Sheema Classic big guns go through the paces

After two days of light exercise in the barn area, Channel Maker returned to the dirt track on Wednesday morning to gallop 2400m under rider and assistant trainer, Neil Poznansky.

“He’s got to run a mile and a half (2400m), so you can’t go too easy with him. But he’s not a sprinter so we don’t want him too sharp, either. I’ve been galloping him a mile and a half every two or three days and then giving him light exercise for a day. That’s been our routine. He was full of himself today when we galloped over the track. He looks good, he feels good and he has plenty of energy. Now we just have to get him to Saturday,” said Poznansky.

Channel Maker was scheduled to train over the dirt at 7am on Thursday and will possibly school in the starting gate.

Meanwhile, Chrono Genesis (JPN), the Takashi Saito-trained mare, just had an easy morning in the quarantine area.

“She jogged in the trotting ring this morning. She is sound and healthy after the breeze. She will have a piece of work on the dirt track tomorrow,” said representative Yasunaga Wada.

Big-race jockey David Egan, who rode Mishriff (IRE) -- Prince Abdul Rahman Abdullah Faisal’s home-bred -- to win last month’s Saudi Cup, was in the saddle as the 4-year-old went around Meydan’s turf course this morning.

“He takes everything in his stride. He seems to like the routine of going out onto the track and going back in,” said Thady Gosden, who holds a joint training licence with his father John.

“It’s a long way to go out to Saudi, go home, and then fly out here a month later but he seems to have taken the travelling well. We will find out on Saturday.”

Meanwhile, a full sister to Real Steel, the 2016 Dubai Turf winner, Loves Only You (JPN) continues to please his trainer Yoshito Yahagi, the handler of the two, and galloped on the dirt track at 5am.

Yahagi said: “I asked Oisin Murphy to start working from the 800m mark and drive a bit stronger for the last 200m. Oisin said magnificent! For me as well, I am very pleased to see how good she is at the moment. I think she is fit and ready.

Murphy said: “Loves Only You galloped five furlongs (1000m) this morning. It was not very strong because she is very fit already, but at the last furlong I gave her a little bit of a squeeze. Her lead-changes and everything were good, and she feels really good.

“She is coming into the race after a Group 2 victory, and Mr Yahagi has done very well over the last couple of years having numerous champions like Lys Gracieux and Contrail, so it’s great to have a chance. The dirt is good for training, I didn’t feel she needed to go on the turf track this morning.”

Jockey Adrie de Vries said of Simsir (IRE), his big-race mount: “He is a nice horse who won the big Bahrain race well but then ran a bit flat next time before not handling the dirt in Saudi Arabia. He should run well but obviously it is a very strong race and he has a bit to find.”