Twice Over and Byword pencilled in for Dubai World Cup meeting

Owner Khalid Abdullah plans to have two major players in Twice Over and Byword at the Dubai World Cup meeting at Meydan in March.

The Henry Cecil-trained Twice Over will try to put the record straight in the big race itself after not being beaten far in tenth place in the world's richest race in 2010.

He did make amends in style, notching up successes at the highest level in the Coral-Eclipse and the Emirates Airline Champion Stakes.

The Dubai Duty Free is the likely target of the Prince of Wales's Stakes winner Byword, trained in France by Andre Fabre.

"Twice Over is an absolute favourite of Warren Place and Juddmonte. He's done us so proud, I wish we had ten like him," said the owner's racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe.

"Twice Over stays in training, as does Byword.

"Twice Over would head for the Dubai World Cup and Byword will go for the Duty Free."

Another Abdullah star who will be flying the flag again next year is Midday. The Cecil-trained filly will attempt to add to her five Group One wins.

"She's just progressed tremendously well throughout the year," Grimthorpe added.

"She wasn't quite ready at York, but Henry gave her the time and she came through for us.

"She had an exceptionally good year and she stays in training."

Meanwhile, Khalid Abdullah's Derby and Arc winner Workforce could start his 2011 campaign in the Investec Coronation Cup at Epsom in June.

The hero of this year's Derby and Arc will be aimed at the top middle-distance races, but connections have not ruled out dropping him back to a mile and a quarter should the right opportunity present itself.

"They went a tremendous pace in the Derby and he settled really well," said Grimthorpe.

"The good thing is he handled the track very well and came down the hill on the bridle.

"His pedigree says he can improve as a four-year-old and his trainer is more than adept in bringing horses on.

"We will see how he winters and see how he goes, but the Coronation Cup would be a fairly obvious starting point.

"We want to try and make him what we believe him to be - a very high-class horse.

"We want him to do that in a range of top-class races.

"If the right race over a mile and a quarter came up, it (mile and a quarter) certainly wouldn't be discounted."