Topics: Hot Rod Charlie, Life Is Good, Meydan, Dubai Racing Club, Dubai World Cup
UAE: World #1 Life Is Good heads a list of more than 750 horses from 20 countries nominated for the Dubai World Cup card at Meydan on Saturday March 26.
The Todd Pletcher-trained four-year-old leapt to the top of TRC”s Global Rankings with his dominant display last weekend in the Pegasus World Cup. He features among a total of 153 horses including 23 individual G1 winners nominated for the 26th running of the Dubai World Cup, which provides the $12m highlight of a nine-race card at Meydan featuring six G1s and a total of $30.5m in prize-money.
Likely World Cup opponents are headed by US compatriots Mandaloun and Hot Rod Charlie, who made a winning debut last week in Dubai in the second round of the Al Maktoum Challenge, plus Godolphin star Real World.
The $6m Dubai Sheema Classic has attracted the usual strong cast of top-class turf horses, with 11 G1 winners nominated including Coronation Cup winner Pyledriver and Japan’s dual Hong Kong Vase winner Glory Vase.
Like Pyledriver, Lord North runs next at the Saudi Cup card before a likely defence of his crown in the $5m Dubai Turf, where dual Pegasus Turf winner Colonel Liam features among possible rivals.
Dubai Racing Club chairman Sheikh Rashid bin Dalmook Al Maktoum commented: “To have more than 750 horses from 20 different countries nominated shows the continued strength of the Dubai World Cup meeting, which has grown each year since its inception in 1996.
“We are delighted to have so many Group and Grade 1 winners nominated, including established stars such as Life Is Good and Hot Rod Charlie, and we thank the horse connections for their support and their trust in Dubai. We look forward to welcoming connections and fans to the 26th Dubai World Cup and we aim to deliver a spectacular night.”
Dubai World Cup betting (Ladbrokes): 6-4 Life Is Good, 3 Hot Rod Charlie, 5 Mandaloun, 10 Magny Cours, Midnight Bourbon, 12 Happy Saver, 14 Real World, 16 Al Nefud, Hypothetical, 20 bar.
