2011 Dubai World Cup Runner by Runner Preview: Gio Ponti

Gio Ponti (Tale of the Cat) will be the primary representative for the American contingent in this edition of the Dubai World Cup. A regular fixture in top races on grass, synthetic and dirt; Gio Ponti currently reigns as the top older horse in America. Finishing fourth in last year’s contest when sent off at 5/1, Gio Ponti’s connections will have learned a few things since that race and we might see a tactical shift where he won’t sit as far back off the pace as he did in 2010. Don’t look for Gio Ponti to be particularly prominent, but being at the front of the mid-division would probably suit him a bit better.

Ramon Dominguez travels to Meydan to pilot him and there’s no doubt that this horse ranks amongst the top selections if you’re looking at official ratings. He earned a massive 125 for his fourth place finish last year and there’s still plenty of upside left in the six year-old.

As horses tend to get a bit older it becomes a bit more difficult for them to hit off a lay-off and you really can’t find a bigger stage to run on as a seasonal debut. Most will remember his excellent second-place finish to living-legend Goldikova (Anabaa) in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

There was some concern about Gio Ponti’s chances earlier this week as the whispers around Meydan were that he didn’t travel as well as connections would have liked and he did look especially sweaty during his first morning gallops session. The latets word from the Meydan backstretch was that he looked first-class on his Wednesday exercises and looks to have fully acclimatized to the Dubai heat.

I wouldn’t go out and say he’s going to win this one but I do think that a 10/1 price tag makes him a justifiable win-only selection. He needs a comfortable trip and a not-so-lightning-fast early pace. He is in the mix for all of the exotic pools and remains a strong selection if you think that Twice Over (Observatory) or Cape Blanco (Galileo) might offer up a few mistakes for this contender to capitalize upon.