Dubai: Those who rely on class and form cannot see past Curlin as the winner of Saturday's $6million Dubai World Cup (Gr 1.
But Godolphin pilot Frankie Dettori is not willing to get sucked into backing the American Horse of the Year just because of his reputation.
In fact Dettori insists the short-priced favourite can be beaten.
"I've been impressed by Curlin, but he is beatable, every horse is beatable," the Italian said yesterday at Godolphin's Dubai headquarters in Al Quoz.
"However, if Curlin of the Breeders' Cup or Preakness turns up, then it is going to be very hard," Dettori added, as if he was having second thoughts.
"But he has had to travel a long way from America to different conditions and a very different track.
"We have a good horse and we must go out thinking we can beat him."
Dettori also talked about the chances of his four other rides on Saturday, where he would appear to have strong chances in the $5m Dubai Duty Free (Gr 1) with Literato and the $5m Dubai Sheema Classic with Blackat Blackitten.
Success
He said: "Literato's run in the Champion Stakes swung things in the end, but Creachadoir is a good horse, too, and I could well be on the wrong one.
"The Sheema Classic is a very hot renewal, and, though I hope I have picked right, neither of us might be good enough to win this one." Dettori spoke of the tough choice in choosing between Blackat Blackitten and Elusive Warning in the Godolphin Mile. He said: "I was 50-50 which way to go, but Kerrin (McEvoy) has done well on Elusive Warning, so I thought it best to stick with Blackat Blackitten." Commenting on Diabolical, who he hopes can end a long wait for success in the Dubai Golden Shaheen (Gr 1) Dettori said: "It depends how good the American sprinters are.
"But Diabolical has done everything we have asked of him, and he'll be very hard to beat."
