THE AMERICAN superstar Curlin may be dominating the build-up to Saturday's $21 (€13.6) million Dubai World Cup meeting but Ireland will have three chances on the support card to finally hit the Nad Al Sheba scoreboard when it really counts.
World Cup night has seen only a neglible Irish presence in the dozen previous editions of the Dubai highlight but last year's English and Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine, Finsceal Beo, will lead the visiting team this time in the $5 (€3.2) million Dubai Duty Free race over nine furlongs on turf.
Her trainer, Jim Bolger, ran another star filly of his, Alexander Goldrun, on two occasions on World Cup night, finishing fifth in the 2005 Duty Free to Elvestroem and filling the same position the following year in the Sheema Classic behind Heart's Cry.
Finsceal Beo is a general 14 to 1 shot in ante-post betting to bounce back to winning form and Bolger said: "I expect her to run very well. Her form tapered off at the end of last season but we think she is back to her very best at the moment."
She will be joined in the Group One event by the Charles O'Brien-trained Lord Admiral who has already scored during his winter stay at the Nad Al Sheba and who will again team up with jockey Michael Kinane.
"It's a tough Group One as you would expect with something like 11 Group One winners in there," said O'Brien. "But he is in good form; doesn't take a lot of training between races and will love a fast pace."
Finsceal Beo will meet an old rival on Saturday as Darjina, who just edged her out of a unique 1,000 Guineas treble at Longchamp last May, is an intended starter along with the ex-Bolger-trained Creachadoir who is now part of the Godolphin team.
Ireland's third chance of breaking the World Cup night duck lies with John Oxx's Mourilyan, another course winner this winter, who will line up under Kinane for the $5 (€3.2) million Sheema Classic over a mile and a half on turf.
Oxx is supervising the Aga Khan-owned colt's preparation in Dubai and is returning to where Alayan ran sixth, a place behind Alexander Goldrun, in the Sheema Classic two years ago.
Mourilyan's proven ability on the track will help him against some quality opposition that includes the Arc runner-up Youmzain and the experienced French runner Doctor Dino.
The only other Irish-trained runner to run on the World Cup card was Aidan O'Brien's Powerscourt who ran fifth to Phoenix Reach in the 2005 Sheema Classic.
The whole of the Nad Al Sheba card on Saturday will be shown on TG4 with seven races broadcast between 1.30pm and 6pm. The richest race, the $6 (€3.9) million World Cup itself, is due off at 5.30pm and is likely to be dominated by the Breeders' Cup winner, Curlin, who is as low as 1 to 3 in ante-post betting.
The build-up to the Aintree Grand National in 10 days' time is well under way and Tom Taaffe has given an upbeat report on Slim Pickings, third last year, and currently a 10 to 1 second favourite to win this time.
"He worked well under Barry (Geraghty) this morning. Barry was happy. I will also run Tumbling Dice who will be ridden by Tom Ryan in the race," said the Straffan trainer.
"You have got to be lucky in National and avoid the mayhem but they are both in good form."
Ground conditions are set to be testing for the first meeting of 2008 at the Curragh on Sunday which will feature the Ladbrokes Lincolnshire and the Group Three Lodge Park Stud Park Express Stakes.
The Curragh manager Paul Hensey is currently describing the going at headquarters as soft to heavy.
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