Yahagi welcomes middle draw for DWC contender Forever Young

The G1 Saudi Cup winner Forever Young drew stall five for Saturday’s $12 million G1 Dubai World Cup (sponsored by Emirates Airline).

A relaxed Yoshito Yahagi said of his stable star: “We thought [beforehand] that the wider we got, the better. I didn’t want stall one or two for him so he gets a fair race, though it’s not a big matter anyway.

“He is the best horse I have trained so far. He’s got a sound mind and a great attitude. He should be comfortable with the middle draw, and hopefully all goes well for him on the race night.”

Yahagi believes that Forever Young has taken a step forward from his epic defeat of Romantic Warrior in Riyadh last month, while jockey Ryusei Sakai is determined to make up for some heartbreaking near-misses in 2024.

Forever Young finished a narrow third in both the G1 Kentucky Derby (2000m) and the G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic (2000m) during his three-year-old season

The 2023 Dubai World Cup winner Ushba Tesoro will break from stall four. He drew eight when successful two years ago.

His stablemate Wilson Tesoro will emerge from stall three in a bid to reverse Saudi Cup form with Forever Young and Ushba Tesoro.

Trainer Noboru Takagi said of Wilson Tesoro that he was ‘happy to avoid a wide draw’ while the habitually slow-starting Ushba Tesoro would ‘run his own race, regardless of the draw.”

Front-runner Walk Of Stars will have the ideal draw from stall one when he bids to follow up January’s success in the Al Maktoum Challenge.

His trainer Bhupat Seemar said it was a ‘great draw’ and expects his horse to be ‘rocking and rolling’ with Forever Young.

His stablemate Imperial Emperor finished second that day and he will have to defy a high draw in ten to avenge that defeat. That fate proved no issue for last year’s winner Laurel River, who succeeded from the widest gate in 12 last year.

Ryan Tongue, representing owners Deva Racing, said: “When there was two and ten left, I was hoping for two of course, but he’s a very uncomplicated horse. He was stall 14 last time and he’s done very well from that draw, so I’m not really concerned.”

Seemar added he was ‘uncomplicated’ and ‘straightforward’.

Seemar is well aware of the formidable Japanese challenge in Dubai, particularly Forever Young.

“He’s probably one of the best horses in the world,” Seemar said. “But he can have a bad day as well. Absolutely, this is horse racing. You’ve got to be in the race to win it.”

Ramjet, who has chased home Forever Young on his last three starts, will break from stall nine, though trainer Shozo Sasaki feels that won’t be any inconvenience.

Sasaki said: “We won’t go forward and with only 11 horses it doesn’t really matter.”

Rattle N Roll, who is bidding to become the first American winner since Country Grammer in 2022, will exit the gates from stall two.

His trainer Kenny McPeek said: “The inside draw was good. It’s a long run to the first turn and he can tuck in and find his way from there. In these races you need to save as much ground as possible.”

Trainer Antonio Sano said he ‘would have preferred the middle to inside or outside’ and was granted that wish for Il Miracolo in six.

His owner Eduardo Soto added his horse was a ‘competitor’ and said there was ‘no better position to be in’.

Leandro Mora, assistant to trainer Doug O’Neill, said stall 11 was the ‘perfect position’ for Katonah, while he had been ‘hoping for five or four’ for Mixto, who will emerge from gate eight.

Hit Show will break from stall seven. Of the stars on show elsewhere, Romantic Warrior drew barrier nine in his bid for a 11th Group 1 win in the Dubai Turf (sponsored by DP World).

The Hong Kong champion was a dominant winner of the Jebel Hatta over the same course and distance in January, when he broke from gate one.

His rider James McDonald said: “I’m hoping nine is going to be my lucky number on Saturday [his other mount Howdeepisyourlove is also in nine for the G1 Al Quoz Sprint].

I’d rather nine than one. He’ll be able to do his thing from there.”

A berth of four looks unlikely to cause any issues for Godolphin’s superstar Rebel’s Romance in the G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic.

He defied stall 11 when victorious a year ago and will bid to become the first back-to-back winner of the race.