LONDON // Jamie Osborne has confirmed that Toast Of New York will be trained with the 2015 Dubai World Cup in mind after the UAE Derby winner was supplemented for the English equivalent yesterday.
Following on from Toast Of New York's easy victory in the US$2 million (Dh7.3m) UAE Derby at Meydan Racecourse two weeks ago, owner Michael Buckley agreed to put forward the £8,000 (Dh49,200) required to enter his charge into the Epsom showpiece.
The move rules out any possibility of a tilt at the Kentucky Derby, in just over three weeks. Toast Of New York is unlikely to see racecourse action until Epsom stages Britain’s most valuable race, at £1.325m, on the first Saturday in June.
“We hope he is a horse with a great future and longer term his aim has to be next year’s Dubai World Cup,” the trainer said.
“I think that can be carved in stone and it is just a case of thinking about what route we take between now and next March.
“I think it’s unlikely he’d have a prep run if he went for the Derby. We’ll space his races out and play it a bit softly-softly.”
The UAE Derby at Meydan has a far better record at producing horses to run well in Kentucky, than at Epsom.
Toast Of New York is by no means a certain starter at Epsom, but should he take his chance he will not be the first to try to augment his Derby win in the British event.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa’s Mickdaam was fourth to Daddy Long Legs in the 2012 UAE Derby before he finished fifth to Camelot at Epsom.
Last season, Saeed bin Suroor had hoped Secret Number, who was third at Meydan on World Cup night, would graduate to become an English Derby contender but the Godolphin runner ran a disappointing prep race at York Racecourse.
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