Godolphin’s Discreet Cat missed his intended comeback at Nad al Sheba March 1 and will head straight for the March 31 Dubai World Cup (UAE-I).
Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford said the 4-year-old son of Forestry was scratched out of the Lahan Burj Nahaar (UAE-III) due to a slightly elevated temperature on race day. The connections plan to give him a racecourse gallop before the World Cup.
“It is an inconvenience but one of those things,” Crisford said. “He has a slightly elevated temperature this morning and is obviously far too good a horse to risk. We will just have to give him a racecourse gallop before the big night. It is not a disaster, just a hiccup though we are of course disappointed as we wanted to see him back on the racecourse.”
Trained by Saaed bin Suroor, Discreet Cat is currently ranked by a group of international handicappers as the co-second best horse in the world.
Discreet Cat remained undefeated after completing his 3-year-old 2006 season when he equaled Aqueduct’s one-mile track to win the $294,000 Hill 'n' Dale Cigar Mile (gr. I). The final time of 1:32 2/5 (1:32.46) equaled the clocking for Easy Goer in winning the 1989 Gotham.
The World Cup is expected to be a showdown between Discreet Cat and Shadwell Stable’s Invasor, who topped the 2006 World Thoroughbred Rankings at 129.
