Both the first two finishers are owned by King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz & Sons, with the winner trained by Bader Resaque while Fly Down is trained by Baden Al Subaie.  Holding an entry in the Dubai World Cup, it would be no surprise to see Fly Down back at Meydan. Kreem, by Hurricane Run out of the Rainbow Quest mare, En Public, holds an entry in the 3,200-metre Dubai Gold Cup (G3) and would make plenty of sense to appear on behalf of the Kingdom.

Early pacesetters and former Dubai Carnival/World Cup programme participants El Amarillista and Amor De Pobre kept an attentive pace before Fly Down moved to the lead with stablemate Sairoor with less than 600 metres to run.  The move, however, came much too soon, and leads to an entirely different discussion concerning European jockey bookings on a dirt course.  Fly Down, under Johnny Murtagh, was known as the type that prefers being ridden from well off the pace, but in this spot, he breaks fast, settles better than mid-division, and found himself in front much sooner than is his normal running syle.  Meanwhile, Kreem, under Roberto Perez, gets the trip more typical of Fly Down, circling horses wide around the far turn, angling into contention, and running down stablemate Fly Down to win by a neck, despite lugging-in through much of the extended drive.

DubaiRaceNight.com thanks Ali Dammas for posting video of the race to Youtube.  Fly Down races wearing saddle towel #6 and a black cap. Kreem has a blue saddletowel, racing as #3.  Leaving the backstretch, Kreem is 11th on the rail with a white cap.

Gio Ponti would be best served shipping to Dubai for a prep race as the Christophe Clement-trainee seemed to need a few days to get his legs together for the 2010 World Cup.  While he slowly progressed during the week following his Dubai arrival, being knocked off his game for a few days may have been the difference in a 1.5 length defeat and a win.  Runs in either the Jebel Hatta (G2) on grass or the Maktoum Challenge – R3 (G2) would be logical Super Thursday starts, or even other earlier preps.

Below, review the 2010 Dubai World Cup.

Click HERE for the press release from Castleton Lyons president, Shane Ryan.

Click HERE for the full story.

Barbe’s comments about Gloria De Campeao compared the 7-year-old’s Dubai World Cup performance to Zenyatta’s win in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), and indicated he thought Gloria De Campeao’s performance probably came against an even better field.  Whether these comments were intended to milk more of the pre-stud retirement buzz, quantifying the fabulous career for the Brazilian-bred, or indicative of a possible return, were uncertain.

Regardless, the ledger stands and Gloria De Campeao was the winner of the world’s richest horse race which included a field of 12 Grade/Group 1 winners; an accomplishment few, if any racehorses can ever claim.

Red Desire defeated eventual Dubai World Cup (G1) winner Gloria De Campeao with a sizzling run from last in her Maktoum Challenge win before not finding the same spark in the Dubai World Cup itself.  Back in Japan, she bled following a return to the races against her archnemesis, Buena Vista.  Earlier in the week, Japan’s top dirt horse Espoir City was announced to be pointing for the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).  Japan has never tasted success at the Breeders’ Cup.  Click HERE for more.

A field of seven were drawn for the nine-furlong test after several last minute defections.  Assigned 118 pounds, Regal Ransom is the second-highweight in the field with former Kentucky Derby morning-line favorite I Want Revenge at 119 pounds.  Injured the morning of the race, I Want Revenge has not been sent postward since a win at Aqueduct in the Wood Memorial (G1) in April 2009.  His owners have entered longshot Pictural as a pacesetter so as to not allow an easy lead for typical front-running Regal Ransom. 

Godolphin was last successful in the Suburban on one previous occasion when E Dubai landed the spoils in 2002.

Click HERE for more from Michele MacDonald, writing for BloodHorse.

Analysis of the Super Thursday card from Meydan will available early Wednesday morning (UAE time).

Meanwhile, legendary trainer Henry Cecil has affirmed his hand for the $10,000,000 race with Breeders’ Cup Classic third, Twice Over.  Press Association noted that Cecil was “unusually confident” in his colt, who galloped a circuit over the Lingfield course.  Click HERE for the full story.  Tom Queally was aboard for the ride just days after some mounts at Meydan to familiarize himself with the course. 

Also noted is that the colors of Khalid Abdullah’s Juddmonte Farms will also make an appearance at the Dubai World Cup meeting with Summer Mile (G2) second and Nayef Joel Stakes winner Confront, a Dubai Duty Free (G1) or Godolphin Mile (G2) contender.  Fellow Sir Michael Stoute trainee Spanish Moon, nipped out in a photo from last year’s Dubai Sheema Classic (G1) will return for another try.