First Dubai World Cup-winning trainer hopes to win inaugural Saudi Cup
Top conditioner Bill Mott had no idea what to expect when he shipped the 1995 United States Horse of the Year to Dubai. The horse went up against some of the best in the world and won the first Dubai World Cup. Mott set the trend of shipping North American horses to Dubai for the richest race meeting in the world.
Bill Mott is once again back to the desert, aiming for the inaugural US$20 million Saudi Cup purse with Juddmonte Farms-owned Tacitus.
“I did have some connections over there that had previously worked for me - one being a veterinarian and one being an assistant trainer, so I had a certain comfort level there,” Mott recalls of his visit to Dubai. “They told me what they could, but we didn’t know what the facilities were going to be like. For a kid from South Dakota going over there, it was like going to another world.
Considering Tacitus, Mott said: “This is like the icing on the cake to be able to be here and participate in this race. It’s exciting. The great connections I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to be involved with Juddmonte wanted to participate in (the Saudi Cup) and they’re excited as well.”
While Mott’s 28-year-old son Riley has been with the 4yo Tapit colt since his arrival in Saudi Arabia, the elder Mott arrived late on Wednesday night and is more than pleased with what he has seen.
“You’ve got first-class facilities here like the quarantine centre and the way it’s set up and managed,” Mott said. “To have this race go off for the first time. They’ve done a terrific job getting everything prepared on such short notice.
“I’d like to be able to put that on my resume. If that were to happen, you’d have some bragging rights. It’s something you can talk about – it’s a good conversation starter. At the time (1996), the Dubai World Cup was the richest race in the world and now this one is.” said Mott.