Neil Morrice bets bets and tips – Dubai World Cup

Race 2 GODOLPHIN MILE (Group 2)

No4 ISOLATE
Trainer: Doug Watson – Jockey: Luis Saez

ISOLATE went from strength to strength towards the end of his 2023 campaign and should be ready to go forward in similar fashion on the back of his respectable comeback run behind Senor Buscador in Saudi. A dual Group 2 scorer at last year’s carnival, he may get a tad outpaced in the early stages, but has the wherewithal to gun down Saudi Crown in the final furlong. Walk Of Stars may also get into the shake-up and is respected along with Qareeb.

Prediction: 1st ISOLATE, 2nd Saudi Crown, 3rd Walk Of Stars, 4th Qareeb

Race 3 DUBAI GOLD CUP (Group 2)

No4 ELDAR ELDAROV
Trainer: Roger Varian – Jockey; James Doyle

As the winners of two domestic Classics ELDAR ENDAROV has the best form in this staying test. The neat, compact entire has looked on good terms with himself on the main and training tracks, he just needs to show that the step up from a mile and threequarters to two miles is within his stamina compass.

Strong opposition to the five-year-old arrives via the Godolphin-owned pair SISKANY and TRAWLERMAN, and while each are attempting to extend impressive winning sequences they may fall short. Coolmore representative TOWER OF LONDON has led Aidan O’Brien’s team on the track every morning, and could prove a bigger threat.

Prediction: 1st ELDAR ENDAROV, 2nd Tower Of London, 3rd Siskany, 4th Trawlerman

Race 4 AL QUOZ SPRINT (Group 1)

No11 FROST AT DAWN
Trainer: William Knight – Jockey: Mickael Barzalona

FROST AT DAWN broke the 1200 metres track record here when accounting for STAR OF MYSTERY in the Nad Al Sheba Sprint and is an upwardly mobile filly with aspirations to find further progression. She’s looked like a coiled spring in training and if turning up in similar mood can get far enough ahead of her foes in the early stages to be able to repel her customary late challenge.

Hong Kong raider CALIFORNIA SPANGLE has a hood added by trainer Tony Cruz and must not be dismissed lightly, while the Clive Cox-trained DILIGENT HARRY is another that impressed me in his work on the training track.

Prediction: 1st FROST AT DAWN, 2nd Star Of Mystery, 3rd California Spangle, 4th Diligent Harry

Race 5 UAE DERBY (Group 2)

No12 PANDAGATE
Trainer: Christophe Clement – Jockey: Dylan Davis

Saudi Derby winner FOREVER YOUNG defends a four race unbeaten record and will take a big chunk of the money wagered on this Classic, but from stall 13 life could prove more difficult than ideal for him.

If the favourite meets trouble, compatriot PANDAGATE could be the one to cash in. The grey son of Arrogate has been posted on the clubhouse turn like a trainer’s hack each morning, but when allowed to open up in a full gallop on Thursday he looked the real deal. He also has to circumnavigate a tricky draw, but rates high on my Richter scale.

Aidan O’Brien must always be respected with his runners in this and jockey bookings suggest HENRY ADAMS is the superior of NAVY SEAL.

Prediction: 1st PANDAGATE, 2nd Forever Young, 3rd Henry Adams

Race 6 DABAI GOLDEN SHAHEEN (Group 1)

No5 HOPKINS
Trainer: Bob Baffert – Jockey: Luis Saez

HOPKINS has a score to settle with SIBELIUS from this race last year, but has the necessary ammo to achieve it. The Quality Road entire is an infrequent visitor to the racecourse, but the kid-glove handling he’s received from the Silver Fox can help guide him home in what could prove a 1-2 for the US. Sibelius has taken out a Grade 3 and a Listed race since the end of 2023 and been trained very much with a repeat bid in mind by Jerry O’Dwyer. There might not be much to choose between this pair, whilst another American sprinter capable of getting into the shake-up is Breeders’ Cup third NAKATOMI.

Prediction: 1st HOPKINS, 2nd Sibelius, 3rd Nakatomi

Race 7 DUBAI TURF (Group 1)

No8 LUXEMBOURG (Nap)
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien – Jockey: Ryan Moore

A fourth successive victory in this by LORD NORTH would better all other stories from the night, and watching how generously the veteran galloped out in training on Wednesday, who is to say that will not happen. John Gosden is pleased with his charge but admits the race looks tougher than last year.

Lord North’s barnmate NASHWA needs a couple of races to get into the zone according to Thady Gosden, with the feeling that whatever she achieves here will be improved upon.

French-trained FACTEUR CHEVAL is one for inclusion in all exotic permutations even though he gained the reputation for being a nearly horse with figures of 323232 in his final six races last year.

Hong Kong challenger VOYAGE BUBBLE brings solid form to the table from Sha Tin and is greatly respected but the one I like most is LUXEMBOURG, who needed the race when fourth in the Saudi Cup. That outing has put the cutting edge on the Coolmore raider, whose domestic form through 2023 was out of the top drawer.

Prediction: 1st LUXEMBOURG, 2nd Facteur Cheval, 3rd Lord North, 4th Nashwa

Race 8 LONGINES DUBAI SHEEMS CLASSIC (Group 1)

No1 JUNKO ( Each Way)
Trainer: Andre Fabre – Jockey: Maxime Guyon

Japanese Oaks winner LIBERTY ISLAND finished runner-up to the now-retired Equinox in the Japan Cup and has attracted enormous attention in floodlit work through the week. There is no Equinox to worry about for the paper favourite, but whether she’s another Almond Eye is also still to be proved and this is a race stacked with classy performers.

The 2023 Epsom Derby winner AUGUSTE RODIN is amongst that number and he’s ready to go after a winter break since his Breeders’ Cup Turf triumph at Santa Anita.

Godolphin stalwart REBEL’S ROMANCE has his tail up after a recent success and knows his way round here. EMILY UPJOHN has been enjoying her work and has shown she can win off a long break.

Value seekers may considered the Richard Fahey-trained SPIRIT DANCER and also JUNKO, trained by Andre Fabre. The Hong Kong Vase winner has undoubtedly developed into a proper Group 1 horse, and following his second placing in Bahrain three weeks ago is another who has become cherry ripe to put his best foot forward.

Prediction: 1st JUNKO, 2nd Auguste Rodin, 3rd Liberty Island, 4th Rebel’s Romance, 5th Spirit Dancer

Race 9 DUBAI WORLD CUP (Group 1)

No11 USHIBA TESORO
Trainer: Noboru Takagi – Jockey: Yuga Kawada

A worthy winner of this race 12 months ago, USHIBA TESORO showed how effective he is running at a collapsing pace and that stamina is his forte, while his trainer thinks his recent second in the Saudi Cup will have brought him to concert pitch. Takagi also reasons that his Orfevre entire improves just for getting back into the Dubai sunshine, and improves for his days leading up to the big race.

The seven-year-old therefore has every chance of turning the tables with SENOR BUSCADOR from Riyadh, while holding similar claims to thwart another US challenger in the shape of the Bob Baffert-trained NEWGATE. The latter needs to raise his game on the book, but with Frankie Dettori in his irons nobody at the Baffert barn have ruled out this Into Mischief colt being another Country Grammer.

The local form of Doug Watson’s KABIRKHAN makes him another valid contender while DERMA SOTOGAKE is entitled to leave his unlucky run in the Saudi Cup behind, and could easily help in making the result a Japanese 1-2.

Prediction: 1st USHIBA RESORO, 2nd Derma Sotogake, 3rd Newgate, 4th Kabirkhan