The hot debate whether Singapore kingpin Debt Collector can measure up in Dubai gets even hotter as the eventuality of his participation in the Dubai Turf took one step closer after his sensational first-up win last Friday week.
The Thorn Park four-year-old is nominated for the US$6 million race over 1800m. While the fields have not been released yet, one person who would be in a slightly better position to lead the debate is his jockey Michael Rodd.
The Kranji-based Australian jockey has travelled to Dubai twice this year to ride Elite Excalibur for trainer Steven Burridge at the Dubai World Cup Carnival. Unfortunately, Rodd did not win and neither could South African jockey Bernard Fayd'Herbe at Elite Excalibur's two other starts.
Rodd was aboard at the Fastnet Rock four-year-old's Dubai debut on January 5, and came up with a luckless fifth after missing the break and getting caught in traffic for which Rodd copped a ban.
Fayd'Herbe then took over at the gelding's next two runs, with the encouraging second place on February 2 giving Burridge and connections the bravado to take on Group 3 company in the Dubai Millennium Stakes (2000m).
Rodd was roped back in for that last run last Thursday, and it proved to be Elite Excalibur's exit race from Dubai. He travelled in the box-seat throughout but was left reeling without so much as a chance to muster a response when the Aga Khan's Zarak (Christophe Soumillon) raced past like a shot.
Elite Excalibur eventually dwindled to sixth place, seven lengths off a winner who did not look like he was out of second gear as the world's richest single-day meeting, the Dubai World Cup beckons for him, and potentially the other three horses who defeated Elite Excalibur ie Godolphin's blue-blooded Flash Fire, Promising Run and Cymric.
As the quality of horses invariably improves with the March 25 glamour meeting approaching fast, Rodd has certainly borne the brunt of that chasm in class, especially at last Thursday's trampling. On that night itself, two of the other winners, Championship and Ertijaal smashed course records as a warm-up.
But while walking that tightrope between being a daydreamer ("if Rocket Man did it, so can we") and a realist who has seen first-hand the world-class horses Debt Collector will bump into should he go, Rodd still believes the reigning Singapore Horse of the Year is a fair dinkum chance.
"Elite Excalibur had a soft run in transit but was soundly beaten. He was just not up to that class," said Rodd who was allowed to ride in Dubai last Thursday on a deferred suspension which saw him miss last weekend's Kranji races.
"He also pulled up sore. The grass had a thick cover and it was very hard beneath it.
"But some of his earlier runs were not without merit. He's a good horse and he tried his best, but unfortunately, he met with better horses.
"Now, does that mean Debt Collector can measure up? It's hard to compare and know how his Kranji form will stack up there, but he's our best horse and he won so easily at his comeback race; he is entitled to have a shot at it.
"It'll be tough to take on the best horses in the world, but you don't know if he'll measure up until we head out there and find out.
"The owners (Barree Racing Stable headed by Glenn Whittenbury) are keen to have a crack. The horse is flying and has pulled up well after his last win, but he still needs to run one more race here and run well."
Rodd was referring to the Open Stakes race over 1600m at Kranji next Friday on March 3. Should he come through that last step with flying colours, then, so long an invite from Dubai Racing Club drops into trainer Cliff Brown's mailbox soon after, then he is off to proudly fly the Singapore flag in Meydan on March 25. -STC
The Thorn Park four-year-old is nominated for the US$6 million race over 1800m. While the fields have not been released yet, one person who would be in a slightly better position to lead the debate is his jockey Michael Rodd.
The Kranji-based Australian jockey has travelled to Dubai twice this year to ride Elite Excalibur for trainer Steven Burridge at the Dubai World Cup Carnival. Unfortunately, Rodd did not win and neither could South African jockey Bernard Fayd'Herbe at Elite Excalibur's two other starts.
Rodd was aboard at the Fastnet Rock four-year-old's Dubai debut on January 5, and came up with a luckless fifth after missing the break and getting caught in traffic for which Rodd copped a ban.
Fayd'Herbe then took over at the gelding's next two runs, with the encouraging second place on February 2 giving Burridge and connections the bravado to take on Group 3 company in the Dubai Millennium Stakes (2000m).
Rodd was roped back in for that last run last Thursday, and it proved to be Elite Excalibur's exit race from Dubai. He travelled in the box-seat throughout but was left reeling without so much as a chance to muster a response when the Aga Khan's Zarak (Christophe Soumillon) raced past like a shot.
Elite Excalibur eventually dwindled to sixth place, seven lengths off a winner who did not look like he was out of second gear as the world's richest single-day meeting, the Dubai World Cup beckons for him, and potentially the other three horses who defeated Elite Excalibur ie Godolphin's blue-blooded Flash Fire, Promising Run and Cymric.
As the quality of horses invariably improves with the March 25 glamour meeting approaching fast, Rodd has certainly borne the brunt of that chasm in class, especially at last Thursday's trampling. On that night itself, two of the other winners, Championship and Ertijaal smashed course records as a warm-up.
But while walking that tightrope between being a daydreamer ("if Rocket Man did it, so can we") and a realist who has seen first-hand the world-class horses Debt Collector will bump into should he go, Rodd still believes the reigning Singapore Horse of the Year is a fair dinkum chance.
"Elite Excalibur had a soft run in transit but was soundly beaten. He was just not up to that class," said Rodd who was allowed to ride in Dubai last Thursday on a deferred suspension which saw him miss last weekend's Kranji races.
"He also pulled up sore. The grass had a thick cover and it was very hard beneath it.
"But some of his earlier runs were not without merit. He's a good horse and he tried his best, but unfortunately, he met with better horses.
"Now, does that mean Debt Collector can measure up? It's hard to compare and know how his Kranji form will stack up there, but he's our best horse and he won so easily at his comeback race; he is entitled to have a shot at it.
"It'll be tough to take on the best horses in the world, but you don't know if he'll measure up until we head out there and find out.
"The owners (Barree Racing Stable headed by Glenn Whittenbury) are keen to have a crack. The horse is flying and has pulled up well after his last win, but he still needs to run one more race here and run well."
Rodd was referring to the Open Stakes race over 1600m at Kranji next Friday on March 3. Should he come through that last step with flying colours, then, so long an invite from Dubai Racing Club drops into trainer Cliff Brown's mailbox soon after, then he is off to proudly fly the Singapore flag in Meydan on March 25. -STC