Mullins: Tough for Simenon with ‘awful’ draw
The seven-year-old has been lumbered with the outside stall of 15 in the 15-runner line up for the Group Two contest over two miles.
It will be jockey Pat Smullen’s job to try to turn the disadvantage around, but connections report Simenon in top form following his pipe-opener in the Nad Al Sheba Trophy when he was fifth to Cavalryman.
“Simenon has done a good bit of work since his first start at Meydan on March 1 and we’re happy that he’s improved since and is back to himself,” said Mullins.
“Emmet (Mullins, nephew who is overseeing the horse in Dubai) texted me to say we’ve got an awful draw to overcome, 15 of 15, so that won’t be easy.
“Pat Smullen takes the ride and, all said, we are looking forward to the race as we’re very happy with Simenon.”
Meanwhile, trainer Jamie Osborne believes Toast Of New York is the wildcard in the UAE Derby at Meydan on Saturday.
A 16-length winner of a novice event at Wolverhampton on his final juvenile start, the Michael Buckley-owned colt has wowed work-watchers in Lambourn and arrives in the emirate with quiet confidence from his mainly jumps-orientated connections.
Osborne said: “After winning his maiden at Wolverhampton there was the issue of whether we targeted the Group Three Autumn Stakes at Ascot or went for a novice.
“We did the latter and he won it by 16 lengths – it was a complete mismatch
“This was the first really good horse I’d had in a while and I thought he might be sufficiently decent to come out for a race like the UAE Derby.”
