simon Callaghan trainee and next-out winner Lighthouse.
“It was a mutual thing between us and something we bounced off each other a month ago or so when we were dealing with the uncertainty of Santa Anita,” O’Neill said. “When Dubai came back and accepted our horses, we got really excited. Paul is definitely 100% behind it and we’re just hopeful to go over there and compete well.”
While this is the earliest O’Neill has sent horses to Dubai, he has done quite well when he has ventured to the UAE, no matter the surface or distance. He won the 2007 Godolphin Mile (G2) with Reddam’s Spring at Last, was second in the 2006 Dubai Turf (G1) with Whilly and in the 2003 Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) with Avanzado, while also managing a third in the 2004 Godolphin Mile with Excessivepleasure. Ten of his 19 DWC night starts earned prize money (finishing sixth or better) and he has competed in six of the eight Thoroughbred DWC night races.
“We’re really looking forward to this and grateful for the opportunity,” he concluded. “I’m feeling like we’re bringing over a group of horses who can be competitive in the better races.”
SCANDINAVIAN STAR SQUARE DE LUYNES ARRIVES
He has been called one of the most talented horses ever to race in Scandinavia, which is good news for UAE racing fans, as Niels Petersen-trained luminary Square de Luynes has descended upon Dubai, leading a quintet of Dubai World Cup Carnival invaders for the Norwegian conditioner. A stunning winner of the Stockholm Cup (G3) in September, the Stall Power Girls-owned son of Manduro has cleared quarantine and is reportedly settling in nicely.
“He shipped down well and has just been jogging,” Petersen said. “This is the first time he has flown and is a very inexperienced horse with only eight or nine runs. He’s a late-maturing horse and that means his temperament has him a little on his toes. He will need time to settle in, but I must say I am happy with how he’s settling so far. (Dubai Racing Club is) doing everything for us to make it right for us. So far I’m pleased.”
Unraced since said 2400m race, the 4-year-old bay gelding has been a terror to his northern counterparts, destroying foes in the 2018 Norsk Derby (Listed), Oslo Cup (G3) and Marit Sveaas Minnelop (G3) in Norway before sacking Sweden in the aforementioned romp.
“I wanted to give him a little break after the Stockholm Cup,” Petersen said. “He had three runs and that was enough. I spoke to (jockey) Pat Cosgrave after he rode him in the (Marit Sveaas Minnelop) and asked if he was good enough to come to Dubai and he thought he was, so we gave him rest to prepare. We will look at Super Saturday with him and maybe a run before during the Carnival. I’m not sure yet.”
Petersen also returns with 2018 Al Bastakiya (Listed) runner-up Nordic Defense, promising 2-year-old fillies Ascot Brass and Careless Whisper, as well as dominant 2019 Norsk Derby (Listed) winner Privilegiado.
“Nordic Defense likes the dirt,” Petersen explained. “He got sick in the spring and he ran poorly and I said to the owner to just leave him and I’ll point him to here. He is really nicely handicapped and looking back what he did in the Al Bastakiya, it’s a nice mark. I’ll look at something around 2000m on dirt for him.
“Both of the fillies are very nice,” he continued. “Ascot Brass has had a few runs, so we’ll wait for the ($250,000 UAE) 1000 Guineas (on Jan. 23). I think she’ll like the dirt here a lot. Careless Whisper is a horse who has only had a few runs and has less (seasoning). If we have no obstacles, we might look at the ($100,000 UAE 1000) Guineas Trial (on Jan. 2) for her. I think both will like longer distances as they come.
“Privilegiado is a very good horse. His best race will be around ten furlongs and may run on turf or dirt. On dirt, he can run 1900-2000m, while on grass he may be more versatile. He’ll freshen up and the weather here helps. He’s not a big horse, but he’s very smart.”
DIVINE IMAGE POINTS TO GROUP STAKES
The most dominant 3-year-old of the 2019 Dubai World Cup Carnival, Godolphin’s Divine Image, has returned to trainer Charlie Appleby’s UAE base of operations and is settling nicely, per her conditioner.
“She’s doing well,” Appleby confirmed. “I haven’t set a target for her. We have the Balanchine and Cape Verdi as possible targets. I brought over another filly as a possible for those, as well, but those would be the two possible targets.”
Raced just six times, the chestnut daughter of Scat Daddy broke her maiden at first asking at Chelmsford over an all-weather mile a year ago. Six weeks later, she was second in the $250,000 UAE 1000 Guineas (Listed) as the favourite, but impressively rebounded in the $250,000 UAE Oaks (G3) next out, gobbling up ground to win by a neck. Just two weeks later, she manhandled the boys in the $350,000 Al Bastakiya (Listed) on Super Saturday by 7½ lengths, but, unfortunately for her faithful, she flopped as the favourite in the $2.5 million UAE Derby (G2), finishing seventh after suffering from nerves and traffic issues. She returned from a five-month break to similar results in the Prix de la Nonette (G2) at Deauville.
“She’s quirky, as we saw at Deauville and have seen in Dubai with her temperament,” Appleby continued. “She’s showing all the right signs. She’s settling back into track work and seems happy doing track work (in Dubai) more than she enjoys the European style of training (in England). Hopefully that will point us in the right direction again.”
The $250,000 Cape Verdi (G2) is over 1600m on turf on Jan. 16, while the $250,000 Balanchine (G2) goes over 1800m on turf on Feb. 13.