Team Valor Sends Spanish Mission, Oleksandra to Meydan

Dubai World Cup-winning owner Team Valor International is hoping for more Meydan glory and could have a pair of runners at the world-leading $35 million meeting. If all goes well with necessary preparations and invitations, United Kingdom-based Spanish Mission—winner of Belmont Park's $1 million Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes and Newmarket's Bahrain Trophy (G3)—could have either the $6 million Longines Dubai Sheema Classic (G1) or $1.5 million Dubai Gold Cup sponsored by Al Tayer Motors (G2) on his schedule.

Additionally, exciting California-based grade 3 winner Oleksandra could throw her bonnet into the ring for the $2 million Al Quoz Sprint sponsored by Azizi Developments (G1).

Spanish Mission, trained by David Simcock at Trillium Place in Newmarket, arrived Feb. 13 and cleared quarantine Feb. 15 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 (about 14 furlongs).

"Spanish Mission runs on Feb. 27 in the group 3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy," said Barry Irwin, Team Valor CEO. "After which, we will decide whether to run him at 12 or 16 furlongs on (Dubai) World Cup night. 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 (about 16 furlongs) 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 Buffalo Trace Franklin County Stakes (G3T) over 1,100 meters (about 5 1/2 furlongs) in October for trainer Neil Drysdale and has been working steadily this winter at Santa Anita Park.

"We are pointing (Oleksandra) for the group 1 Al Quoz," Irwin continued. "(She) worked (four furlongs) in :50 this morning, something she has done once a week for more than a month as she was being freshened. 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, 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 Sponsored by Creek Views (G2) and Balanchine Sponsored by Gulf News (G2) runner-up Nisreen, also owned 2003 Dubai Duty Free (G1)—now the Dubai Turf sponsored by DP World (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."