The master French trainer André Fabre has won most of the world’s top races and is hoping that he can finally add the $12m Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline to his impressive record on Saturday when he saddles the Godolphin owned Magny Cours (USA).
The 6-year-old son of Medaglia d’Oro and Indy Five Hundred has been fairly lightly-raced but has always shown a lot of potential, which he confirmed once more last June when he beat Classic winner and hot favourite Persian King by a neck in the Listed Prix de Montretout at Chantilly.
He followed up with another impressive performance at Sandown Park in the UK, where he beat Group 1 winner Aspetar in the 2000m Listed Coral Gala Stakes.
An important autumn campaign with more ambitious targets was being planned when unfortunately, his fragilities once more resurfaced and he had to be put away for the remainder of the season.
“Yes, he has had his issues,” confirmed the French handler who has won the French championship an astonishing 24 times in his illustrious career. “But now he is in perfect condition and form. He had an excellent journey over to Dubai, he drank up, he ate up and everything is going well. He is six now and is just more stabilised in his body.”
The gelding comes to Dubai on the back of a seasonal reappearance in the 1900m Prix Darshaan, which was run on the synthetic track at the Chantilly racecourse at the start of March. A bit keen in the early stages, he went to the lead very easily to win the race by a length and a quarter and Fabre continued: “That was what we wanted and he came out of the race very well.”
Originally, Magny Cours was pencilled in for one of the turf races at Meydan, but his trainer believes that he deserves to take his chance in the Dubai World Cup.
Speaking from France before his horse was allocated stall 12, he said: “Obviously, there is a question mark about how he will adapt to the track. And then the draw is very important. But even if he has an inside draw, he is not a horse that breaks fast enough to take the lead. He needs to settle a bit.”
William Buick, who had guided Magny Cours to victory at Sandown last season will take the ride and Fabre concluded: “William rode him at Sandown and that was a really good performance. He beat a Group 1 winner whilst carrying a penalty. I really believe this horse has a lot of ability and I am confident that he can be close.”
