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Trainer Mott confident
about Royal
Delta’s chances

Royal Delta’s trainer William Mott has brushed off the suggestion from Godolphin’s racing manager Simon Crisford that his horse has the upper hand in the battle for Dubai World Cup glory here.

Crisford said in the penultimate round of pre-event press conference interviews on Thursday morning that Mott’s mare and the Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom would be better than his five runners if they were “on song” and “take to the surface.”

Mott wasn’t prepared to read too much into Crisford’s comments though and quipped any prospective attempt at psychological mind games was unlikely to have an effect on the most influential member of the travelling party.

“It might affect me, but I don’t think it’s going to affect Royal Delta!” he said. “He’s probably talking to the wrong set of ears.

“He has said that to me. I’m not quite sure whether he believes it or not, but they’ve got a good contingent of horses and they’re in there. It’s a good, solid group.”

Mott did confirm nonetheless that he had no doubts about his contender’s ability to travel on the Tapeta surface having already done so 12 months ago, when finishing in ninth.

“She’s very talented and very capable,” Mott said. “She seemed to get over it (the Tapeta) very well last year and she seems to be getting over it very well this year.

“We let her blow out a little bit on Wednesday and she looked really good. I was very happy with her.”

Royal Delta may have her work cut out nonetheless to act on this all-weather track as well as two other strong fancies from the States, Animal Kingdom and Dullahan, with Mott preferring them with the conditions underfoot.

“The other two horses are probably the more legitimate ones,” he added. “Animal Kingdom is a very good horse and they’re both more proven on the synthetic surface than what Royal Delta is, so they’ve got a lot going for them.

“They’re good horses and they beat the top-class horses in America on the synthetic.

“The fact that Animal Kingdom is in there makes it a very tough race. I have a lot of respect for him.

“I certainly hope we can beat him, but he’s a good horse. He nearly won the Breeders’ Cup Mile last year, he’s won the Kentucky Derby and he acts on all surfaces.

“The horse that won the last Maktoum Challenge (Hunter’s Light) is also very good and I guess he’s the morning-line favourite.”

alex@khaleejtimes.com