Bin Surour ready for the battle
Trainer hopeful of big runs from Benbatl and Thunder Snow
Challenges are nothing new for trainer Saeed Bin Surour, but the Emirati handler is perhaps facing the biggest one of his glittering career when he pits Thunder Snow against the mighty American raiders in Saturday’s 23rd running of the $10 million Dubai World Cup (Group 1).
Bin Surour, who has won the race seven times in its history, recognises that it is no easy task to beat the visitors at their own game even if Thunder Snow enjoys the home advantage.
The three-year-old son of Australian stallion, Helment, is 5 for 3 in eight starts on the Meydan dirt, a surface that leading American-contenders West Coast, Forever Unbridled and Gunnevera have taken to, like a fish takes to water.
However, Bin Surour, who describes the Dubai World Cup meeting as ‘an exciting time’, is expecting a big run from Thunder Snow on Saturday.
“If he runs his race, he should have every chance,” said Bin Surour. “It’s always a hard race to win, especially against the American dirt horses. But it doesn’t prevent you from trying.
“We know that Thunder Snow, who has also won two Group 1 races on turf in Europe, can handle the dirt. He’s won five times on the surface including the UAE 2000 Guineas and UAE Derby last year and three races this year, including Round 2 of the Al Maktoum Challenge (2018). He looks very well and physically, he is as good as we have ever had him. It is not going to be a big field, but we will still be hoping for a good draw, so Christophe Soumillon can ride the race he wants to in a very good renewal.”
Meydan success
Bin Surour has secured his place in racing folklore with four British trainers’ champions, over 2,100 race wins globally and many memorable horseracing awards, but he still yearns for success at Meydan, where he has on eight occasions been crowned champion owner at the Dubai World Cup Carnival.
“This is my home. This is where I belong, where I want to be recognised for what I do and
Bin Surour, who has won the race seven times in its history, recognises that it is no easy task to beat the visitors at their own game.
to inspire other Emiratis to take up the sport,” Bin Surour said.
When asked about his best chance of going home with what will be his 36th trophy from the Dubai World Cup meeting, he replied without the faintest hesitation: ‘Benbatl.’
“He is a horse we have always really liked ever since he won on his debut at Doncaster in April and improved all year,” Bin Surour said.
“He was actually a very good fifth in the Derby at Epsom before winning at Royal Ascot. He has thrived in Dubai, winning his first two races in style.
“He was then badly drawn in the Group 1 Jebel Hatta on Super Saturday, when Oisin Murphy could not get any cover on him so he had to race wide throughout but was only denied close home. Hopefully the draw, on Wednesday, will be kinder.”
This season’s UAE champion jockey Tadhg O’Shea is gutted to be missing his first Dubai World Cup night in 13 years this Saturday after being handed a two-day suspension for drifting.
The record six-time UAE champion jockey was handed the ban after a race in Abu Dhabi on March 17, making it an unlucky St Patrick’s Day for the 36-year-old Irishman, who rides for President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s Al Asayl Stables in Abu Dhabi under trainer Eric Lemartinel.
“It’s hugely disappointing from a personal point of view,” said the winner of 42 races from 331 runners this season, earning Dh4,965,186.
“We start work here from November 1 and work all the way through the winter for one of the biggest nights of racing in the world — so to not participate is a huge blow.
“Out of every negative you can take a positive however, at least I’m not riding through suspension, it would be worse if it was through injury.
“If it was a one-day suspension I could have got it moved to a different race meeting, but two-day rules state you can’t get it shifted.
“Rules are there and my filly came off a straight line, it was unfortunate it was so close to the line, another two strides and the race was over, so from that point of view it was disappointing, but as the mantra goes, I’ve done the crime so have to do the time.”
O’Shea first came to Dubai in 2001 thanks to an initiative by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance, who sponsored a four-month trip to the UAE for whoever won the Irish apprentice jockey championship. O’Shea did that twice in 2001 and 2002. He went on to win the UAE jockey’s championship in 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016 and now 2018, participating in every World Cup night since 2006.
“It goes without saying that I’d love to be riding there,” he said of this year’s event. “But as I’ve said I have broken the rules and have to sit it out, it’s disappointing but I’ve just got to get on with it now, it’s a fantastic night of racing, so I’ve just got to enjoy it as a spectator.”
O’Shea boasts one win from a total 29 runners on Dubai World Cup night, triumphing on Mizzna in the Kahayla Classic in 2008.
“I was fortunate to win the Kahayla, but I had a few near misses too finishing second on both Charh in the 2007 Kahayla Classic and Green Coast in the 2010 Godolphin Mile. I’ve had some great nights there and memorable ones, but Mizzna is most fresh in the mind because she won.”
This year too, he felt sure he could have added to his tally.
“I would have definitely have ridden Mawahib in the Kahayla Classic and Justin Bryne from the EERC had told me I would have ridden his horse [Shamaal Nibras] in the Godolphin Mile, so it looked like I would have had two rides.
“The Arabian would have definitely had a strong chance and you know how competitive it is, there’s no room for error, but I’d have gone there with two hopeful rides.”
O’Shea went on to win the UAE jockey’s championship in 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016 and now 2018, participating in every World Cup night since 2006.