So You Think (right) will fly the flag for Ireland in the Dubai World Cup© Photo Healy Racing
A strong Irish challenge of nine will do battle for the top flat prizes in the World at the Dubai World Cup meeting at Meydan on Saturday next.
Aidan O'Brien is responsible for six of the nine while David Marnane, Eddie Lynam and Mick Halford all have one runner each.
The first Irish raiders of the meeting are in the Group 2 UAE Derby at 3:25 with the Aidan O’Brien duo of Wrote and Daddy Long Legs set to take part.
Wrote will be partnered by Ryan Moore who guided the son of High Chaparral to victory in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Juvenile at Churchill Downs in November on his last start.
After winning the Group 2 Juddmonte International Stakes at Newmarket in September Daddy Long Legs then disappointed at the Breeders Cup, finishing a well beaten twelfth in the Dirt Juvenile. Colm O’Donoghue will ride the chestnut colt on Saturday.
Invincible Ash for Mick Halford, Nocturnal Affair for David Marnane and Sole Power for Eddie Lynam will face off in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint on the Turf at 4:00pm.
The trio have already clashed recently over the course and distance with Invincible Ash just getting the better of Sole Power by a short head while Nocturnal Affair was a further half a length back in third.
Invincible Ash will be ridden by Jamie Spencer on Saturday while Johnny Murtagh takes the ride on Sole Power with Ryan Moore set to ride Nocturnal Affair.
Await the Dawn for Aidan and Joseph O’Brien is the sole Irish challenger in the Group 1 Dubai Duty Free on the Turf over 1m 1f at 5:25pm.
The 5yo son of Giant’s Causeway notched up a four-timer between 2010 and last season but was then beaten into third by Twice Over in the Juddmonte International Stakes at York in September before finishing well behind stable mate St Nicholas Abbey at the Breeders Cup in November.
Irish Derby hero Treasure Beach and St Nicholas Abbey will line up for the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic over 1m 4f on the Turf at 6:00pm.
After winning the Derby Treasure Beach added the Secretariat Stakes to his collection of wins at Arlington in September. However he then disappointed in the Prix De L’Arc before finished third on his last start at Woodbine in Canada in October.
St Nicholas Abbey on the other hand won the Coronation Cup at Epsom in June before finishing third in the Champion Stakes at Ascot and the Prix Foy at Longchamp in September.
After running another creditable race to finish fifth in the Prix De L’Arc he then rounded off his season with an excellent win in the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Churchill Downs in November.
Jamie Spencer will take the ride of Treasure Beach while Joseph O’Brien will ride St Nicholas Abbey.
So You Think will fly the flag for Ireland in the final race on the card, the richest flat race in the world, the Dubai World Cup over 1m 2f at 6:40pm.
Joseph O’Brien will ride the 6yo son of High Chaparral, who won three Group 1's last season including the Tattersalls Gold Cup, the Irish Champion Stakes and the Coral Eclipse Stakes at Sandown.
Having finished a respectable fourth in the Prix De L’Arc he was then surprisingly beaten in the English Champion Stakes in October before he disappointed in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs in November.
