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US owner praises Mohammed

Bernie Schiappa admits it would be something “special” if Dubai World Cup contender Game On Dude were to win the $10m jackpot on Saturday evening after trainer Bob Baffert’s heart attack scare.

A co-owner of the highly fancied five-year-old gelding, Schiappa was present here in Dubai early on Monday morning (3am) when Baffert was taken ill after complaining of chest pains and numbness in his arm. Subsequent tests at a local hospital duly determined that Baffert had suffered a heart attack just six days prior to the big race itself.

It’s now expected that he’ll be released on Thursday, having undergone an operation to clear three clogged arteries, and Schiappa believes a timely triumph would be just the tonic for all concerned after a traumatic time.

“It would be special, especially with what has gone on this week,” he explained before recalling another of Game On Dude’s close connections, the late Terry Lanni, whose family also part-own the horse through the Lanni Family Trust.

“My best friend was Terry Lanni. He passed away last year with cancer and his wife is coming with their two boys.

“There would be a big emotional factor if he was to win for both Bob and Terry, as well as for us to have that happen. But, win, lose or draw, we’re proud to be here.”

Schiappa meanwhile also hailed the actions of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, as a “class act” following Shaikh Mohammed’s intervention in Baffert’s care.

“The way we were handled from the time we got to the emergency room to the intensive care unit (ICU) was unbelievable. That was a class act and, to me, that’s a friend for life.” said Schiappa, who added Baffert was “doing fine” and “training from the hospital bed. From the time we got into the ICU room, within no longer than 20 or 25 minutes, we were already getting a procedure done and having three stents put in.

“He had a blockage in his main artery of 100 per cent, one of 90 per cent and one in another artery. “He had two stents put into one artery and one in the other and – knock on wood – everything is well.

“He’s in good spirits. He’s a jokester – that’s just Bob. He’s doing very well and we appreciate everybody’s concern and efforts and all of the phone calls.”

Schiappa also expects to see Baffert back to business before too long, with the probability of a remarkable return in time for Saturday looking “very good” as things stand.

“He probably would come here now,” Schiappa added at a pre-event press conference on Tuesday morning. “If he had his way, he’d walk out of there now, but they won’t let him.

“He’s under real good care; they’re taking good care of him and he knows he has to listen, so he’s handling it very well.

“The first thing is Bob’s health and then it’s the horse race. We’ll worry about the horse race, but – as long as Bob is 100 per cent - then I’m fine with everything.”

‘Dubai Duty Free will be a cagey affair’

THE trainer of Hong Kong raider Ambitious Dragon believes the Dubai Duty Free will be a cagey affair, with some fast-finishing horses given every chance by a “fair” track here.

Tony Millard expects his five-year-old gelding to be joined by the likes of 2011 victor Presvis and Wigmore Hall at the back of the pack as their three respective jockeys bide time and look for an advantageous opening in the 16-strong field.

They can all afford to deploy such tactics too as the turf circuit seemingly leaves any runner with an equal chance at the turn for home as long as they are not too far off the early-race pace.

“He does come from the back, so we’re hoping that the pace will be on,” Millard commented.

“He’s got a nice draw (in stall four), which gives us many options. He’s a very relaxed type of horse and he will settle, so – if he is a little bit closer – it’s not the end of the world. This track is very fair. As long as you’re not too far off the pace, it looks like a fair run-in.

“It’s very similar to Charlton, except it’s going the other way round. But, when you look at the markers, it’s almost a carbon copy of how Charlton pans out, so you’ve got plenty of time with a 400m run-in.” Millard also insists Ambitious Dream is in fine fettle now travelling over a 1.800m distance that suits him best overall.

“He’s at his prime,” he said. “He’s five years old and a good horse now. He will run to his ability here, as long as we don’t get any hiccups between now and Saturday.

“We gave him a fast workout on Sunday and he did 800m in 28.24s, which we were very happy with. It’s his ideal distance too. He gets a mile no problem and 2,000m is right there with him, but 1,800m is where he’s at his best. He can really turn it on.”

That eye-catching ability isn’t only applicable to Millard’s charge though, with previous winner Presvis also capable of producing the same despite two below-par showings this year so far.

Retired life for super horse after finale

Herman Brown expects two-time Dubai World Cup runner Gitano Hernando to be retired to stud after a serious injury forced his withdrawal from this year’s event. The South African trainer had hoped to give Chechen president Ramzan Kadyrov’s reported $4m purchase a third crack in a row at the $10m prize at Meydan on Saturday evening.

However, a suspensory ligament injury scuppered those plans and Brown now intends to see Gitano Hernando retired to stud in the southern hemisphere, either Argentina, Australia or his native South Africa, where they “could do a good job” with him.

“We were planning to run Gitano Hernando in the Dubai World Cup,” Brown explained of the 2010 DWC runner-up to Gloria de Campeao.

“Unfortunately, in his last workout, he came back after rest and had a bit of a strain on his one suspensory ligament and – after assessing it and the vets checking it – we decided it was too much of a risk to run him again.

“He’s won two Group Ones, he’s a lovely horse and we didn’t want to have a serious problem with him. So, he’s out of work at the moment and we’re just talking about where we go to from here.

“He’ll probably be retired and go to stud. It’s just a matter of where he will go.

“It’s an injury that’s very difficult to come back from, so is it really worthwhile to expose the horse to danger in order to try and perhaps run a place here or there?

“The right thing for the horse is to go to stud. He’s done enough.”

‘Best place to prove credentials’

Japanese trainer Yoshito Yahagi insists there’s no better place on the planet to showcase the supreme strength of his country’s thoroughbred horses than this weekend’s Dubai World Cup (DWC).

Yahagi has Makani Bisty running in the Dubai Gold Cup and Genten the UAE Derby at Meydan this Saturday, with a delightful double in the offing should they both prevail at the winning post.

However, the racecard has a significant representation of riders, runners and trainers from the Land of the Rising Sun as the Japanese contingent look to follow up Victoire Pisa’s emotional DWC victory for Katsuhiko Sumii this time last year.

“The level of our Japanese horses is getting better year after year, so this is the best stage to show everyone around the world just how strong they really are,” Yahagi said.

Yahagi also spoke of his gratitude to Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, whom he met in England in 2011.

“Last year, I went to Royal Ascot with my horse (Grand Prix Boss) and – at that time – Shaikh Mohammed said to me that he was very sorry about the big earthquake and tsunami in Japan,” he explained.

“I said to Shaikh Mohammed then that I wanted to bring my horses to Dubai, so my thanks go to him and the Dubai Racing Club.”

He had special praise too for Australian jockey Craig Williams, who mounts Genten and is both “very intelligent” and “one of the best jockeys, who I can trust, in the world.”

alex@khaleejtimes.com