McLaughlin targets world domination

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin has dreams of retaining the Dubai World Cup for Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum through Cigar Mile winner Daaher.

McLaughlin’s skills transformed the ex-Uruguayan Invasor into the best Flat horse on the planet and he ran his final race when landing the World Cup last March.

The Canadian-bred Daaher is also on an upward curve and will go on trial for Dubai in the Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park on February 2.

“Looking forward to 2008, there are a lot of horses that excite me and certainly Daaher is at the top of the list. We’ll point him to the Dubai World Cup card,” McLaughlin told the meeting’s official website.

“He’ll go in the Donn and that will give us a good idea where to point him in Dubai – either the Godolphin Mile, or the big one, the Dubai World Cup.

“I don’t think a mile and a quarter will be a problem for him, so we definitely have the Dubai World Cup on the radar.

“We’d love to go back there and hopefully win a race for the Maktoums.”