Hay the Meydan mediator

SCOTTISH owner Dr Jim Hay will be the bridge between racing's two superpowers at the richest horse race on the planet at Meydan this evening - the $10 million Dubai World Cup - as Aidan O'Brien and the Coolmore partnership have a rare runner together in the shape of Cape Blanco.

Hay, who hails from Glasgow but lives and works in the UAE, purchased a majority share in last year's Irish Derby and Champion Stakes winner, who will be ridden by his retained jockey, Jamie Spencer.

Coolmore and the Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed have had what is generally acknowledged to be a strained relationship for some time, with their last competitor at the Sheikh's keynote meeting being Powerscourt in 2005.

Cape Blanco must overcome the fact he only left Meydan quarantine on Thursday and has not raced since finishing towards the rear in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

"I've had a few sits on him and I'm just looking forward to it," said Spencer. "He showed last year he was a top three-year-old colt. Twice Over will be a tough nut to crack, he's been here before and he'll improve for his first run. But the horse seems in fine form and I just hope we have a good trip.

"The surface wouldn't worry me. I think it suits horses that like quick ground and he won an Irish Derby on good to firm."

Apart from Twice Over and the international Godolphin operation, the other British runner will be Gitano Hernando - although he is trained by an Italian national in Marco Botti. Last year's World Cup sixth has had two runs in Dubai this year, finishing third to Twice Over in the Al Maktoum Challenge on his last start.

An emotive topic this week has been that of the Japanese contingent, with connections of many of the horses as well as media representatives wearing polo shirts with the word 'Hope' on them, in solidarity with their country as it struggles to recover from the earthquake and tsunami. They have three representatives in the big race, with the closely-matched Buena Vista and Victoire Pisa standing above Transcend.

Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor has won the World Cup five times and the team have three runners, with Frankie Dettori's mount Poet's Voice looking the clear first choice. Last year's QEII winner finished second to Wigmore Hall in his recent pipe-opener. Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford said: "Poet's Voice is our best chance on handicap ratings and what he has achieved to date. He has been there and done it. He was beating some of the best horses in the world at Ascot but this looks a stronger race than last year."

Prince Bishop also represents Bin Suroor, while Godolphin's Monterosso is trained by Mahmood Al Zarooni.South African trainer Mike de Kock, who has been typically dominant through the preceding Carnival meetings, has gone close in this race in the past with Lizard's Desire and Asiatic Boy. But his runners, Musir and Golden Sword, appear stand-ins for Bold Silvano, who had to be withdrawn.