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Trainer Michael Clements and owner Joe Singh are the only racing connections from Singapore to have entered horses at the first round of nominations for the prestigious Dubai World Cup night at Meydan on March 28.
The Dubai Racing Club rolled out the list on Thursday, unveiling a total of 1,774 nominations from 902 individual horses trained in 21 countries for the nine races on offer (including one for Purebred Arabians).
With a total purse of US$35 million (S$47 million), the Dubai World Cup is the world's richest single day in horse racing and will be at its 25th renewal. The showpiece is the US$12 million Group 1 Dubai World Cup (2000m) on dirt.
Clements has entered four horses but as eight different nominations. They are middle-distance performers Countofmontecristo and Yabadabadoo in both the US$6 million Group 1 Dubai Turf (1800m) and US$1.5 million Group 2 Godolphin Mile (1600m) on dirt, and the sprinting duo of Eye Guy and Gingerella in both sprint features, the US$2.5 million Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen (1200m) on dirt – which Singapore icon Rocket Man famously won in 2011 – and US$2 million Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint (1200m) on turf.
Clements, who has in the last three or four years ensconced himself as one of the leading trainers at Kranji, is aware the free noms are, like for any such global racing events, just paperwork to get in and beat the deadline.
There is still about two months to go before an invitation materialises, or should we say, if.
The cream invariably rises to the top and with world heavy-hitters like Almond Eye, Beauty Generation and Win Bright in the Dubai Turf mix or speedballs from US, Group 1 winners Imperial Hint and Hog Creek Hustle, and Australia like Hey Doc and Nature Strip to contend with in the two sprint features, those prodigious numbers as of today will drop like flies by race time.
Still, Clements and Singh have not filled in those application forms just to give "Singapore" a token presence among those elite racing nations for a few precious weeks.
"Joe was quite keen to have a runner or two in Dubai and we've then decided to enter his four top-rated horses," said Clements who came close to sending Kiwi Karma to the same Dubai races in 2016, but had to unfortunately pull the pin due to a Strangles outbreak at Kranji that gave the Dubai racing authorities some concerns.
"I have to say first that three of them, namely Countofmontecristo, Eye Guy and Gingerella have actually been accepted to run at the Carnival leading up to the Dubai World Cup.
"We would like to go for that if possible, with the idea to hopefully gain a slot on World Cup night. At this stage, on ratings, Countofmontecristo (109) is the only one with a slim chance of getting a berth to one of the races.
"However, we're not going to know until further down the line when the invitation process starts.
"But first, two of them are running this weekend in the Fortune Bowl, Countofmontecristo and Gingerella. Let's see how they run and evaluate them from not just that but also their next races in Singapore before we decide if they accept for the Carnival lead-up races."
The Clements pair are among a leading trio he saddles in the $175,000 Group 3 Fortune Bowl (1400m) on Sunday, with the third runner being another smart customer, the Tivic Stable-owned Bold Thruster.
While the desert riches are shimmering like an oasis in the horizon, Clements is staying grounded with the local prizes up for grabs. The Zimbabwean-born conditioner is not on the Chinese New Year race roll of honour, but he did claim its previous version, the Singapore Derby Trial at its inaugural edition with Jazz Malone in 2000.
"Count (eight-time winner and four at Group level) has the standout form in the race. He's resuming over 1400m, but that's okay," he said.
"He had two good trials, he has come back bright after a short break. Apart from a tricky barrier (11), I'm really pleased with his prep.
"Gingerella ran fifth in the Group 1 Lion City Cup (1200m) last year. It's her first time over 1400m, she's only run up to 1200m, so it'll be a big ask for her, even if we do feel she will get 1400m.
"She is very keen and full of special qualities, but the question mark at this stage of her prep is the distance. I have no doubt she will get 1400m later on.
"Class-wise, I think she can match up with the higher-rated horses. I hope she can come through her run well.
"As for Bold Thruster, it's his first time over this distance, but I think he'll see it out."
Dubai races are not new territory to Singapore horses. Trainers Malcolm Thwaites, Laurie Laxon and John Meagher were among the first pioneers in the 2000s, with the Patrick Shaw-trained Rocket Man finally rewriting history a decade later when he became the first Singapore-based horse to win an International Group 1 race in the Dubai Golden Shaheen in 2011.
Steven Burridge also made his mark, but in the Dubai Racing Carnival with four wins from Dark Matter, Captain Obvious and Ip Man (later known as El Padrino) in 2012.
The last Singapore racehorse to contest a race in Dubai was the Cliff Brown-trained Debt Collector, who ran unplaced to Japanese raider Vivlos in the Dubai Turf at the Dubai World Cup meeting in 2017.
