I’M a Country boy at heart — even more so today as I go for a fabulous fifth win in the Dubai World Cup.
With this being my last one I’d love to go out on a high and win again on Country Grammer.
He has a big engine and an even bigger heart and came from miles back to storm home for me last year.
That was the first time I rode him in a race — and it was fate I even got the ride at all.
I was out here last winter and went to watch a game of polo for a friend’s birthday.
It was while I was there I met Country Grammer’s owner Amir Zedan and he explained to me he was a big fan of mine and that, one day, he’d like me to ride a horse for him.
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Then I was at the Cheltenham Festival and my agent told me the horse’s rider Flavien Prat had decided to ride something else in the Dubai World Cup.
I got on the phone to Amir and told him I’m available and I’d love to step in for the ride on Country Grammer.
He gave me the thumbs up so I spoke to Bob Baffert and the rest, as they say, is history. Flavien picked Hot Rod Charlie who ended up finishing second to us. Ouch!
Dubai is like my second home. I spent 18 years riding for Godolphin, so I had many winters out here. It’s where my kids were brought up and whenever I come back here it feels special and quite emotional.
I remember the great Cigar winning the first Dubai World Cup back in 1996. Scarily, that only seems like yesterday, but it’s nearly 30 years ago!
I’ve had some great memories and Dubai Millennium, who won the race in the millennium year, was my first win. He is probably the best horse I’ve ever ridden.
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My other winners were Moon Ballad in 2003, Electrocutionist in 2006 and, of course, Country Grammer last year.
Last year, we probably thought Life Is Good — who was sent off odds-on — was unbeatable, and he probably was until he hit the furlong pole and fell in a hole and we went past him. I’m hoping it will be another come-from-behind win today — especially as stall 14 is not ideal.
Country Grammer is all heart.
He is like me and leaves everything out there on the track. You know he’s going to run hard until the end. He ran a super race in the Saudi Cup last time typically doing all his best work in the final couple of furlongs.
At one stage I thought we would be beaten miles and then I thought we would just get up.
In the end the line came just too soon but today’s extra furlong will suit him well. He has lots of guts and never gives up. The draw is not the best as the first turn comes up quickly but I will just drop him in and try and work my way through the field and then come with his famous late charge.
It could be a thrilling finish to the race — I hope so!
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I’ve got some other nice rides on another big World Pool day for punters across the globe.
First up for me is TRAWLERMAN (12.40). He didn’t run that well in the Red Sea Turf in Riyadh, but that was his first run after a long lay-off.
It can be hard to get horses fit first time up, and I’m hoping he’s ready now.
RAAED (1.15) is an ex-Shadwell horse and has been racing a lot on dirt in Saudi Arabia, but has some good form on the grass too. This year’s Al Quoz Sprint looks an open division and hopefully he has a nice chance.
I rode work on WORCESTER (1.50) and he’s quite a lazy horse, but he’s an interesting one in the UAE Derby. It’s difficult to weigh up all the Japanese form, but my horse is solid. He’s proven on dirt and the distance will be no problem.
The Golden Shaheen looks a tough race. HOPKINS (2.25) finished well behind Country Grammer at Santa Anita, but he’s a sprinter and found that step up in trip a bridge too far. This is his trip and I can see him running well.
LORD NORTH (3.10) is a horse I love to bits. I rode him on Thursday morning and he seems fine. He can be hard to predict but he always turns up here at the right time.
He dead-heated in this race last year. It’s funny because before and after the line I was in third . . . but on the line I had dead-heated!
We’ve got a good draw in stall three, but it just depends how he is on the day. He doesn’t show much in the mornings as he’s seven now, but hopefully he still comes alive when the gates open.
After Emily Upjohn came out, Caspar Fownes asked me to ride SENOR TOBA (4.00) in the Sheema Classic. We’re not under any illusions how tough it will be — he finished five lengths behind Win Marylin in the Hong Kong Vase — but we’ll give it a go.
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At the moment, I’m taking things a week at a time. After Dubai I’ll head back to California. There are plenty of Kentucky Derby trials next week, so I’m hoping I can land on a top-class three-year-old.
Then I’ll be coming back to Newmarket for the Craven Meeting next month.
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