Michael Chang was at Meydan this morning to watch Rich Tapestry stretch his legs on the main track for the last time before Saturday (5 March), when he will attempt to secure a second G3 Mahab Al Shimaal (1200m, dirt) victory.
The trainer was pleased with what he saw, overall, and is looking forward to Dubai’s Super Saturday, the dress rehearsal for the Dubai World Cup meeting at the end of the month. Chang is almost confident that tomorrow’s test will result in a third Dubai victory for his globe-trotting eight-year-old, who took this prize in 2014.
“I’m very happy with him, he’s fit and we’re just keeping him ticking along,” said Chang as he watched work rider Justine Clark canter the G1 winner around one lap of the dirt oval.
Rich Tapestry will face only five rivals in tomorrow’s contest. Three of those he defeated in last month’s G3 Al Shindagha Sprint at the course and distance, including the horse that ran second, Muarrab. Two others, last season’s Mahab Al Shimaal victor Shaishee and the ex-North American seven-year-old Sweet Swap will enter the fray this time.
“I’m not worried about the opposition, he’s beaten three of them already and I’m not worried about the other two either,” said Chang. “If my horse performs the same as last time and gives it his best shot then I think he should win again.
“There are only six runners, so he might lead but we’ll see how things go - I’ll leave the riding to Gerald (Mosse). I don’t want the horse to have too hard a race because he’s an old man and the Golden Shaheen is the race that really counts. Of course, we want to win, but one of the reasons for running tomorrow is to keep him occupied, to give him something to do because he’s here on his own for so long.”
Chang, who arrived yesterday morning, has noted a slight change in his stable star, whom he saddled to win the 2014 G1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship in the U.S. and to place second and third in the last two editions of the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen (1200m, dirt) at Meydan.
“His coat is starting to change, which is just a little worry,” said Chang. “It’s normal when a horse travels to a new place and stays a while, like he has, they start to acclimatise and adapt to the new place and the cycle of things, so that’s what is happening, but other than that he’s fit and happy. I’ll keep him in the trotting ring tomorrow morning.”
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Photo 1:
Rich Tapestry wins the 2014 Mahab Al Shimaal at Meydan with Olivier Doleuze on board.
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