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NEWS 
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Irridescence has drawn extremely well in the 4 slot among 16 entrants for Saturday’s Grade 1 Dubai Duty Free at Nad al Sheba. The race will be run over 9 furlongs for a purse of $5 million, making it the co-richest grass race presented in the world today. The winner will earn $3 million, the runner-up $1 million, the third $500,000, the fourth $250,000, the fifth $150,000 and the sixth $100,000. Team Valor and Mike de Kock combined to win the 2003 renewal of the Duty Free with another South African import in Ipi Tombe, who came from eighth at the top of the stretch to win in startling fashion and gain a reputation as the one of the all-time great mares in international racing. Last year, trainer Mike de Kock prepared the South African mare perfectly for the Duty Free, winning the Balanchine with her and bringing her over to the paddock in tremendous condition as the third choice in the betting with English bookies. However, she never made it out of the walking ring, as she got so excited when jockey Weichong Marwing mounted that she bucked and hopped, lodging her right stifle on a metal protrusion of the paddock railing. She had to be scratched. A Champion at 3 in South Africa, Irridescence made history when she beat Ouija Board and other top international runners in Hong Kong a month later in the Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup.
Mike de Kock, who certainly would be in the best position to know, says she is now in the best shape of her career and he expects to have a good chance on Saturday. “She has come on for the run,” de Kock said. “Her work has been much better since the Jebel Hatta. She is recovering much quicker after her gallops, her weight has increased and she is into her routine.” De Kock pointed out that Irridescence meets her male rivals on much more favorable terms in the Duty Free than in her previous start in the Grade 2, where under stakes conditions she carried 61 kilos and had to concede a kilo (2.2 pounds) to her male rivals. On Saturday, under weight-for-age conditions, she carries 55 kilos (121), and will be in receipt of 2 kilos (4.4 pounds) from the boys. De Kock knows that this represents a significant shift in the weights and puts her in with a serious chance. Everything seems to have fallen into place for Irridescence for the Duty Free. She has retained her rider in the face of severe competition from two other runners in the de Kock stable that have shown fine form in South African Champions Kapil and Bad Girl Runs. She has drawn extremely well. And she has trained with a purpose. Irridescence turned in a brilliant work over the weekend, going a sharp half in :45.54, with a final quarters in :22.50. Weichong Marwing worked her for Mike de Kock. The Emirates Racing Association website listed the works from last weekend as follows:
Linngari, who Barry Irwin thinks could be the one to beat in the Duty Free, went his startling :32 77 for three-eighths on the main sand track, which is a sensational piece of work. Irwin thinks this horse is better at a mile than a mile and an eighth. Kapil went nearly as fast as Irridescence and Bad Girl Runs was not asked for speed. “Kapil, Bad Girl Runs and Linngari are similar,” noted Barry Irwin “in that they are Milers with a tremendous turn of foot. Whether they can go this far is a real question mark as far as I am concerned.” In the draw, Kapil wound up in the 7 hole, Bad Girl Runs in the 15 and Linngari in the 16 and outside stall. Of the invading American runners, Lava Man is right outside Irridescence in the 5, Todd Pletcher’s English Channel is in the 11 and Breeders’ Cup hero Miesque’s Approval is in the 12. The 2007 Dubai Duty Free is a strong race, featuring a pair of in-form Milers in Kapil and Linngari, a pair of top Milers from Japan in Daiwa Major and Admire Moon and arguably the strongest American contingent ever sent. Last year, Japanese horses performed exceptionally well. Their two entrants this year have exceptional form, even though they may want to run a bit shorter. The entire field lines up as follows:
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