World Cup favourite threatened by Silver

SILVER Pond can put the dampeners on So You Think’s Dubai World Cup bid by thwarting the former Australian champion in the world’s richest race at Meydan tonight.
By The Newsroom
Published 31st Mar 2012, 08:43 BST

A maximum field of 14 is set to compete for the £3.8m first prize and Silver Pond, formerly trained in France but now with local handler Doug Watson, looks a value each-way play following his promising run here on ‘Super Saturday’.

Silver Pond finished second behind Capponi, who reopposes, but connections were thrilled with the run as they expected their charge to have needed the outing.

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So You Think is the likely favourite for the night’s feature that is run on the Tapeta synthetic surface pioneered by legendary Yorkshire trainer Michael Dickinson.

Foaled in New Zealand, So You Think was trained by the great Bart Cummings to win five of those in Australia before switching to Aidan O’Brien and winning last year’s Eclipse at Sandown. He will be ridden by the trainer’s son Joseph.

Japan landed the World Cup 12 months ago with Victoire Pisa and are throwing the kitchen sink at the prize again by saddling three in Eishin Flash, Smart Falcon and Transcend, the latter having finished an honourable second in last year’s renewal.

There is a suspicion the Godolphin challenge of Capponi, Mendip, Monterosso and Frankie Dettori’s mount Prince Bishop could fall short.

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Ballydoyle may enjoy better luck in the Dubai Sheema Classic in which their duo of Derby runner-up Treasure Beach and 2009 Racing Post Trophy winner St Nicholas Abbey can dominate, the latter a fabulously impressive winner of the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Churchill Downs last November.

David Barron feels Hitchens is getting better as he gets older as he prepares his stable star for the Dubai Golden Shaheen.

The seven-year-old, who will be ridden by Silvestre de Sousa, has not been outside the first two in three Dubai runs recently and having finished third in the July Cup, Barron knows he is not out of place at the highest table.

“I’ve been very pleased with him since he came out earlier in the year. He settled in as quickly as I could have hoped and has run well both in victory and defeat,” said North Yorkshire-based Barron.