Mike De Kock workers led by Archipenko

Around 6:45 A.M., and under the watchful eye of trainer Mike De Kock who was uncustomarily in the grandstand, a host of his stable’s runners made a round of Nad Al Sheba, with Dubai Duty Free contender ARCHIPENKO catching the eye most of all.  The winner of the Zabeel Mile (G3) at this year’s International Racing Carnival, the son of Kingmambo appears to be rounding into form well. 

Click HERE to watch this year’s Zabeel Mile.

Archipenko (pictured below in yellow saddle towel) worked on the turf course in tandem with Godolphin Mile chance LUCKY FIND (inside horse – blue saddle towel), and one regular Nad Al Sheba clocker considered Archipenko’s move as quite strong.

The Daily Racing Form’s Marcus Hersh was one of the few that caught ASIATIC BOY working over the Tapeta from the newly-opened training track and had one word when I caught up with him later in the morning – “awesome.”  I have Asiatic Boy a very close second on a projected morning line behind Albertus Maximus.

Godolphin Mile longshots ART OF WAR (inside #9) and BRAVE TIN SOLDIER (outside #10) worked together over the main track.  Neither did anything of extreme interest and are noticably below the top choices.

Dubai Duty Free shot BANKABLE (pictured below) had a strong gallop of at least seven furlongs over the main track.  He won first up at the Carnival on February 20 when defeating notably less accomplished competition.  That being the case, Bankable has a knack for being in the mix when he recorded three close seconds in 2008, finishing a neck behind Passage of Time, a length behind eventual Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Raven’s Pass (Totesport Mile G2) and then a head behind Eagle Mountain (Nayef Joel Stakes G3) before that one was second in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. 

KING OF ROME and MACARTHUR, both entrants in the Dubai Sheema Classic, galloped along just in front of Bankable, with Macarthur seeming to move the best of the pair.