Dubai: Intilaaq enters the $6 million [Dh22 million] Group 1 Dubai Turf as second favourite at odds of 7/2 after being moved from the Dubai World Cup.
The four-year-old, owned by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, and trained by Roger Varian, was 12-1 third favourite for this Saturday’s $10 million Group 1 Dubai World Cup at Meydan.
However, his connections have now decided to stick with turf and run him in race seven on Dubai World Cup night, rather than compete on dirt for the first time in the feature race.
That decision was made after seeing how well the bay colt reacted to training sessions on the Fibresand surface at Southwell, and gallops under the floodlights at Chelmsford City.
“Shaikh Hamdan has decided that Intilaaq should stick to turf rather than try dirt on which he is untested,” said Richard Hills, the assistant racing manager to owner Shaikh Hamdan at Shadwell.
Intilaaq is now second favourite to Godolphin’s Tryster at 5/2 in the Dubai Turf.
The decision to switch him came on Thursday at the same time as Dubai Turf reigning champion and favourite Solow, owned by Wertheimer and Frere, pulled out after picking up a knock during a gallop at Chantilly last week.
Trainer Freddy Head said of the six-year-old: “We won’t take the risk as we are short of time with the flight leaving tomorrow [Friday].
“He will have some tests done but at the moment it doesn’t seem like anything serious, just a haematoma [swelling].”
Intilaaq, ridden by Paul Hanagan, burst on to the scene with its first ever win in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships Maiden Stakes by eight lengths at Newbury last April.
He was then entered for the Qipco 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket the following month but despite finishing well down the field in the Classic ridden by Dane O’Neill, he returned to win his next two starts in the JLT Stakes listed race at Newbury in July and the Betfred Rose of Lancaster Stakes Group 3 at Haydock in August.
