The track has been unusually busy from 5 am and sometimes earlier the last couple of days.
Gradually there emerge horses who take the eye, even if they may not necessarily be the top picks in their respective rac es.
Top in the popularity stakes is Hot Rod Charlie who not only appears to be a very happy horse but he has a wonderful group of owners who met at a country club and only one of them new anything about horses! He's been in Dubai for a while and ran in the Carnival winning the Maktoum Challenge and gaining a big fan base. He's 3/1 for the Cup.
Colonel Liam who runs in the Dubai Turf 1800m is named after a proper colonel – "Colonel Liam Collins" who served in the US Army in the Middle East. He's a gorgeous grey horse trained by Todd Pletcher and is on a quote of 15/2.
The fun story of that race is that it will be the first time that the newly married Tom Marquand and Hollie Doyle race against each other. Tom will be on My Oberon and Hollie on Saffron Beach for Jane Chapple-Hyam. The market has Hollie's horse on 10/1 and Tom's 20/1.
Pogo runs in the Godolphin Mile and has won many hearts with his "happy horse" looks on the track in the mornings. He's running in the Godolphin Mile and while not one of the top fancies the son of a dam called "Cute" has been just that.
Favourite for the big one, the Dubai World Cup, is Life Is Good who is being touted as the top horse in the world. Certainly he looks as if everything for him is effortless and he's odds-on in the markets. However he has drawn gate 1 which is not ideal and as he is usually very fast out of the gates it is looking like he will have to lead. And that may be a problem as it is his first time over the trip and there is going to be serious competition not least of all from his compatriots
And we should not forget Lord Glitters, who seems to come alive when he comes to the Middle East and is another gorgeous grey. He certainly has a fan club but he's in one of the more competitive fields of the night in the Dubai Turf.
Todd Pletcher in the Press Conference this morning described the Dubai World Cup races as being similar to the Olympics as horses are representing many countries with the Japanese team with some 21 runners only rivalled by the home team. Australia actually has a runner as Rodrigo Diaz who runs in the Dubai Gold Cup is part-owned by Australian Bloodstock.
