SO YOU Think and Joseph O’Brien will headline a strong Irish challenge at Meydan on Saturday when they line up for the Dubai World Cup.
O’Brien will also be on board his Breeders’ Cup hero St Nicholas Abbey in the Sheema Classic on the multi-million dollar Group One card, a race in which his father, Aidan, will also be represented by last year’s Irish Derby winner Treasure Beach (Colm O’Donoghue.)
Paddy Power yesterday installed St Nicholas Abbey as a 5 to 2 joint-favourite for the 12-furlong race with the French star Cirrus Des Aigles.
The powerful Ballydoyle team will also be represented on Saturday by both Daddy Long Legs (O’Donoghue) and the Breeders’ Cup winner Wrote (Ryan Moore) in the UAE Derby while Await The Dawn (Joseph O’Brien) lines up for the Duty Free race.
Ballydoyle isn’t represented in the Group One Al Quoz Sprint on turf but a trio of Irish horses will line up.
The Group One winner Sole Power will have Johnny Murtagh on board in a race which is worth over €400,000 to the winning combination.
Mick Halford’s Invincible Ash, who is already a Meydan winner this year, also lines up, as does David Marnane’s Nocturnal Affair who will be steered by Ryan Moore.
Saturday’s action which is topped by the world’s richest race is again scheduled to be broadcast in Ireland on TG4.
