DUBAI WORLD CUP

The best horses don't normally tend to slip under the radar when it comes to the world's most valuable and prestigious races - but that is exactly what Kirklees appears to have done when beating Hattan by 3 ¼ lengths in a turf 1m2f handicap at Nad Al Sheba last week, with smart Australian performer Barbaricus and the rest beaten off by a further 3 lengths and more. Because Timeform have given Kirklees a rating of 125 for that tremendously impressive effort, which makes him their current top-rated horse for the Dubai World Cup on March 28th, at least 2lb clear of the opposition. Kirklees hasn't raced on dirt before, but his pedigree certainly gives some cause for optimism on that front. And Godolphin are thinking of either running him in the Maktoum Challenge on dirt or the Jebel Hatta on turf, with possible preference for the former. And, with no superstar of the calibre of Cigar, Dubai Millennium or Curlin on the horizon, this certainly doesn't look like a vintage World Cup (see Timeform ratings of previous World Cup winners in table below). So can Kirklees, beaten in a Thirsk maiden on his debut, fill that world-class void? Betfair spokesman Tony Calvin said: "The Betfair punters who have backed the horse, for admittedly small sums, as high as 41-1 for the race certainly hope that connections flirt with the dirt, as Kirklees looked a potential star last week."