Forever Young was given a gallop around the Meydan dirt as he prepares for a date with destiny and another shot at winning the Dubai World Cup on Saturday.
Victory in the 30th Dubai World Cup will see the dual Saudi Cup winner and Breeders’ Cup Classic hero surpass Romantic Warrior as the highest-earning racehorse of all time.
It will also mark a shot at redemption after the Japanese raider could finish only third last year behind Hit Show, who will again line up in Saturday’s feature race 12.
Ridden by Yuki Araki, Forever Young took to the Meydan dirt in partnership with stablemate American Stage, who runs in the Dubai Golden Shaheen.
Watching on was legendary trainer Yoshito Yahagi and jockey Ryusei Sakai, fresh from their victory at the Hanshin Racecourse in Japan, where Sakai rode Clematis to victory on Saturday.
“It was just a lap and a half on the dirt track this morning,” said jockey Araki, aboard Forever Young for his short workout. “All is well so far.”
While Forever Young lines up again as red-hot favourite, UAE champion trainer Bhupat Seemar hopes the twin attack of Imperial Emperor and Walk Of Stars can help send him back to Japan empty-handed.
Both have tasted Group 1 success over the Meydan dirt, and Seemar, who previously won the World Cup with Laurel River in 2024, believes both his charges are in good shape ahead of the $12 million race.
“They're doing great,” Seemar said. “Imperial Emperor is definitely doing a lot better than last year. I think he was a little bit of a tired horse last year. We freshened him up and he's doing great. And Walk Of Stars has improved with every run this year, so both are in good shape.
“Forever Young is the best horse in the world; you can’t take anything away from him. He’s danced every dance and it’s great to have a chance to go up against him again.”
Another chasing history in Dubai this Saturday is legendary Irish trainer Willie Mullins, who saddles Ethical Diamond in the $6m Dubai Sheema Classic.
More associated with jumps, Mullins recently saddled eight winners across the recent Cheltenham Festival, including the two biggest races – the Champion Hurdle and the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
However, for the first time in more than a decade, he will attempt an extraordinary March double by aiming to land the Sheema Classic with Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Ethical Diamond – himself a Cheltenham runner the past two years.
The Cheltenham-Dubai double has never been achieved before, although the great Francois Doumen prepared Jim And Tonic to win the 2001 Dubai Duty Free and had Cheltenham Festival winners in 2000, 2002 and 2003 (the 2001 Cheltenham Festival was cancelled due to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease close to the racecourse).
Mullins has only had one Dubai World Cup night runner previously, when Simenon finished last in the 2014 Dubai Gold Cup.
Ethical Diamond, though, has already broken new ground for Mullins by giving him a first Breeders’ Cup success. The six-year-old gelding also won the Ebor Handicap at York last year, as well as the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes during Royal Ascot.
“He's very good, he's eaten up every night and he’s thriving since he’s got here,” said Mullins’ travelling foreman T J Comerford. “He's in great form. He's a very easy horse to do anything with, he's well-mannered and we are really happy with him.
“I was there for the Breeders’ Cup, it was a great day. I didn’t know what to expect but it’s Willie Mullins, you can never put anything past him.”
