Bhupat Seemar won't have Laurel River, but he's excited about Walk of Stars

The leading trainer in Dubai will present one of the best horses of the Meydan season at the Saudi Cup

Bhupat Seemar is a winning machine at Meydan / JCSA / ERIKA RASMUSSEN

By Diego H. Mitagstein (Special Correspondent for Turf Diario in Saudi Arabia)

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Bhupat Seemar had planned to bring Laurel River to the 2025 Saudi Cup (G1) as the star of his stable at Meydan, United Arab Emirates. However, that goal ultimately could not materialize.

The Into Mischief colt suffered a minor setback that delayed his training, prompting connections to aim for the Dubai World Cup (G1) instead, where he will attempt to defend the title he so brilliantly claimed in 2024.

Despite the setback with his top horse, Dubai’s leading trainer will still be represented in the world’s richest race, thanks to Walk of Stars, a Dubawi colt owned by Athbah Racing Stable. Showing remarkable improvement, he arrives at King Abdulaziz Racecourse on the back of two dominant victories at Meydan, including a Group 1 triumph.

"He’s a very talented horse. He’s coming off some really strong wins, including a G1 victory in Dubai three weeks ago, where he was just incredible and ran a very good time. We finished one-two that day," Seemar said. "I think he has the ability to be up there with the best, and he’s coming into the Saudi Cup in great shape. He has really improved this year."

Asked about the reason behind such a transformation, Seemar explained:

"Well, we have to remember that last year, he had just arrived and had spent his whole career running on turf. We switched him to dirt because he’s by Dubawi, one of the best sires in the world, out of a Street Cry mare—so there’s a lot of dirt influence in his pedigree. The two surfaces are completely different, and handling the kickback is a challenge."

"He took everything in stride and kept improving with each race. We ran him in the Godolphin Mile (G2) on Dubai World Cup night, and he finished second with a great effort. That was only his third race on dirt, and now, with more experience, he’s a much more complete horse."

As for his running style and whether he will go forward as he has been doing in Dubai, Seemar said:

"He’s very adaptable—he can go to the lead, sit second, third, no problem at all. He’s naturally quick. He might go forward, but if they go too fast early, he can sit behind and finish strong."

Naturally, the conversation turned to Laurel River and his future plans, to which Seemar responded candidly:

"He had a minor setback—a small knock on his leg—and we lost a few training days. You don’t want to go into these big G1 races, facing the best horses in the world, without a proper preparation. The decision was made, and Juddmonte fully supported it. That’s one of the reasons they are the best in the business—they always put the horse first. It was disappointing not to bring him, but they said, 'Do what’s best for the horse, he owes us nothing.' He’ll be back on track, and hopefully, he’ll put in a huge performance in the Dubai World Cup."