Ryan Moore is looking ahead to a big weekend in Dubai for the Sheema Classic in Meydan as he prepares to ride the likes of Sibelius and Auguste Rodin.
Moore is particularly excited to compete on board Rodin again having won the Breeders’ Cup Turf in Santa Anita in November and the Irish Champion Stakes in Leopardstown with him.
Here, Betfair ambassador Moore goes through his six rides this weekend.
Betfair ambassador Moore goes through his six rides this weekend at Meydan
12.40pm Meydan
Tower Of London
He is a horse I have always rated from day one, after his winning debut at Leopardstown last July, and he went on to confirm his class with a couple of more victories and a very good fourth in the St Leger.
And we had to be delighted with his successful reappearance at Riyadh last month when seeing off Enemy and Giavellotto, especially as we had to overcome some traffic and still won a touch snugly at the line.
We won this race with Broome last year and he has similar attributes in that he is a colt with plenty of gears at shorter trips, and that is always a big plus when you stay so well, too. And, of course, he is far more youthful than Broome and gets 6lb from the older horses here.
My draw in 14 could probably have been better but I think he has come on from his recent victory and I’d be disappointed if he isn’t fighting it out at the finish, for all he steps up another grade here against the likes of the progressive Trawlerman, Eldar Eldarov and Coltrane, to name just three of his serious form rivals.
I’d probably pick out Eldar Eldarov as my main rival, and the market seems to be underplaying his chance.
13.15pm Meydan
Sight success
I rode him when he finished a pretty close fourth in this race last season and, on another day, he could well have got into winning contention there. He clearly hasn’t run up to his best of late but any horse that can mix it with Lucky Sweynesse, as he consistently has – and he beat him in October – has to be respected, even though I imagine he will be a big price in this field given his age and recent runs. And the opposition. In fact, looking at the betting, he has to be considered overpriced at 20/1.
This race could all revolve around how California Spangle copes with the step back to 6f. If this forward-goer can sit as easily on the lead, as he does over 7f and a mile, then he is the one to beat. But I don’t see him getting an uncontested lead in this, as a few of these will put it up to him – he was left alone last time – and he could just find this too much over a trip short of his best.
I am happy to be on my horse but, if you asked me for another to consider, I expect Casa Creed to run a big race.
13.50pm Meydan
Henry Adams
I have only ridden in him in one of his four starts – when winning the Tyros on him at Leopardstown – but he acquitted himself very well in Group 1 company, in the Lagardere and Dewhurst, afterwards. I’d say he has the form to take a big hand here, though the obvious questions he has to answer are whether he will stay the trip and handle the dirt.
You simply never know the latter until they experience race conditions, as we saw with Cairo in this race last season, and how he starts from his midfield draw will probably set the tone for his performance. Similar comments apply to our other runner, Navy Seal.
The unbeaten Forever Young will probably be a strong favourite and I don’t have much issue with that assessment, though he is drawn 13 of 13 and there is a world of difference coming wide to win in Riyadh and expecting to do the same here. I’d give Pandagate a good chance in this.
14.25pm Meydan
Sibelius
I get on him for the first time since I won this race on him last season, when getting up close home to nail Switzerland. He looks to have warmed up nicely for a repeat bid with a couple of recent wins and he probably holds as good a chance as any in this. He comes into this race in better form than he did last year, and that has to be a positive.
Saying that, this is a very competitive field and you can make a strong case for at least half of the 14 runners. Very much a case of hopeful rather than confident but, like I said, he has a good a chance as any. There looks to be a ton of pace on in here, and ideally you want to be around, or tracking, that, so a draw in six looks okay.
15.10pm Meydan
Luxembourg
I’d be inclined not to read too much into his return at Riyadh last month as it was a pretty slowly-run race and it simply didn’t play to his strengths. Not that it was a bad run at all, as he wasn’t beaten that far in fourth. Hopefully, they won’t dawdle here and we can see the top-class Group 1 colt we know he is, off a strong gallop over this slightly shorter trip of 1m1f. I suspect Do Deuce is just about the form horse in this after his win in the Arima Kinen in December – I rode the sixth home there – even though dropping down over 3f in trip surely makes him vulnerable, which maybe applies to a lesser extent to my horse, too.
Luxembourg’s best is pretty much on a par with Do Deuce’s, as you’d expect from a three-time Group 1 winner. And he was just an inch or so from making it four in the Hong Kong Cup in December. We are drawn in three. Our other runner, Cairo, ran a great race from off the pace on his return and last season’s Irish 2,000 Guineas runner-up to Paddington has a place chance here, but he will have up his game again in this company. I can see the extra furlong suiting him.
This race obviously has the numbers, with 16 runners, but it isn’t short on Group 1 depth here either, as Hong Kong and the Japanese are very well represented and I haven’t even mentioned Lord North yet, going for his fourth straight win in the race, or Nashwa. It’s a deep one, all right, and luck will play its part in such a big field over the trip. Looking at the betting, two stand out to me, and they are Danon Beluga, who should have won this race last year and I know they are very happy with him at the moment, and Namur.
I know this is a very deep race but I just can’t understand why Namur is 20/1. She is an improving mare who comes into this in great form, and she was clear second best for me when third to Golden Sixty and Voyage Bubble last time, having not got a great trip. That was a massive run and her price looks wrong to me, even though a draw in 14 is not ideal.
16.00pm Meydan
Auguste Rodin
There were obviously a couple of bumps in the road with him at Newmarket and Ascot last season, but he proved himself a tremendously versatile and top-class colt in his other four Group 1 outings.
His Derby success, allied to further Group 1 wins at the Curragh, Leopardstown, and Santa Anita, marked him down as one of the best I have ridden – an official rating of 125 tells you as much – and we are very happy with him as he starts off his 4yo campaign.
Moore said Auguste Rodin was one of the best horses he has ever ridden
He had a gallop at Dundalk last month and he has been gearing up very well for this target since then. We never underestimate the opposition though, and you’d be pretty foolish to, given the make-up of this field.
The strength of the Japanese circuit is there for all to see in this – Liberty Island’s winning run was only brought to a close by Equinox in the Japan Cup and we have to give that filly 5lb here, which is a pretty big ask – and there are Group 1 winners everywhere else you look too, not to mention the progressive Spirit Dancer.
The winner will have earned their success and, with that in mind, I just think the betting is wrong once again here. Now, I wouldn’t get off my horse, who is drawn in seven, for any other, but I count at least eight in here about whom I wouldn’t be surprised if they won. This is not a two-horse race, as the betting suggests. Stars On Earth is 10/1 and I just don’t get that. Her form is very similar to Liberty Island but one is 7/4 and the other is 10s. If they were in a match race, I wouldn’t have more than a point separating them in the betting.
PAUL NICHOLLS
15:05 Carlisle
Largy Poet
With Newton Abbott off on Saturday I have just the one runner Largy Poet at Carlisle. He’s progressing nicely and has won on his last two starts which means he has a 12lbs penalty in this novice hurdle. So I’ve booked Ben Bromley who claims a handy 5lbs, knows him well and rode him to victory at Exeter late in January. Largy Poet stays well, handles the ground and needs to go right handed. He was looking around when he hit the front last time so I’m trying cheekpieces to help him concentrate.
