By Duane Fonseca
Defending champion Country Grammer and recently-crowned Saudi Cup champion Panthalassa will break from gates 14 and 15 respectively when they continue their newfound rivalry in the Group 1 Dubai World Cup sponsored by Emirates Airline at Meydan Racecourse on Saturday.
The pair have dominated the talk in the run up to the $12million showpiece that will be contested over the 2000m dirt strip and after the post position draw both might have to reassess tactics after being drawn widest. Yoshito Yahagi trained Panthalassa is one of seven Japanese raiders in the March 25 showpiece and his battle with Country Grammer could start as soon as the gates fly open.
Beaten twice in successive years in the Saudi Cup, Country Grammer went down by a half length in 2022 to Emblem Road, who runs here and breaks out of Gate 2. Defending UAE Champion Trainer Bhupat Seemar’s pair Remorse and Bendoog have drawn Gates 1 and 7 respectively, while Dubai based Bahraini handler Fawzi Nass chose Gate 4 for Salute The Soldier.
Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge R2 winner Algiers, trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, has drawn Gate 13, while 2022 Group 2 UAE Derby winner Crown Pride jumps from Gate 12.
Draw for the Group 1 Dubai World Cup sponsored by Emirates Airline
1 Remorse
2 Emblem Road
3 Jun Light Bolt
4 Salute The Soldier
5 Vela Azul
6 T O Keynes
7 Bendoog
8 Ushba Tesoro
9 Geoglyph
10 Cafe Pharoah
11 Super Corinto
12 Crown Pride
13 Algiers
14 Country Grammer
15 Panthalassa
