Talismanic seemed to handle dirt fine in Dubai World Cup work

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Talismanic had a serious workout Monday morning for the Dubai World Cup, going in company with Sheema Classic starter Cloth of Stars. It’s not entirely certain just how far the horses worked, and no one seems to have any idea how fast they went. And for trainer Andre Fabre, who travels from his base in France later this week, that’s of no concern whatsoever.

“I don’t care how fast they go,” Fabre said, reached by phone Monday in his stable office. “We don’t clock the horses. The riders know them by heart, and they were very pleased with them.”

American horses here for World Cup races will work a moderate half or three furlongs Monday or Tuesday this week, or even just gallop into their start on Saturday. But Talismanic and Cloth of Stars got serious just after 5 a.m. Monday, breaking off on the clubhouse turn and working around to the wire. Talismanic showed the way, Cloth of Stars tracking and eventually drawing nearly alongside in the final furlong. Dubai Racing Club press notes said the work was more than 1,400 meters, or about seven furlongs, and it was at least that.

Fabre also runs Trais Fluor in the Dubai Turf and Rosa Imperial in the Godolphin Mile, and those two horses worked as a team later Monday. Rosa Imperial had been aimed at the Al Quoz Sprint until Sharp Azteca was injured and came out of the Godolphin Mile, after which Fabre changed course.

Both Rosa Imperial and Talismanic run on dirt for the first time Saturday night, although Talismanic has the weightier dirt debut. Talismanic won the Breeders’ Cup Turf, then finished second to Highland Reel in the Hong Kong Vase on Dec. 10. The World Cup became his early season target shortly thereafter, and Talismanic impressed winning his World Cup prep, a synthetic-surface race March 6 at Chantilly. He shipped to Dubai shortly after.

“The dirt obviously is a big question mark,” Fabre said, regarding Talismanic’s chances, but the horse is by Medaglia d’Oro, who gets plenty of dirt runners, and he has looked comfortable all along training on the Meydan dirt. Fabre never has won the World Cup, but then he is a legendary trainer of French turf horses, not dirt runners. And keep in mind it was Andre Fabre who sent the French turf horse Aracangues to an epic upset of the Breeders’ Cup Classic in 1993.