The King of Dubai has yet to figure out what it's all about, but trainer Jason Coyle is confident he will have a beautiful horse on his hands when he does.
Promising runner Coyle is bidding to end his preparations on a high note at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
The trainer believes the son of Dubai Pride has a lot of positives, with the gelding having shown more than a few glimpses of it in six starts so far which have seen him win and three places.
The three-year-old could extend that record when he lines up at the Inglis Classic Sale on February 11-13 The Standard 72 Handicap (1300m).
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“It's very raw,” Cowell said.
“I still don't think he's really figured it out.
“Chad (Schofield) came out on him at the last start and said he was a bit stupid and had a lot to learn about his racing craft.
“He might be one of those horses that will take a little longer and hopefully that will be the next setup but there are a lot of positives for him.”
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King of Dubai ($9) is shaping up around the leading Magic Millions 3YO Guineas contender Sydney Buller after chasing down unbeaten John O'Shea from his last start in Sydney.
The Coyle runner finished just over two lengths from Sydney Buller in the 1100 metres, holding on strongly to second place.
“I thought he was good in the last start,” Coyle said.
“The preparation seems to be going well. He's showing his fair share of ability. I still think his best will be the next preparation, but I think it would be good to finish a game before he has a short break.
“I don't think he's had enough, I just want to give him a little break so he can be back to being a three-year-old.”
The Dubai King had made a nomination for Saturday's $3 million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas on the Gold Coast after being bought at the January auction two years ago for just $15,000 but stayed in his home state instead.
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Chad Schofield will continue his association with King Of Dubai and will combine with Coyle to start the day with Bluff 'N' Bluster in the Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1500m).
Bluff 'N' Bluster was eighth in his last start in a similar grade, but Coyle believes his son in The Brothers War is going better than that result suggests, with the TAB rating him a $9 chance.
It was a fun tour. “Where they were in the race is where they finished last start,” Coyle said.
“There wasn't anything made out of the ground or the counties were all good for the backs, so put him in this race at your peril.
“I just hope the track gets into the soft range and isn't too firm.”
“It would be nice to see the rain clouds stay in and a little jar come out.”
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Not so easy is the $101 outsider among Cowell's three contestants.
The Casino Prince mare is seeking her second career win in the Chandon Benchmark 78 Handicap (1200m) after a midweek third-place finish at Canterbury.
“It's going great,” Coyle said.
“They definitely went at Canterbury in a race where there were four leaders and they all decided to put on the handbrake quickly.
“She wears herself down but when the conditions suit her and she races at the right pace, she picks herself up and tries hard.
“They close hard and can close hard in a Grade 1 at Nowra or close hard in 78 at Rosehill but they pay better at Rosehill.”
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Coyle also has Brynner and Mythical Moochi heading towards Kembla Grange on Saturday afternoon.
Rhino charging at Rosehill
FORMER Kiwi coaches Emma Lee and David Brown will break new ground with their first runner at Rosehill Gardens this Saturday, and they are adamant the Victorian Rhinos forward isn't just coming in to make up the numbers.
The married training partners, who moved to Australia full-time in mid-2022, planned a rare raid in Sydney in pursuit of their first Australian win outside Victoria.
Rhino will be the stable's sixth runner in New South Wales when the gelding contests the TAB Benchmark 78 Handicap (1400m).
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The son of Vadamos was also among those accepted for a mile race at Melbourne before the stable made the decision to head north.
“He had a bad gate at Flemington, which resulted in the outside barrier being drawn and he had to do a lot of work to get around it,” David Brown said.
“He's traveled really well without any dramas. He loves racing, this horse, and he also loves firm ground, so hopefully it works out for him there.”
Rhino ($16) is deep in his preparation with 10 starts under his belt this time around, picking up three wins along the way.
Brown believes the five-year-old is maintaining his form as he prepares to link up with Regan Bayliss this weekend.
“I think it represents a pretty good opportunity,” Brown said.
“He will lead most of the time, but he can also sit if there is a lot of pressure, and he can sit at the back.
“He's a bit more docile because he's older than he was before when he could be a little bit one-dimensional.”
The Brownes are on track to have the best season of their career, with 16 winners already this campaign.
After starting out in Australia with a base at Cranbourne, they moved to Pakenham at the beginning of the spring and achieved almost immediate results.
“We're really happy at the moment, a lot of the horses are going well and the switch to Pakenham has been good for us,” Brown said.
“It's more relaxed and suits our way of training.”
The Browne family has 20 boxes on track with a walker and treadmill
Originally published as Jason Coyle is confident Dubai gelding 'raw' king has a bright future as he eyes Rosehill Gardens
