Betting the Dubai World Cup on a $20 Budget

The connections of last year's Dubai World Cup winner, Animal Kingdom, celebrate at the trophy celebration (Photo by Eclipse Sportswire).
The Dubai World Cup caps a tricky, but thrilling card full of international flare and flavor. Finishing in the money here means a prime payday for the connections. I’m going to try and fandangle a nice little payout for myself with these wagers.
Per usual, these picks are intended to maximize return on a $20 investment.
These horses will be going 1 ¼ miles on the synthetic Tapeta Footings surface, a form of all-weather track that takes these horses, in most cases, some getting used to.
For this reason, I have taken note of those who have had a chance to acclimate themselves to the surface. However, by no means is that a prerequisite for success.
American racing fans will see a familiar name in post position 16, Ron the Greek. Can he make up for his less-than-ideal draw with his raw power and class against this deep field? He’s a good horse, but he’s not Secretariat. I like him but do not love him breaking from that far out.
The #10 horse, Surfer, catches my eye for a few reasons. Although he may not have what it takes to win, he is expected to go off at a fat price and has some qualities that make him a legitimate threat to sneak his way into the trifecta. For starters, he’s coming from a reasonable post, after having fairly rough draws this year at the Dubai Racing Carnival. He had a good trip his last time out, finishing third to fellow World Cup competitors Prince Bishop and Sanshaawes from the outside stall. He’s my sleeper here and should hit the board at a solid price.
Speaking of Prince Bishop, he could be a huge player here. He won coming late from just off the rail his last time out in the Al Maktoum Challenge – Round 3 and he finds himself in a similar spot here. He’s in very good hands with Kieren Fallon aboard.
The morning-line chalk Ruler of the World is coming off a 5-month break and is headlined with the father-son, trainer-jockey tandem of Aidan O’Brien and Joseph O’Brien. Lots of question marks, as with much of the field, are present with all seven of his starts coming on the turf. It’s still tough to rule out “The Ruler,” given his back-class and notable triumph in the Epsom Derby.
Military Attack is another dominant turf horse making the transition to synthetic Tapeta surface. I’d be foolish not to throw him into the mix. Likewise, Akeed Mofeed is a turf horse who has a penchant to hang around the pack and I can easily see him working his way into the money.
In such a wide-open field, with a lot of money on the line, there will be plenty of money in the pool. I am looking to take some risk and throw a few longshots into the mix to maximize the payout.
If you’re really digging my feel for Prince Bishop, strategy B might be a good option, in which I've keyed him on top in that wager. If you’re looking to play it slightly more conservative, my simple exacta play in strategy A would be the way to go. 
$20 Wagering Strategy
Strategy A: $1 exacta box - 1,4,8,12,16
($20 Total Bet)
Strategy B: $1 trifecta part wheel  - 1 with 4,8,10,12,16 with 4,8,10,12,16
($20 Total Bet)