De Kock optimistic about Dubai Cup despite failures
Champion trainer, Mike De Kock, is still expecting a big run from his star duo Bold Silvano and Master Of Hounds in the upcoming Dubai World Cup despite their recent failures at the Meydan.
In two different races at the Meydan on February9, both horses were not able to perform well. Competing for the title of Firebreak Stakes, Bold Silvano finished fifth despite being sent as the 4 to 6 favourite.
On the other hand, the 6 to 4 hot favourite, Master Of Hounds, wilted to finish third, in the Al Maktoum Challenge.
With these defeats, the favourite duo disappointed the bookmakers greatly, and they started casting doubts about their starts in the Dubai World Cup, which is set to begin on March 31.
However, De Kock is upbeat, and he is anticipating a winning performance from his trainees.
While speaking to the media yesterday, the legendary trainer said, “The end of March is a long way off and both have more to come - especially Bold Silvano who has been off for 53 weeks and was running over a trip short of his best.”
He added, “With a clear passage he would have been closer and he will have come on a lot for that, while Master Of Hounds is also going to be better stepped up to the World Cup trip. He too will improve from tonight."
The six-year-old, Bold Silvano, has won two out of his total seven races so far since making hos debut in January 2010. The horse is owned by Sh Mohd Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum & Mrs Thompson.
His stable mate, Master of Hounds, has just one victory to his credit. Starting his career in May 2010, the colt has run for 11 times to date.
With the mega Dubai competition at least a month away, De Kock hopes that both of his runners will regain their lost momentum, and participate in the event confidently.
Setting aside the hopes, the odds do not support the duo. The racing analysts too opine that they will remain unimpressive in the high-voltage event.
However, if the two show vigilance in training camps during the intervening time, they can be able to fix their fault lines.
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