Twice Over new World Cup favourite after Dubai win
Henry Cecil's change of plan in sending Twice Over out to the desert kingdom of Dubai some weeks ahead of his main target the Dubai World Cup on March 26, paid immediate dividends as Prince Khaled Abdullah's high-class colt landed the Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge at Meydan on Wednesday night, writes Elliot Slater.
His two-and-three-quarter-length defeat of Mike de Kock's Musir catapulted the six-year-old to favouritism for the $10 million World Cup itself, a race for which he was also sent off market leader 12 months ago only to run well below expectations in finishing just tenth behind the French/Brazilian winner Gloria de Campaeo. Last year Twice Over flew out to Meydan only a matter of days before the big race itself, but in consultation with Prince Khaled and his racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe, Cecil took the decision to fly his charge out earlier and give the dual Champion Stakes winner more time to acclimatise. Those looking to place horse racing bets will no doubt take the move into account before committing their cash.
The policy has already paid rich dividends as the son of Observatory was always travelling well in the 10-furlong contest under Tom Queally, moving through down the centre of the course to lead over a furlong out, before staying-on strongly to score with something to spare. Even though the time of the race was nothing special, the visual impression and the quality of the opposition was enough to prompt betting firms to promote Twice Over to 7/2 favouritism and to ease previous market leader Bold Silvano (absent from Wednesday's contest due to sustaining a bruised foot), to as big as 5/1.
Queally made it clear that the winner had almost certainly been in need of the outing and the run should have put him spot on to put up a rather better show in the main event in just over three week's time than was the case in 2010.
