DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Imagine someone like a former NFL all-star quarterback taking up training Thoroughbreds and making it big. That would be about the position that Mick Channon occupies in England.

Channon, 59, was captain of the English national soccer team nearly 30 years ago. In 46 games playing striker, he scored 21 goals - about enough to make him a national hero in that soccer-crazed land.

"Believe it or not, I used to be slim and light on my feet," Channon said after the World Cup post-position draw Wednesday night, placing hands on a well-fed belly.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - When a horse is imported to Hong Kong, the owner is liable to change the animal's name. For instance, a gelding who raced under the name Comic Strip during 2004 and 2005 in England became Viva Pataca when he wound up in Hong Kong in 2006. Saturday at Nad Al Sheba, in the Sheema Classic, four other words apply: The horse to beat.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Thirteen horses were officially entered in Saturday's $6 million Dubai World Cup on Wednesday night, and Horse of the Year Curlin will break from outside all but one of them.

Curlin, the favorite for the world's richest horse race, drew post 12, with only A.P. Arrow farther out. But the wide draw did not faze assistant trainer Scott Blasi, who said his main concern was staying away from the rail.

"With him, I'd rather draw post six or out than six or in," Blasi said.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Just after 7 a.m. on Wednesday, at Godolphin's Al Quoz training center, horses were being shown to the assembled media at Godolphin's annual open house, held each Dubai World Cup week. The training center, which houses some of the most expensive horses in the world during the winter, is manicured, pristine, and tranquil. The horses are galloped or jogged one by one in front of a small grandstand, and as they go past, racing manager Simon Crisford tells who they are, what they have done, and speaks of future plans.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - You would think racing jurisdictions would at some point stop trying to enliven post-position draws. Every horse race has one, after all, and there are only so many ways to show that horse X will break from stall Z. But leave it to the Emirates Racing Club to continue pushing the envelope.

In a highly choreographed ceremony Wednesday night at the Johara Ballroom in the lavish Madinat Jumeirah Hotel, Emirates Racing showed that 86 horses were entered in the $21 million worth of Thoroughbred stakes on Saturday's Dubai World Cup card.

The big spender so far at the Magic Millions select yearling sale on Australia's Gold Coast hasn't been Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum or Coolmore Stud, the rivals who frequently head yearling buyers' lists worldwide. This week, Australia's most aggressive buyer has been Brisbane businessman Nathan Tinkler, represented by Roger Langley of Tinkler's Patinack Farm.

Patinack signed for 19 yearlings at Wednesday's third session, bringing its three-day total to 48 horses at a cost of about $12,061,170.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - There is something about buying a potentially wonderful racehorse that seems to appeal to some people nearly as much as actually racing one.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Science fiction is an especially popular form of manga, Japanese comics. Galloping around the Nad Al Sheba track on Monday, Vermilion seemed like he might have emerged straight out of just such a publication.

Redoute's Choice continued to be the sire of choice Tuesday at day two of the Magic Millions Conrad Jupiters select yearling sale on Australia's Gold Coast. One day after one of his sons topped the opening session at about $657,000, another brought about $916,000 on Tuesday to lead the sale so far.

Tuesday's session-topper, at $1 million in local currency, is out of New Zealand champion and Australian Group 1 winner Savannah Success, making him a half-brother to dual Australian Group 1 winner Savabeel. Dean Watt, on behalf of Dynamic Syndications, purchased the colt.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - When Asiatic Boy waltzed to a 9 1/2-length victory one year ago in the UAE Derby, his fourth straight blowout victory last winter in Dubai, it was easy to flip the calendar forward: This looked like a horse good enough to win the Dubai World Cup in 2008.

"That was always in our minds," conceded Mike de Kock, Asiatic Boy's trainer.

Asiatic Boy has indeed made it to the big race, but he starts in the $6 million World Cup here on Saturday night - one of 13 likely starters for the race - confronted with two major issues.