Peter Snowden is hopeful the outside barrier will prove a blessing rather than a hindrance to Helmet’s chances of international success in Dubai.
Helmet will be Snowden’s first international runner when the triple Group One winner lines up in the Group Two UAE Derby (1900m) at Meydan on Saturday night.
Just over an hour later the Snowden-trained four-time Group One winner Sepoy will also chase international glory in the Group One Golden Shaheen (1200m) which is a leg of the Global Sprint Challenge.
Both colts will race in the royal blue colours of Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin operation but Snowden, head trainer for Darley Australia, was given the nod to continue preparing the pair for their Dubai assignments.
Helmet, who was his own worst enemy in the Group One Australian Guineas earlier this month when he was the beaten favourite after missing the start, has barrier 14.
“He is a bit quirky in that if he gets back, he does not race as well,” Snowden said on Godolphin’s website.
“So it is probably a good thing he is drawn where he is – 14 on the outside – as it gives Kerrin (McEvoy) some options and there won’t be a lot of horses around him.”
Snowden believes Helmet has been unfairly maligned for his two defeats in Melbourne before heading to Dubai.
Before he left for Dubai, the trainer leapt to the defence of Helmet.
“Helmet is a quiet horse,” Snowden said.
“I’m pretty upset he gets so much bad publicity. He’s a very, very good colt. A three-time Group One winner.
“A little bit of antics he has at the barriers, there’s heaps of horses that do that.
“… I know I stick up for him, he’s my horse, but to me he just gets a bad wrap that he’s a bad horse and he’s certainly not. He got on the plane (on March 9) and never turned a hair.”
Both Sepoy and Helmet have done all their preparation in Dubai on the Tapeta surface to get familiar with it and Snowden was pleased with their progress.
“I can only go on how my horses are. They are almost as good as I can get them so if they bring their best to the track I am sure it will be enough to give a good showing,” he said after trackwork this week.
Australia will also be represented by the Paul Messara-trained Ortensia in the Group One Al Quoz Sprint (1000m) on turf, while dual Cox Plate winner So You Think, who is trained in Ireland by Aidan O’Brien, is favourite for the main event, the Dubai World Cup (2000m).
