Forever Young and Romantic Warrior, the two stars everyone watches in the mornings...

The two big stars of the Dubai World Cup meeting showcased remarkable form this Tuesday, moving strongly

Romantic Warrior always looks in remarkable form / DRC

By Diego H. Mitagstein

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (Special correspondent for Turf Diario) – The logical assumption is that heat dominates the landscape in the desert. However, mornings are quite cool, so much so that any outing requires a jacket, especially when heading to Meydan, the magnificent racetrack in this city.

It’s also true that by midday, the jacket becomes more of a nuisance as the weather starts to warm up, but... better safe than sorry. At those hours, with the night still in play, horses participating in the Dubai World Cup festival begin to appear on the track, although, this Tuesday, the movement was notably less than on Monday.

For those who always prefer quality over quantity, having the opportunity to watch Forever Young (Real Steel) and Romantic Warrior (Acclamation), the two biggest stars of the season's festival, move just minutes apart was a real treat.

The Japanese champion is pure class. Always calm, with quality, he responds when his jockey, Ryusei Sakai, asks him to move quickly, but afterward, he’s as smooth as silk, walking with his head low and his physique always impeccable and unchanged.

The Saudi Cup (G1) winner trotted one lap and then galloped strongly for another, before finishing his visit to the racetrack by standing for a while behind the starting gates, a detail that is never overlooked.

A bit more temperamental, Romantic Warrior appeared just after 7 AM, during the second round on the turf, for his final practice with his usual jockey, James McDonald, up. The truth? It's in the air.

Of course, the atmosphere is dominated by the Japanese and broader Asian press, with the two leading figures of the large contingent that traveled from that part of the world being the subjects of thousands of photos and images. Those that everyone hopes to see again on Saturday when the time for the real test arrives...