Curlin Team Issue Warning Assistant trainer Steve Blasi has sent an ominous warning to the rest of the Dubai World Cup field after insisting American Horse of the Year Curlin is in better shape for Saturday´s 6million showpiece following his Breeders´ Cup triumph. The four-year-old son of Smart Strike completed his final drill before the climax to the 21 million World Cup meeting in impressive style on Monday to the delight of Blasi, number two to trainer Steve Asmussen. With exercise rider Carmen ?Carlos´ Rosas in the saddle, Curlin breezed 800 metres and galloped out 1000 metres. The top-rated horse in the world has been in scintillating form after arriving in Dubai over a month ago and won the Jaguar Trophy on February 28 on his eagerly-anticipated UAE debut. "He came out of his last race in good order. I believe horses between three and four (years of age) are more mature and stronger and I see that in him," said Blasi. "Physically there is more to him than there was last year and we are excited by the chance to run in the World Cup. "So far the horse has gone accordingly and we like how he is coming into this race. We just have to keep our heads about how confident he is and how good a horse he is. "We just need to keep things the same, be consistent and go with what got us here and that is what we try and do everyday." On Saturday under the lights at Nad Al Sheba, Godolphin duo Happy Boy and Jalil will lead the challenge with last year´s runner-up Premium Tap and Mike De Kock´s UAE Derby winner Asiatic Boy also set to be in contention. "You still need to show each other respect," added Blasi. "They are the best of their generation from where they have been competing and we are the best of ours and when you put that together you get a great horse race." Godolphin four-year-old Jalil, who will have three-time World Cup winning jockey Frankie Dettori in the saddle on Saturday night, has been the more impressive of the contenders in the run up after the son of Storm Cat won the Al Maktoum Challenge Round Three. Happy Boy also won the Al Maktoum Challenge Round One, while last year´s UAE triple crown winner Asiatic Boy overcame traffic problems to score an impressive victory in the Al Shindagha sprint on his first start in 2008. However, he followed up with a disappointing run in the Burj Nahaar, finishing third behind the Saeed bin Suroor-trained duo of Elusive Warning and Blackat Blackitten. But despite the setback in his World Cup preparations, leading Dubai Carnival trainer De Kock has insisted Asiatic Boy is in "great shape," while Jalil has been tipped to give Curlin a "run for his money." "Jalil and Asiatic Boy are both quality horses, they haven´t done what they have done without being quality horses," added Blasi. "The great thing about the Dubai World Cup is that it brings the horses together and we don´t have a measuring stick of who they are, like they don´t have a measuring stick to who we are. "What makes it a great race is that they are all racing against each other on that night and past performances don´t matter when you walk into the gate." (C) PA Sport
