Vazirabad no sure thing in prep for Dubai Gold Cup

The top-class stayer Vazirabad is scheduled to tune up for a run at a third straight $1 million Dubai Gold Cup victory when he starts Thursday at Meydan in the Group 3, $200,000 Nad Al Sheba Trophy Stakes.

Vazirabad was among the 12 horses that passed the early entry stage for the Nad Al Sheba Trophy. Final entries for the card weren’t available by Monday afternoon, but Vazirabad figures to run. Trained by Alain de Royer-Dupre for the Aga Khan and based most of the year in France, Vazirabad won the 2016 Dubai Gold Cup fresh off a five-month layoff. But last year, Royer-Dupre prepped him for another Gold Cup score in this same race, the Nad al Sheba Trophy. Vazirabad finished second by 1 1/2 lengths to Beautiful Romance that night, but got enough out of the start to turn the tables on Beautiful Romance a month later in the Gold Cup, winning by a neck.

Vazirabad, a 6-year-old French-bred gelding by Manduro, has somewhat quietly put together a remarkable career, and he comes into his 2018 campaign with a record of 14-3-0 from 18 starts. Vazirabad excels in two-mile races like the Gold Cup and has won over distances as long as 20 1/2 furlongs. Thursday’s race at about 14 furlongs falls short of his ideal trip, and he could well be vulnerable again in what amounts to a pure prep.

Also among the early Nad Al Sheba Trophy entrants is the 9-year-old warrior Sheikhzayedroad, who made his first Meyan appearance in 2014 and is set to race at his fifth Dubai World Cup Carnival.

The Thursday feature is the Group 3, $250,000 UAE Oaks, though the race is light on quantity and, perhaps, quality. Six fillies at most will start in the race, contested at 1,900 meters (about 1 3/16 miles) on dirt, and Godolphin’s Winter Lightning figures a strong favorite for trainer Saeed bin Suroor.

Winter Lightning, a homebred by Shamardal, finished second last fall at Newmarket in her lone start at 2 and has won both her dirt starts this winter at Meydan. In the 1,400-meter UAE 1000 Guineas Trial, she beat Rayya by just a nose, but three weeks ago in the 1,600-meter UAE 1000 Guineas, she defeated Rayya by two lengths and looked comfortable doing so. The longer trip Thursday probably only widens the gap between the two fillies, and it is difficult to see any of the others stepping forward to contend.