The last time Michifumi Kono was in Dubai, the World Cup was still in its planning stages. The Japanese trainer had only a preview of what the most lucrative meet in the world was going to be like.
A decade later, Kono is returning to the Middle East, with Dubai World Cup day firmly fixed on the international racing calendar, and this time, he is no spectator.
Kono's 7-year-old Asakusa Den'en will run in the Dubai Duty Free, part of the four-race Asian Mile Challenge that kicked off earlier this month with the Futurity Stakes in Australia.
Asakusa Den'en is the reigning champion of last summer's Yasuda Kinen, also part of the Asian Mile Challenge program. He is one of two Japanese entries for the Dubai Duty Free, along with Katsuhiko Sumii's double Group One winner Hat Trick.
"I was invited to go to Dubai a year before the first World Cup was held, and given a tour of what the event was going to be like," the 56-year-old Kono said. "That was 10 years ago.
"To me, personally, I'm simply looking forward to going back to a country that I haven't been to in 10 years, more than the race itself. But of course, sure, I'd love to win a race at the World Cup."
The Dubai Duty Free will be Asakusa Den'en's first start of 2006, his first since the Hong Kong Mile in December when he placed sixth behind the winner, Hat Trick. Kono says Asakusa Den'en is in decent shape despite the layoff.
"He's in good form, not bad at all," Kono said. "But we had some problems here and there in our itinerary, and our initial training plans fell apart. We couldn't run him in the races that we wanted to beforehand.
"You do everything you can before sending a horse out there and just accept the results, whether they're good or bad. Of course, I want to finish as high as possible, I want to win.
"If he wins, he'll almost certainly be a stud and I've always wanted to produce a sire from our stable."
There will be a switch in jockeys for the Singspiel chestnut, from Shinji Fujita to Japan's best and brightest, Yutaka Take. Take takes over for Fujita, who led Asakusa Den'en to the Yasuda Kinen title but must pass up the saddle due to a scheduling conflict on March 25.
Kono does not think the change will affect the horse's performance.
"He's ridden him once before and for a genius like him, it should be enough," Kono said of Take, who also has three other mounts in Dubai and will ride Asakusa Den'en for the first time since January 2003. "I'm sure he remembers the last time.
"He's also getting there a little bit early and he told me he would work out the horse. I'm not worried; he's a jockey who can ride well in any type of race. He's very experienced on the world stage."
The trainer also believes the horse can handle the Dubai heat and cover the distance in the Duty Free. Most of Asakusa Den'en's races during his career have been at the mile.
"His mother is a former horse of the year in Europe, so I don't expect it to be much of a problem. He's pretty tough," Kono said, referring to Whitewater Affair. "He hasn't run that much in the summer, but he's matured over the years.
"I think he can handle up to 2,000 without problem. The distance of 1,777 meters is odd, but it should not be a problem for him."
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