Melbourne trainer Mick Kent has described Unusual Suspect’s Dubai campaign a disaster and he will be sent to England to prepare for Royal Ascot.
Top European trainer Luca Cumani will take over the training of Unusual Suspect after the eight year old failed to fire and ran three unplaced runs in United Arab Emirates.
“He’s 15 kilograms too light, he’s on his own, hasn’t eaten well and has got muscle sore working on the Tapeta track,” Kent said.
“The whole thing has been a disaster.”
Unusual Suspect was sent to Dubai by his Australian owners after a fair sixth in last year’s Caulfield Cup and then a ninth to Dunaden in the Melbourne Cup.
The American bred galloper ran an encouraging sixth over 2000m at Meydan but was disappointing when ninth of twelve over 2000m on March 3 and then could only beat two runners home when fourteenth in last Saturday’s Group 2 Dubai City Of Gold (2410m).
“He only ran ordinary on Saturday night,” Kent said. “He’s not going well enough to go on.”
“He can go straight to England without any quarantine and have a couple of runs over there and then come back for the spring.”
Jockey Glyn Schofield could have up to five rides for South African trainer Herman Brown on World Cup night.
Mikhail Glinka could be Schofield’s $10m World Cup (2000m) mount if Brown decides to run him in that in preference to the Dubai Sheema Classic over 2410m on the turf.
The Galileo five year old returned to the winner’s list with a solid victory in the Group 2 Dubai City Of Gold (2410m) on the turf at Meydan last Saturday in a tough field.
“These Galileo’s usually get better as they get older. He has gotten bigger and stronger and beat a lot of Group One horses on Saturday,” Brown said.
“I might put him in the World Cup as the race will suit him well.”
Brown’s other World Cup night contenders will be Gitano Hernando, August Rush, Green Destiny and Maritimer.
Schofield will be reunited with Gitano Hernando who he rode to victory in the Group 1 Singapore Airlines International Cup last year.
The six year old was well beaten last Saturday but Brown said that he was badly in need of the run.
“He needed the run badly as he was coming back from injury and we are trying to get him ready in time,” Brown said.
“I am swinging towards the Sheema Classic for him.”
South African Group 1 winner August Rush finished third in the Group 3 Mahab Al Shimaal over 1200m on the tapeta on Saturday and Brown is still deciding whether to go for the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint over 1000m on turf or the Group 1 Golden Shaheen over 1200m on the tapeta on World Cup night.
Green Destiny looks likely to run in the the Duty Free over 1 800m on turf on World Cup night and three year old Maritmer is set for the Group 2 UAE Derby over 1900m on the tapeta track.
