Thursday, Mar 29, 2012

Gulf News

Dubai Wigmore Hall, third in last year’s Group 1 $5 million (Dh18.3 million) Dubai Duty Free, impressed his trainer yesterday as most of the DDF runners continued their work at the Meydan turf.

“He looks a lot fitter now and it was well documented that he was a lot heavier when he came out here this year. He is on really good terms with himself — he is squealing and is happy and seems in good shape on the track,” Wigmore Hall’s trainer Michael Bell said.

“They crawled in his prep run and he got shuffled back at a crucial stage. He needs a decent pace and luck in running but there doesn’t look as though there is a natural front-runner in the race, which is a bit of a nuisance, but hopefully with all of that money on offer something will go on,” he said.

“He was unlucky in the Dubai Duty Free last year and I am sure he will run well. It does look a tough race but I do think the owner will be getting a cheque, but whether it is the winner’s prize I am not sure,” an optimistic Bell said after Wigmore Hall was timed over 1,000m by Meydan officials at 1:09 flat after splits of 11.7 seconds and 39.5 seconds, respectively.

Meanwhile, California Memory, which will start from stall 8 in the nine-furlong turf contest, drew praise from his trainer Tony Cruz, according to an ERA press release.

“I have had a few runners in this race before and I would say this would be my best chance,” Cruz said in reference to unsuccessful previous bids with Beauty Flash, Floral Pegasus and Bullish Luck.

“The ground here is probably a little easier than what he is used to at home, but that won’t worry him. He pulled a little sore last time after the [Hong Kong] Gold Cup so we have gone back to normal shoes with him and he’s responding well to those. He will have another canter on the turf tomorrow probably,” Cruz said.

Meanwhile, DDF favourite Ambitious Dragon from Hong Kong was again one of the first on the Meydan track yesterday morning under Beverley Millard and lobbed around the all-weather surface in his own time as he has done since Monday.

Content with the five-time Group 1 winner’s preparation, Millard said: “He is in very good order. He looks great and feels great. He looks around here a little bit compared to his routine back home but he is on the correct lead leg going the left-handed way; we did some prep work going the other way back home.”

By M. Satya Narayan ?Chief Sports Reporter

Gulf News 2012. All rights reserved.