Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin has long been waiting to start the four-year-old campaign of the admirable Frosted, a Godolphin 'warrior' whose career highlight was a courageous second in last year's G1 Belmont Stakes in New York.
Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin has long been waiting to start the four-year-old campaign of the admirable Frosted, a Godolphin 'warrior' whose career highlight was a courageous second in last year's G1 Belmont Stakes in New York.
The reason? There has always been feeling around the McLaughlin barn that as good as Frosted was at three, he could be better at four. A little maturity works wonders for thoroughbred racehorses, so long as they can withstand the rigours of training and racing.
On Thursday night (February 4) at Meydan, we shall indeed see what progress has been made when the grey son of Tapit contests the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2, over 1,900m on dirt, in which he faces eight rivals.
The race is a first stepping stone to his major target, the G1 Dubai World Cup, over 2,000m, on March 26.
McLaughlin arrived in Dubai last Monday. His horses were shipped in from America on January 23, leaving them ample time to settle in to their new surroundings. And, according to the trainer, the weather has played a significant part in a smooth introduction to Dubai for his horses.
"All my horses here are carrying condition, but they are doing great. The weather has been great, which has helped. They travelled well, and have settled in," McLaughlin pointed out.
Use of the word 'warrior' to describe Frosted earlier in this report was not exercised loosely. Of the same vintage as a champion, American Pharoah, the Godolphin colt finished fourth to him in the G1 Kentucky Derby and second to him in the G1 Belmont.
His third in the G1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga, in which American Pharoah suffered a shock defeat, was gutsy, largely because it was he who pressurised the champion more than half a mile from home, going stride for stride with him to the home turn.
This is Frosted's first run since his 7th in the G1 Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland on October 31, but McLaughlin is confident of a good run first up.
"I expect a big performance from Frosted, I think he can win," the trainer said. "His work has been excellent. William Buick will ride him. I have great respect for William, he is a fine young jockey.
"But it will be his first time on Frosted, and while that is certainly not a negative, it is a new element. What I am not sure about is the pace. I will leave that to William," he added.
McLaughlin also runs Elnaawi, who finished third in the G1 Donn Handicap at Gulfstream, while other chances, Faulkner and Special Fighter, have both been running consistently well at Meydan recently.
McLaughlin saddles both Confrontation, a new Godolphin purchase, and Watershed in the G3 Firebreak Stakes, as both take on Mubtaahij, the 8-length winner of last year's G2 UAE Derby and fourth in the G1 Belmont Stakes.
On another cracking card at Meydan, Godolphin's Very Special is expected to step up to the plate in the G2 Cape Verdi, over 1,600m for fillies and mares. She has won two of her five starts, and her main opposition comes from Almashooqa, runner-up in the South African Golden Slipper earlier in her career.
In Sydney on Saturday, Godolphin have a great chance of taking the G3 Eskimo Prince Stakes at Randwick with the useful Tarquin, third in the G1 Champagne Stakes. Pride Of Dubai resumes after a long spell on the sidelines, and this G1 Blue Diamond winner has had two recent trials to get him ready.
The most interesting race, however, is the Gardenia Handicap, in which Godolphin's UK purchase Arab Dawn has his first Australian outing. Winner of the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes at Royal Ascot, he trialled recently in Sydney.
But he can expect strong opposition from Hasselhoof, an unbeaten (6 from 6) gelding in New Zealand, and regarded by Kiwi judges as one of their best prospects for some time.
