Sand Castle Golden Turf
Welcome to sunny Dubai for the worlds richest Turf race, a 12f Turf Test for 4year old and older horses, contesting for the 5,000,000 $ prize money, and as you can expect, the top horses in the long turf router division have assembled, so this really is a massive all-star ,lineup and perhaps the biggest spring race. The oddsmakers have made Max California the top favourite, but I wanna look at an entire different perspective, and list the horses the way they are ranked in the Division, starting with:
The 4yo Portmann’s Perfect is ranked Number 1 in the Division, and nears 5 Million Dollars in Lifetime Earnings, his season debut was a 3rd place in the Grade 1 The Jai Ali Park Turf. He was the undisputed top 3yo Turfer last year, when winning the Sidney and English Derby as well as the Coalminer Cup and the Coxless Stakes against older horses. The horse usually shows top speed in the stretch, and is known to close unbelievable deficits in the last furlong,
His top speed over 12f is a 111 in his Derby de English.
The Gun Went Off is ranked Number 2 in the Division, but has struggled recently, he ran only a 99 and a 102 in his last starts, finishing outside the money in both races. This came after many believed the 4yo colt could challenge Portmann’s Perfect as the top Turf horse, with his wins in the Japan Cup and the Ark de Triumph. His career Eranings are 3 Million $ plus, and he beat Portmann’s Perfect in the Owners Stakes, in his 5th Turf start, after finishing 2nd in both the Sidney and English Derby. He needs to regain his 110 performance forms to challenge today, just like Portmann’s Perfect he likes to close late, he usually even waits a tap longer.
This leaves us searching for the lead horse, that would setup the pace, but we shouldn’t count on Wrecking Crew doing that, not really a closer, but a likely stalker, also looking for a fast pace, the 4yo Saddler’s Wells colt began the year on a high note, winning the San Francisco Captain Handicap with a great 111, his biggest win came in the Breeders Bowl Turf, when he beat the older horses with a classy 115. He has matured a lot, since his 5th place finish in the Derby de English, and is ready to challenge the best turf horses here in Dubai, being ranked 4th in the Division.
Max California is a 5yo Rock Hard Ten Horse, who is very versatile, he can take the lead, like he showed in his stakes win over 14f in November, but his last win came last time out, when he won the Grade 3 Chuck’s Truck over 10f, stalking an early pace and finishing with a 114 over the 10f trip. That shows you, that you can count on the horse nearing the 5 Million $ win mark in his 30th start, at all distances between 10 and 14f. He’s ranked 5th in the Long Turfers Division, which sets us up with a field of 4 of the Top 5 horses in the Division.
Rapid Grey is a real veteran, being already 7 years old, he shows only little signs of slowing down. Last time out in the Jai Ali Park Turf, he was only 5th, with a slow 103, but that came after a Grade 1 win in the Allied Assault Handicap over 12f, with a great 112, so even being one of the oldest Grade 1 winners around, he still has it in him. He just like the other favourites likes to close big gaps, and is a real slow starter, often trailing by 10 lengths early. He topped the 10 Million Dollar career Earnings last season, when he won one of the richest turf races, the King Geoff and Queen Beth’s Emerald Stakes. He totals 12 Grade 1 wins, and despite facing several younger stars shouldn’t be counted out.
Mon Coup is the Top Turf Filly, and with the prize money as high as 5 Million Dollar, she was attracted to challenge the boys, the 5yo Montjeu Mare looks to rob the Colts and Horses, just before getting ready to start a Breeding career. She won the Breeders Bowl Turf Distaff last year, and was counted as a top Marathoner, before cutting back to 11f for last years Breeders Bowl. She has tried to challenge the boys often in Graded Marathon races, but usually came short, so for today her target is not being the best filly, but beating as many boys as possible, let’s see if she can suceed.
What concerns me, after looking at the Top 6 ranked horses is, that none seems to bring early speed, let’s see what the rest of the field brings:
Delpenn Gold is a 4yo colt, that usually had to live in the Shadows of Portmann’s Perfect and The Gun went Off, his biggest win to date was the Grade 2 Horseshoe Falls Stakes last August. Last time out he won a 12f stakes race, with an ambitous, 112, just 2 slower, than his lifetime best 114, he set, when finishing 2nd in the Ferdichenko Cup earlier this year. Just like the others he shows no sign of early speed and is a closer, really showing good form recently, and a speed capable of challenging for his first Grade 1 win. His best Grade 1 result was a 4th in the Allied Assault Handicap, won be Rapid Grey.
Kirby’s Best Yet surely is a top horse, with 15 lifetime wins out of 30 starts, but he has struggled recently, only winning one of his last 7 starts, and that being an ungraded stakes race. He suffered defeats in the major races last season, when being 8th in the Breeders Bowl turf, and 9th in the Japan Classic. But we should not forget, he is the defending Champion, winning last years race as a 4yo, with a career high 113, for his only Grade 1 win so far. He’d surely like to get the big prize again, and will likely try so stalking an early pace, last season he started more as a late closer, but recently his running style changed into a stalker, let’s hope he’s not pressed into the lead in this field.
Awesome Force is a 5yo Awesome Again colt, that was switched to turf just 2 races back, finishing 2nd in the Grade 3 Buck Pharma Handicap, and winning the Kyoto Handicap a Grade 2 over 11f last time out, he set a 110 speed along the way. His connections took so long to switch him to the turf, as he was one of the best dirt 10f horses in the world, winning last years Sand Castle Classic, so his target is to become the first horse, winning the richest Dirt and Turf race, which obviously can’t be done in one year, as they are run on the same day, in this big Sand Castle Card. He gives the race a whole new dimension, but, as you could expect not real early pace.
Napp is a 5yo horse, that has a huge win percentage, getting 11 of his 18 starts, and enters the race on a 6 race win streak, but only his last win has been in Graded company in the Grade 3 City of the Gold Stakes. After being rushed into Grade 1 company last summer, and suffering two heavy defeats, he was build on the slow side, starting his win streak in ALWs, a Stakes Race, and then the Grade 3, running a nice 112 over 12f, which should put him in the mix, but with his inexperience at that level, he should face a tough task, oh yeah, he’s another closer.
Refuse to Cry, a 4yo Refuse to Bend colt, made his first Graded Start last time out, finishing 2nd in the Grade 3 Chuck’s Truck, beaten by Max California, today he’d not only would like to reverse form here, but get a top 3 finish and part of the big prize money, however, I have my doubts, like you could guess, he’s another closer, and he’s only won 5 of his 17 lifetime starts, being an obvious late maturing horse, he is nearly there, with a 111 last time, but I guess he needs a few more stakes wins, before being able to challenge in Graded company.
R Dangerfield is a 6yo, just having made the switch to turf 2 races back, but unlike Awesome Force, he hasn’t been a dirt star, he used to flip flop between ALWs and Stakes races, but has had a great start on turf, winning his first 2 races, an 12f ALW race, and a 13f Stakes race, and with the 105 and 107, he showed a lot of improvement, compared to his dirt abilities, but I guess this race is shooting just over the top. Oh, and if you look for early speed, no, look further. Which isn’t really coming, as we only have 2 filler entries, with Rainbow Moonshell and Credit Again. Now what, the biggest turf race without a destined front runner?
This will be the big question, who will be pressed to the front, or will one of the usual closers change his tactic, and search his success in a race to the front, if so, I guess he’ll get burned, but one will have to.
I’d pick Wrecking Crew to win the race, based on his performances so far this season, with Portman’s Perfect and The Gun Went Off still searching their 3yo form.