The below story was initially published on March 3. Kabirkhan is now rated a $4.80 chance to win the Dubai World Cup on Saturday night (March 30).
There is a horse racing in Dubai that if you haven’t heard about his backstory, you probably wouldn’t believe it.
And if you have heard about it, you still probably don’t.
His name is Kabirkhan and while he’s now trained in the United Arab Emirates by expat American Doug Watson, he is definitely flying the flag for his first racing homeland – Kazakhstan.
It was in the central Asian nation where he made his debut which was low-key, to overstate it.
You have to see the state of the racecourse at Astana to really believe it – it looks like the horses are running around an unkempt paddock with a couple of ‘Heavy 10’ puddles to negotiate too.
In what was only a three-horse field, Kabirkhan tumbled out the back early, struggling to get himself out of the gates.
He had to be scrubbed along but knuckled down to win by a bit over two lengths.
Juxtapose that scene to the stunning vista of Meydan – towering grandstand and bright lights to boot – where Kabirkhan is now making the unlikeliest of rises towards one of the world’s richest races.
Kabirkhan has won his first two starts in the United Arab Emirates, first turning the tables on Hero Mo – who beat him in the Russian Derby in September.
When going on with it to win the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge, Kabirkhan booked his ticket to the Dubai World Cup – and is now rated a $7 chance with TAB to win the US$12m race (~AUD$18.5m) on March 30.
Having had the pleasure of calling him to victory in Dubai, Aussie expat Pat Comerford said it has been some sort of story to see the pride of Kazakhstan launch towards one of the world’s biggest races.
Kabirkhan’s journey from Astana to southern Russia to Dubai – and into one of the world’s richest races (Image: Emirates Racing)
“He’s been an amazing inclusion to the races here, simply from the formlines,” Meydan racecaller Comerford said this week.
“Hero Mo came with him from Russia, he (Kabirkhan) is obviously Kazakhstani-owned and started his racing there – but there’s only that one track there, so they sent him to Russia where he did the majority of his racing.
“He’s been an amazing inclusion to the races, despite the fact we’ve only seen him twice.
“He’s been so effortless in his two wins so far – that’s the most amazing part. Not only has he taken to the racing here and the surface – which is the big factor – but as a son of California Chrome, we obviously hoped he would.”
Comerford said that Kabirkhan might yet show himself to have more under the hood, as he hasn’t been fully unleashed in his 4L and 4.75L victories.
“He’s an unknown (still) because he hasn’t been completely tested – we don’t know what he’s truly got under the hood yet – and the Japanese horses are the ones that are going to expose that come World Cup night.”
He might’ve been bred in America, but his ties now have him being a Kazakhstan flagbearer.
Kabirkhan was bought for a measly US$12,000 as a yearling at Keeneland in the US by Nadir Khassanov – and since on-sold to Tlek Mukanbetkaliyev.
Sure, he is a son of previous Dubai World Cup champ California Chrome, but when being picked up for a comparatively cheap figure like that, you could hardly have forecasted a future anywhere close to this for the now 4YO.
Moreso when he stepped slow on debut and was out the back – comfortably – in that little three-horse affair over 1200m at Almaty in June 2022.
The Almaty racecourse was first home to horse activities in 1930, and while it is not in the best nick these days – as you can see by the weeds protruding out of the inside of the track – it has been kept in commission.
And now – like some tracks in Australia claim maiden winners among their ‘nursery of champions’ – Almaty might yet be the nursery of a winner of one of the richest races on the planet.
Not only that, it has given his champion trainer Watson – aged in his late 50s – his first thoroughbred Group 1 success in the jurisdiction by the unlikeliest of sources in many respects.
Kabirkhan is now a winner of 10 of his 11 starts – and start No.12 will be in the Dubai World Cup.
And the level of national pride for Kazakhstan certainly adds a layer of interest to the World Cup – the Americans have been the most successful raiders of the race (with Japan also chiming in), and while this horse was bred there and is trained by an expat, try telling the Kazakhs that.
Still owned by Kazakh interests, the turquoise flag was front-and-centre after Kabirkhan – donning the national silks too, and jockey Pat Dobbs donning ‘KAZ’ on his skullcap – returned to scale after his Group 1 win.
When he bungled his way out of the gates on debut at Almaty, Group 1 glory abroad would’ve had to have been millions and drifting (and unders).
‘They’ really can come from anywhere – and one central Asian nation will be hoping Kabirkhan can fly their flag and complete a Burj Khalifa-steep rise from a three-horse Astana maiden to the World Cup.
Kabirkhan is on a wild ride in Dubai (Image: Dubai Racing Club)
The turquoise flag will be on show on Dubai World Cup night (Image: Dubai Racing Club)
