Michael Bell is confident Big Orange is back to his best
Ascot Gold Cup winner Big Orange is reported to be in good form as he bids to better last year's fourth in the Dubai Gold Cup, which was won by the re-opposing Vazirabad.
POPULAR stayer Big Orange is back firing on all cylinders ahead of the Dubai Gold Cup at Meydan.
That is the view of his trainer Michael Bell, who saw the seven-year-old beaten two length into fourth place in the two-mile Group 2 a year ago.
Connections suffered a last-minute scare earlier this week with the Ascot Gold Cup winner, but Bell is much happier with his charge after he worked on Thursday and it is all systems go for Saturday.
Bell said: "Hopefully that (setfast problem) is in the past. I was really happy with him on Thursday and more importantly Gill (Dolman), who has been riding him for a few years, was delighted.
"He seems in really good form and looks great.
"He has a great skin on him and I'm very happy with his well-being."
It may be a tough ask for Big Orange to deny French challenger Vazirabad a third consecutive victory, although he was turned over in the Nad Al Sheba Trophy last time.
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Charlie Appleby's winner of that race, Rare Rhythm, renews rivalries with Vazirabad and is one of five Godolphin representatives along with stablemate Frontiersman and the Saeed bin Suroor-trained trio of Red Galileo, Natural Scenery and Gold Star.
Appleby said of Rare Rhythm: "He has won his last three starts winning the the Duke Of Edinburgh, the Listed race at York and the Nad Al Sheeba Trophy, which is a trial for the Gold Cup.
"He is stepping up to two miles for the first time and hopefully he will see that trip out, but that is going to be the test. In respects to ticking boxes, he has course form now and showed he is in good order on his last start. If he stays two miles, he will go close.
"Vazirabad had a clear run at him last time and people say it was a canny ride from William (Buick), but he had plenty of time to get to us and he didn't get past him.
"Vazirabad always comes on for his first run of the season, but Rare Rhythm was running first time after a long lay-off as well, so he will come on for it."
William Haggas' Dal Harraild, David Simcock's Sheikhzayedroad and Prince Of Arran from Charlie Fellowes' yard have all journeyed from Newmarket.
Templegate's TV Tips
2.00 Lingfield - Funnykid: 'Unexposed French raider posted excellent second behind Watersmeet last year and this track gives him a chance of revenge'
2.30 Lingfield - Lucymai: 'A better draw gives her a great chance for in-form trainer Dean Ivory'
2.45 Newcastle - Outside Inside: 'Had some promising form in Ireland and could well be better than this grade'
3.05 Lingfield - Gifted Master: 'This has probably been the plan for a while for this class sprinter'
3.20 Newcaslte - Lexington Law: 'Unbeaten in two previous starts when wearing cheekpieces'
3.40 Lingfield - Never Back Down: 'Some of his early-season form last year was good'
3.55 Newcastle - Nyaleti: 'Came up short in Group 1 company but nearly won a Group 2 and the switch to all-weather racing shouldn't be a problem
4.10 Lingfield - Second Thought: 'He's a class act on this surface, unbeaten in six on the all-weather'
4.40 Lingfield - Star Archer: 'This race should pan out better than his odds-on defeat last time'
Jessica Harrington's Torcedor, who was runner-up in both the Irish St Leger and the Long Distance Cup on British Champions Day last season, is the sole Irish challenger.
Harrington said: "He's come a long way in a year. I inherited him from David Wachman and a year ago he was running in a conditions race at Leopardstown, which he won, and we sort of got on a roll from there.
"It looks a very good race on Saturday. I was half-thinking we could come out here and miss a few horses, but I think everyone bar Order Of St George has turned up.
"He has progressed and physically he's progressed as well. This year he's become much more a man of a horse."