DUBAI WORLD CUP adiyat racing plus.com 8 ADIYAT RACING PLUS ISSUE 838 Thursday 21st March 2024 By Laura King “They’re taking off right now, how about that?!” Bob Baffert is in relaxed mood in California as two of his horses speed down the runway, about to launch for Dubai. Newgate (pictured opposite) heads for the $12million Dubai World Cup and Hopkins for the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen. Despite success in the desert which has seen him win four Dubai World Cups so far, Baffert won’t be joining his horses on the trip. “I love Dubai, I’d love to go but I’m shorthanded an assistant right now, so Jimmy (Barnes) is going, he’ll be there at the weekend, along with a rider and a groom.” Barnes was also at the helm when Country Grammer won Baffert his most recent Dubai World Cup, in 2022. This time he takes charge of Newgate, who returns to action less than a month after winning the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 3rd. “With Newgate I know I’m kind of back a little quick, but he’s a really hardy horse who carries a lot of flesh,” says Baffert. “He’s doing better now than he was going into the Big Cap when he was a little heavy. I really think he’s doing well.” Newgate will be ridden by Frankie Dettori, who combined with Baffert on Country Grammer and who also has three other Dubai World Cups on his resume. “The thing about Frankie Dettori is the great BAFFERT REMAINS GRATEFUL TO DUBAI AS HE DISPATCHES WORLD CUP NIGHT CONTENDERS riders don’t need any instructions,” continues Baffert. “When the gate opens, they figure it out. The last thing on my mind is worrying about Frankie and what he’s going to do on the horse. My job is to make sure that the horse shows up.” Baffert is under no illusions as to the strength of the $12million race, which features defending champion Ushba Tesoro as well as Laurel River, who he trained to win the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes at Del Mar, before the sixyear-old moved to Bhupat Seemar in Dubai. “I’m running against one of my old horses (Laurel River). He’s a really talented horse; a top calibre horse. They can all stay if they don’t go too fast early on.” Is there any similarity between Newgate and Baffert’s four winners of the race? The answer is emphatic. “Totally different. My other winners were in top form, coming off big races. Country Grammer was coming off a long layoff, ran in Saudi and he was just a true mile and a quarter horse. The ride that Frankie gave him was unbelievable. He beat Life Is Good who was a great horse, but the distance got him a little bit. “Arrogate was one of the greatest performances of any racehorses that I’ve ever trained — he was incredible. To me, it was like a Secretariatlike performance. What he did that night; not breaking, being last, coming around… Gun Runner was a great horse and he just Bob Baffert ARROGATE WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST PERFORMANCES OF ANY THAT I’VE EVER TRAINED — HE WAS INCREDIBLE. TO ME, IT WAS SECRETARIAT-LIKE — BOB BAFFERT ON HIS 2017 DUBAI WORLD CUP WINNER.
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