Despite a powerful late surge in the final stretch, he narrowly missed, finishing second. He was supposed to be in perfect condition. After winning the Saudi Cup and achieving a historic back-to-back victory, the team had not overexerted him. “I wouldn’t say he was at 100% condition,” trainer Yoshito Yahagi (65) had said before and after the Saudi Cup. Everything was aimed at winning this Dubai World Cup. The preparation there was intentionally lighter in order to peak in Dubai. Then came the Dubai World Cup. Although betting by JRA was not offered, overseas bookmakers listed him at around 1.6 odds, making him the overwhelming favorite. Amid an atmosphere of victory is expected, why did the absolute champion fall short? After the race, trainer Yahagi appeared before reporters and, while showing frustration, spoke calmly: “It’s my failure as a trainer. There are no excuses. Truly, no excuses.” After stating there were no excuses in terms of condition or race circumstances, the only possible factor he mentioned as a hypothesis was the track surface. “His feel in the third and fourth corners was completely different from the Saudi Cup. The (possible) reason is the track. When we come to Dubai, his performance tends to drop a bit, so perhaps it doesn’t suit him well.” In reality, although both are classified as dirt, the sand at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Saudi Arabia and Meydan Racecourse in Dubai differ significantly. “The Saudi dirt contains wood chips and synthetic materials, making it favor horses that perform well on turf-like surfaces. On the other hand, Dubai’s dirt is closer to American-style pure sand. The suitability clearly differs,” explains horse racing journalist Satoshi Hiramatsu, who is well-versed in overseas racing. However, Hiramatsu believes that track condition alone does not fully explain the defeat.