Hot Rod Charlie camp confident of upsetting Life Is Good in hot Dubai World Cup

The team behind US star Hot Rod Charlie believe their challenger has the required arsenal to down Pegasus World Cup winner Life Is Good when the pair meet in the Dubai World Cup at Meydan on March 26.

Hot Rod Charlie has settled easily into life in Dubai but he was usurped at the top of the World Cup market after the dominant success of Life Is Good in the Pegasus at Gulfstream Park at the end of January.

Many observers now rate Life Is Good, trained by Todd Pletcher, as the best horse on the planet, but the man responsible for Hot Rod Charlie's preparation in Dubai says he would not swap his horse for any other.

"He's going excellent and training super," said Leandro Mora, assistant to Hot Rod Charlie's trainer Doug O'Neill. "Hod Rod Charlie loves it over here and loves to train. I wouldn't swap him because I know where we're at."

Rather than run Hod Rod Charlie straight off the plane in the Dubai World Cup, connections have decided to follow the path of two previous US-based World Cup winners by giving him a prep run in Dubai before the big race.

Having won round two of the Al Maktoum Challenge at Meydan on February 4, the four-year-old now appears to be in the perfect spot heading towards his target.

Leandro Mora: believes Hot Rod Charlie can rule in DubaiCredit: Edward Whitaker

"We're trying to follow the path of California Chrome and Curlin," said Mora. "If those two guys did it, why not try it as well? They came here early, ran in a race and then won the World Cup, so that's what we're trying to follow.

"We came here for the carnival two years ago and by the end the horses thought the place was home, so that's what we're trying to do with Charlie. He left the US on January 17 and has adapted really well.

"We didn't expect him to win his first run here, we just wanted to give him a race, but he won. We're more confident now. [Runner-up] Al Nefud gave him a test, which was good for our horse."

As well as Life Is Good and Hot Rod Charlie, the United States appears to hold the key to the World Cup, with Saudi Cup second and third Country Grammer and Midnight Bourbon also on target for the Meydan showpiece.

Hot Rod Charlie's form stacks up nicely with Midnight Bourbon's in particular, but Mora is not taking too much notice of the Saudi form.

He added: "That's a different track – some horses like it and some don't. This track is way different and they have to like both tracks, otherwise you're in trouble. Whatever they did there, I'm not really worried about it."

Life Is Good: beaten once in six startsCredit: Edward Whitaker

It is, however, impossible not to be at least a little pensive about the challenge of Life Is Good, beaten once in six starts and spoken about in the highest regard by both former trainer Bob Baffert and his current handler Pletcher.

Mora also has a healthy respect for the favourite but appears to believe he may be vulnerable on his first try over a mile and a quarter in Dubai.

"The World Cup is stronger this year than last, with the Pegasus winner coming and the second and third from the Saudi Cup," he said. "Having run here already, that gives us an advantage.

"Charlie has the stamina to do it. Life Is Good is a super, super horse but how he won it in Florida [in the Pegasus], he ruled the speed, which was slower than the Breeders' Cup. When the races are longer there's so much rein work to do. When the races are shorter it's a different story.

"What I like over here is that Charlie can come from off the pace. He doesn't have a super turn of foot but he's got natural speed, so he's likely to break on top and he can stay with that horse [Life Is Good] and then I think we can work with [that]."

Life Is Good is rated a general 11-10 favourite for the race, with Hot Rod Charlie a top-price 11-4 second favourite. Country Grammer and Midnight Bourbon are both available at 8-1.

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