NEWS
Notional facing long odds in Dubai Duty Free
Posted: Friday, March 28, 2008 5:12 PM
NOTIONAL
Dubai Racing Club/Andrew Watkins photo
by K.T. Donovan
Considering the caliber of competition, assistant trainer Leandro Mora views Grade 2 winner Notional as a longshot in the $5-million Dubai Duty Free (UAE-G1), a 1,777-meter (about 1 1/8-mile) turf race on Saturday at Nad al Sheba racecourse.
Doug O’Neill trains Notional, who enters off a third-place finish in the Daytona Handicap in his turf debut on February 17 at Santa Anita Park. Facing foes like French One Thousand Guineas (Fr-G1) winner Darjina in the Dubai Duty Free will be a tough challenge for Notional, the winner of the 2007 San Rafael Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita and the Risen Star Stakes (G3) at Fair Grounds.
“To me, he’s in the toughest race on the whole card,” Mora said. “This time, this race has a lot of champions in there. We’re looking for a miracle.
“But the horse is training super. He’s really motivated. He’s a top horse.”
J. Paul Reddam’s Notional and Darjina, a three-time French Group 1 winner last year, are included in a field that also features Finsceal Beo, the winner of the ’07 Stan James One Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) and Boylesports Irish One Thousand Guineas (Ire-G1).
Finsceal Beo was unplaced in her previous three starts. Those efforts left trainer Jim Bolger unsure of what to expect in the Dubai Duty Free.
“It depends whether we have got her back to the form she showed last spring,” Bolger said. “But all the signs have been favorable and she is a dual Guineas winner who has got lots of class.”
English multiple group stakes winner Majestic Roi has not started since winning the Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes (Eng-G1) on October 6. The Street Cry (Ire) filly opened her previous season by winning the Dubai Duty Free Fred Darling Stakes (Eng-G3) following a layoff of more than ten months.
“She is all quality as she showed when winning the Sun Chariot at Newmarket in October,” trainer Michael Channon said. “Though it is hard for fillies so early in the season, she did win the Fred Darling first time out last year.”
Linngari, the runner-up in last year’s edition of the Dubai Duty Free, drew the 16th spot in the starting gate for the second straight year.
“He has been flying, and I would have fancied him had we have been drawn better,” jockey Ryan Moore said. “He ran a terrific race to finish second last year, but it is very hard when you are parked that wide. To get the 16 hole two years in a row is hard to swallow.”
Vodka is winless in five starts since capturing the ’07 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby).
“With the half-gallop [Friday] morning, she should be set for the big race mentally,” trainer Katsuhiko Sumii said. “She controls the quantity of her feed by herself and this is a good sign for her.
“Actually, she lost some weight after she arrived, but she recovered and regained the weight during her stay in Dubai. She is in very good form at this moment.”
Saeed bin Suroor trains English Group 1 winner Literato and multiple Group 1-placed Group 3 winner Creachadoir for Godolphin. Frankie Dettori, Godolphin’s stable jockey, chose to ride Literato over Creachadoir.
Literato enters off a win in the Emirates Airline Champion Stakes (Eng-G1) on October 20 at Newmarket.
“It was not easy to separate our two, but in the end I was swayed by Literato’s great run in the Champagne Stakes at Newmarket,” Dettori said. “This is top-class form and he has been going very well at home this spring.”
Kerrin McEvoy, who rode Creachadoir to victory in the ’07 Countrywide Steel & Tubes Joes Stakes (Eng-G3), has a return call. Creachadoir finished second in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile (HK-G1) in his previous start on December 9.
“I liked him when I won the Joel Stakes at Newmarket last back end and he went on to run a cracker in the Hong Kong Mile,” McEvoy said. “He has been training well on the run up to this race and must have a sound chance.”
K.T. Donovan is a Thoroughbred Times contributing writer
