A fascinating plot in store as African Story bids to defend Dubai World Cup

Much is stacked against African Story’s bid to defend his Dubai World Cup title, writes Geoffrey Riddle

African Story ridden by Silvestre De Sousa wins the 2014 Dubai World Cup at the Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

In comparison to Nad Al Sheba, Meydan Racecourse has struggled to produce a Dubai World Cup winner worthy of the mantle bestowed upon them.

There were great stories among the five winners on the Tapeta surface, no more so than Victoire Pisa’s success for Japan following the tragic tsunami in 2011, and African Story’s win last season after the damaging steroids scandal that engulfed Godolphin in 2013.

Animal Kingdom was the only victor on Tapeta that can be considered a champion when the Kentucky Derby winner etched America’s name on the trophy once more in 2013.

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However, in Gloria de Campeao, who won the inaugural race in 2010, and Monterosso, the World Cup suffered markedly in quality.

None of that quintet of Tapeta winners ever struck again, but African Story has the opportunity to try to snap that sequence. His road to defending his title in the world’s most valuable race on March 28 starts tonight. Saeed bin Suroor has wrapped up his eight-year-old gelding in cotton wool but unleashes him in the second round of the Al Maktoum Challenge, which is worth US$250,000 (Dh918,300).

African Story has not run since he carried Silvestre de Sousa across the line to jubilant celebration last March. Much has passed under the bridge since then at the international stable.

De Sousa has left the Godolphin fold and has been replaced by James Doyle, who has ridden African Story several times in work at Al Quoz. He is none the wiser as to whether his mount in tonight’s feature race will act on the surface.

“It is pretty much an unknown,” he said. African Story has the pedigree to operate on dirt, but at his advancing years it may be hard to teach a dog new tricks.

African Story is by Pivotal, a sire that has produced both Faulkner and One Man Band, winners both on Meydan’s dirt this

season.

Whether African Story has the grinding tendencies that the best dirt horses have remains to be seen. It does not appear so from how he ran on Tapeta.

Bin Suroor uses a Tapeta surface for his horses to work on at his plush Al Quoz base and at this Carnival the long-standing Godolphin trainer has had to make educated guesses as to whether each of his charges would adapt to the dirt.

It has served him fairly well. Horses such as I’m Back, who has won twice on the dirt, and Local Time, who tries to augment her 1,000 Guineas Trial win on the surface in the real thing tonight, have illustrated that Bin Suroor has a canny knack of getting it right.

Even better news is that the Godolphin trainer has African Story ready to run. The World Cup winner will be joined in the 1,900-metre contest by stablemates Emirates Flyer, who will be ridden by Adrie de Vries, and Prince Bishop, who will defend his crown under William Buick.

Emirates Flyer already has experience of the Meydan dirt, having finished fifth behind tonight’s rivals Surfer, Frankiefourfingers and Haatheq, who filled the podium spots in the first round of the Al Maktoum Challenge on the opening night of the

Carnival.

“Emirates Flyer has improved from that first run,” Bin Suroor said. “He handled the surface and with the benefit of that run should go well.

“Prince Bishop won this well last year when African Story also ran very well. Both need to prove themselves on the dirt but are in good form at home and working well.”

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