For Ms. Gallant.....
UAE...
Brittain’s DWC Kandidate reappears
Respected British trainer Clive Brittain, who has a fine record in the UAE, unleashes Carnival regular and Dubai World Cup hope Kandidate (pictured) at Nad Al Sheba on Thursday.
The globe-trotting six-year-old will seek to take the route he took into the Dubai World Cup last year, when he triumphed in Round two of the Maktoum Challenge – the showpiece race on Thursday’s card, sponsored by Shadwell Farm.
On that occasion the son of Kabool displayed a front running masterclass to romp home and take the Group 2 honours 5 ¾ lengths ahead of Mullins Bay, and Brittain would love to witness a repeat this time out.
"We hope to be able to emulate what he did last year," said the Newmarket-based handler.
"The plan is to get him invited to run in the Dubai World Cup again but it obviously depends on his performance in the Maktoum Challenge. We hope to take our chance, but realize the Carnival is getting tougher each year.
"We felt that in last year’s World Cup when he broke he stumbled and that hampered him from the off. I’m not saying that he would have won but he would have been a lot closer to the fourth placed horse Vermilion." Kandidate finished the race, won by Invasor, in sixth.
Outlining Kandidate’s smooth preparation at Nad Al Sheba this time around Brittain added: "He’s settled in very well in Dubai. His weight is good and he’s been eating very well, so everything looks as though it’s going to plan.”
Kandidate is one of the most experienced horses in Carnival history, having competed in the past three editions.
The 73-year-old Brittain added: "He’s got a lot of air miles on the clock now and we know that whenever he travels abroad he will run up to a certain mark.
"Dubai suits him, he’s used to it there now. He’s won there the past two years and we’re looking for the hat-trick now.”
The veteran trainer also hopes to be double handed in Friday’s feature, the UAE 1000 Guineas for which he has Albabilia and Love Of Dubai.
The latter was sixth in a conditions race behind Godolphin’s Fiesta Lady on the first night of the Carnival, while Albabilia won the Group 3 Sweet Solera Stakes before finishing fourth in the Group 1 Moyglare Stakes on The Curragh.
Brittain explains: “It was very wet when they arrived so Love Of Dubai probably needed that run quite badly. Albabilia is a lovely filly and the plan is to run both at the moment.”
Curlin.....
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