De Kock charges gearing up for Super Thursday

Honour Devil (left) and Royal Vintage prepared for their Super Thursday rematch (Dubai Racing Club/Neville Hopwood)

Many of the
expected main protagonists for this week’s Super Thursday program have been working at Nad
al Sheba, with the Mike De Kock-trained pair of HONOUR DEVIL (Honour and Glory)
and ROYAL VINTAGE (Rich Man’s Gold) catching the eye on Sunday.

First and second, respectively, in the U.A.E. Two Thousand Guineas (UAE-G3),
they each worked on the turf, with Johnny Murtagh aboard Honour Devil.

Shortly afterward, Doug Watson’s AQUINO (First American), who will take on the De Kock pair
in the Al Bastakiya, worked about four furlongs in :48, pleasing his handler.

Asiatic Boy will try to use Super Thursday to go on to World Cup glory (Dubai Racing Club/Neville Hopwood)

De Kock’s ASIATIC BOY (Not for Sale), who won the Al Bastakiya on Super Thursday last year
en route to taking the U.A.E. Derby (UAE-G2), stretched his legs on the dirt track ahead of
his run in the Burj Nahaar (UAE-G3). Stablemate LUCKY FIND (Rich Man’s Gold), a
2 1/4-length winner of the Maktoum Challenge Round 2 (UAE-G3),  warmed up for the third round
(UAE-G2) of
the Maktoum Challenge.

Also headed for Round 3 is Clive Brittain’s KANDIDATE (Kabool), runner-up to
Lucky Find in Round 2, and Argentinean champion
LATENCY (Slew Gin Fizz). Both were out on the track Sunday, with Ryan Moore in
Kandidate’s pilot seat.

Dubai City of Gold (UAE-G3) contender MOURILYAN (Desert Prince [Ire]) worked on the turf under Mick Kinane
shortly after Group 1 hero QUIJANO (Ger) (Acatenango) went past on the dirt. The
latter contender will be seeking a title defense in the about 1 1/2-mile turf
test.