North America To Forgo Maktoum Challenge R3
Ramadan Kodrov's Satish Seemar trained gelding North America will not be defending his Al Maktoum Challenge R3 crown.
The aforementioned Group 1 $600,000 cup is a major prep race for the Gr.1 Dubai World Cup
“We’ve decided we’re going to miss the third leg,” said Satish Seemar, trainer of North America. “As you know, the last three or so times he has proven that he runs at the top of his game fresh. The first time he ran in Dubai as a maiden, he hadn’t raced in a while and he was amazing. The second time he ran after a year he was on top of his game and then he came back after being off many months and won (the Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1 on Jan. 10) by nine lengths. This is only 40-50 days (between romping the Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2), so I don’t see a reason to run in between. He’ll go straight to the Dubai World Cup.”
Last year, North America missed the break, allowing the eventual winner Thunder Snow to dictate the pace, win impressively and leave all of North America’s supporters helplessly wondering what might have been.
This year, while a recovering Thunder Snow has been pointing toward Round 3 as his comeback spot, a fresh North America won both rounds of the Al Maktoum Challenge with elan.
“We’ve already beaten Thunder Snow by five lengths,” Seemar continued. “In the (Dubai) World Cup, we had a gate incident and it was just unfortunate. They are right next to the speakers at the start and he was agitated by the sound when they took off his earplugs. He was on the wrong foot and just didn’t jump well, so we are changing things up with him. We have a handler in the gates with him now and we have taken the earplugs out. We did that in the (Round 2 win) last out and it got him used to the sound.”
Although Seemar lost one of his best horses, Raven's Corner earlier this month he confirmed that Gr.3 Jebel Ali Mile winner Secret Ambition will be racing in the Gr.3 Burj Nahar while Lavaspin will be racing in the Gr.3 Mahab Al Shimaal.
"He’s quite a brave horse and he’s going with the big boys now. He took on one big boy already when he beat a multiple Grade 3 winner in Switzerland and now he will move up again," said Seemar of the latter.
Seemar has five contenders tomorrow before his team moves to focus on the biggest race meeting prior to the Dubai Wold Cup day.
Curated From Press Release by Dubai Racing Club