Buick banking on Ribchester and Jack Hobbs to win

Dubai - Buick will saddle four horses - Jack Hobbs, Ribchester, Jungle Cat and Wall of Fire

March 25 will be a busy day for jockey William Buick. He will be saddling four horses - Jack Hobbs, Ribchester, Jungle Cat and Wall of Fire - at the Meydan showpiece on Saturday but his best bet and Godolphin's strongest chance, however, is Ribchester in Race 7 for the 1,800m Dubai Turf.
"Ribchester is a horse star. Richard Fahey (trainer) and his team have done a fantastic job and he has just gone from strength to strength. It's very straight forward now," said Buick at the Meydan Grandstand on Thursday.
Buick and Fahey's charge won both the 1400m Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot and the 1600m Group 1 Prix Jacques Le Marois in Deauville last summer.
Talking about the field for Saturday and Ribchester's chances, the 29-year-old Norwegian said: "It's a competitive field. Obviously Zarak was good in his trials over here and he has a pedigree to die for, so he's a horse we have to give plenty of respect to. He is probably a typical Dubai winner who will get better with age.
"So also with Mutakayyef. You can't run them down as it's a World Cup night and you take nothing for granted so one has to get everything right," added Buick.
Buick's next hope is Jack Hobbs in the 2,410m Longines Dubai Sheema Classic. Jack Hobbs had an injury-plagued season last year but came back well at the backend of the European season.
"These two horses - Ribchester and Jack Hobbs - most people know pretty much everything about them and their performances. They are very high-class horses.
"I rode Jack Hobbs this (Thursday) morning and obviously it felt great. He's going to wear the blinkers on for the first time which we think will help him but again it's a tough race with a very select field but if he brings his best form you will have to consider him as a good contender.
The Longines Dubai Sheema Classic has a small, select field of seven runners but Buick said it would take some winning for Jack Hobbs.
"Of course there's Postponed, Highland Reel and don't forget Seventh Heaven when she won the Yorkshire Oaks, she was impressive. It's a field that you have to give plenty of respect to.
"Everyone knows how dangerous Highland Reel can be from the front but we are getting into the nitty-gritty in the coming days and will see how to go about it."
The jockey was all praise for the Meydan race track. "I think this is one of the best track turfs in the world. It's a beautiful surface. They water it and maintain it very well and they handle the weather, the rain very well. Ground-wise you wouldn't have any concerns for any horse coming out here."
clareto@khaleejtimes.com