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Laurence O’Kane and Melanie Marnane’s hard-trying sprinter Alfredo Arcano will lead a well-handicapped trio of David Marnane-trained horses into the 2020 Dubai World Cup Carnival.
A regular at the 10-week international showcase, the Irish conditioner is optimistic that said triad (completed by Freescape and Settle for Bay), will be competitive this season. All are expected to arrive later today, Dec. 28.
Alfredo Arcano will start things off on opening night (Jan. 2) when he clashes with the best local sprinters in the Group 3 $200,000 Dubawi Stakes—his first try on dirt. In 40 starts, he has nine wins and exits a smart victory on Dec. 13 over 1200m on Dundalk's left-handed all-weather course.
"I just want to get him started and he's such a nice, ultra-consistent horse," Marnane said. "He's as good a horse as (locally G3-placed) Tato Key was last year and I've wanted to try him on the dirt. He ran very well at Dundalk."
Marnane continues on Jan. 9 with improving Freescape, who races for City Equine Syndicate and comes to Dubai for a third consecutive winter. Soon to be five, the son of Dubai Turf (G1) winner Cityscape also exits a victory in December at Dundalk—his over a mile on Dec. 6. From 20 starts, he has three wins and has acquitted himself well in his six Meydan tries, including a third in the Meydan Classic (Listed) as a 3-year-old in 2018.
"Freescape will run on the second night and won his prep very easily," Marnane said. "The form worked out well and a horse he beat (Yuften, third) won the other day. Last year he was running off 97 and he was beaten and then had to wait four weeks. He also had two very wide draws last season. Now, he's back at a good rating and he's a more furnished, stronger horse. He saw the mile out really well the other day and won a very competitive Dundalk handicap, so hopefully he does the same in Dubai. He loves the place."
The highest-profile of the trio is McGettigans Management Services and Mauice Casey's Settle For Bay , thanks to his popular victory in the Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot 2018. Given a six-month break following a failed defence attempt in June, he returned with an eighth of 12 last out at Dundalk on Dec. 20. Last season, he ran twice at the DWC Carnival and failed to factor.
"He's been start-stop since he won the Hunt Cup and it's been difficult to get two runs together with him," Marnane said. "He came back and raced the other night and needed that run, but it was good to blow the cobwebs off him. He will look at the third week (Jan. 16) of the Carnival. There's a ($175,000 90+) mile handicap. He will be coming back a well-handicapped horse and if we can get him back anywhere near his best, he's going to be very competitive."
