Jockey Club Derby hero Spanish Mission starting back in Dubai

Team Valor International is hoping for more Meydan glory with a pair of runners familiar to American fans on Dubai World Cup night.

Spanish Mission — winner of Belmont Park's $1 million Jockey Club Derby Invitational and Newmarket’s Bahrain Trophy (G3) — could have either the $6 million Longines Dubai Sheema Classic (G1) or $1.5 million Dubai Gold Cup (G2) on his schedule. Additionally, the California-based Grade 3 winner Oleksandra may throw her bonnet into the ring for the $2 million Al Quoz Sprint (G1).

Spanish Mission, trained by David Simcock, arrived on Dubai last week and has cleared quarantine for his conditioner, who has already head a fruitful Dubai World Cup Carnival with a pair of victories from only six starts. The three-time winner from seven tries is expected to open his airways next week in the Dubai Gold Cup’s final local prep, the $300,000 Nad Al Sheba Trophy (G3) over 2,800 meters.

“After which, we will decide whether to run him at 12 or 16 furlongs on (Dubai) World Cup night," said Barry Irwin, Team Valor's CEO. "He is quite versatile. Long range, we think he is a Melbourne Cup horse."

Australia’s prestigious Melbourne Cup (G1) is contested over the same 3,200-meter distance as the Dubai Gold Cup and is scheduled for Nov. 3.

On the other side of the distance spectrum is Oleksandra, who actually began her career in Australia and is a daughter of Team Valor’s Dubai World Cup winner, Animal Kingdom. A turf sprinter, she won Keeneland’s Franklin County Stakes (G3) in October for trainer Neil Drysdale and has been working steadily this winter at Santa Anita.

"Now Neil Drysdale will start cranking her up at Santa Anita, ship her to Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida to breeze on the grass March 16 to break up the trip to Dubai," Irwin said, "then fly her to UAE on March 17. Joel Rosario will ride her at Meydan.”

Team Valor, which has already had two lucrative starts this DWC Carnival with Cape Verdi (G2) and Balanchine (G2) runner-up Nisreen, also owned 2003 Dubai Duty Free (G1) — now the Dubai Turf (G1)—winner Ipi Tombe.

“We are going to bring Nisreen back to France on Feb 23,” Irwin added. “We are going to breed her in France to Le Havre, keep her in training and probably offer her in December at either Arqana or Tattersalls.”