The South American team arrives with 7 horses to the big day in Dubai, among them, the Argentines Satu and Giustino, ready to run the Al Fahidi Fort (G2) and the UAE 2000 Guineas (G3), respectively

By Diego H. Mitagstein
Julio Olascoaga is a quiet guy, very quiet. He speaks slowly, moves slowly, and has been, for some time now, a very important part of the project developed in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, by the Brazilian trainer Antonio Cintra, Tolu. A veterinarian, he joined the crusade and adopted the distant Arabian lands as his second home, where Meydan is the cornerstone of the season for the Emirates Racing Authority and the Dubai Racing Club.
In previous years the team already obtained strong results, made noise, placing the South American horses high, demonstrating that it can compete and that it can win or be at the height, but for the current International Carnival expectations are higher.
With better horses in the stalls of the stable they occupy, and with several local big owners entrusting them with their animals, Olascoaga and the whole Team Tolú will live next Friday the expected day, presenting no more and no less than 7 horses in the Fashion Friday.
“They are all very tough races and being able to be part of them with so many horses is very important for the team. This date is shaping up to be one of the strongest in the month of January worldwide and being able to compete with opportunities is transcendent for the project and for the owners”, says Julio, with his mate under his arm, as a good Uruguayan.
In the UAE 2000 Guineas (G3-1600 m, dirt), the first step of the Triple Crown in the United Arabs Emirates, he will be represented by the Brazilian Nam Phrik (Hofburg), the Uruguayan Don Vaccaro (Alcorano) and the Argentine Giustino, the lastt one owned by Haras La Providencia, who will make his debut in Meydan after winning the Gran Premio Polla de Potrillos (G1) last year at Palermo.
“Nam Phrik and Don Vaccaron come with a race under their belts and I'm sure they will improve, they both followed very well. Nam Phrik ran very well in a distance that is not the best for him, because the longer goes, the better; we have high expectations. Giustino arrives very well, the whole team of La Providencia is with us and we are happy that Francisco Leandro can ride him, we are very excited; he has an adequate preparation and he is a good horse that has done everything well since arrived, I think that is the most important thing. We are noticing that the horses are adapting fast and progressing. The colt has had good workouts and now he has to show us all that on the track”.
Another card for Olascoaga and Cintra will be the G1W Satu, defender of the colors of Las Monjitas and facing a very tough edition of the Al Fahidi Fort (G2-1400 m, turf), after his remarkable debut here, when he lost in the final furlongs after making the lead, finishing fourth in the Business Bay Challenge (L).
“With Satu we opted for this race in view of the good moment he is going through, since we had a conditions race the week before and we let it go. We are going to try to take revenge on those who beat him the other day, when he got back excellently. He has been doing well since then, he has a tremendous talent and an incredible capacity, we are all crazy about him. He has his little physical issues, which he has been handling in a good way and he is in great condition. We want to win more than we did the other day, when we were choked up”.
The team will also be active in the Firebreak Stakes (G3-1600 m, dirt), where Sound Money (Flatter) goes against the great Laurel River (Into Mischief); in the Blue Point Sprint (G2-1000 m, turf), represented by Logo Hunter (Brazen Beau); and in the Al Shindagha Sprint (G3-1200 m, dirt), with Drew's Gold (Violence) facing local Champion Sprinter Tuz (Speighstown).
On this, he says: “We have 3 horses signed up from RRR Racing, a local owner. They were all stakes horses before coming to our stable and they entrusted us with this important possibility. It would have been nice to have a preparatory race for them, but they all have a chance and they are coming along well. I think Sound Money is the one with the best ability”.
The talk is coming to an end, and Olascoaga emphasizes a fact: “Satu, Nam Phrik and Giustino are a sample of the project that Antonio Cintra always conceived, thought and dreamed of, arriving with merits to good races. It has been demonstrated that when there are good horses, planning, teamwork and joint work among many people, even from different countries, it is possible to compete and put South American horses on top. Now we have to see what happens on the track, but everything is going well and we have real chances. I am personally proud to be part of this story, and I have always been convinced that it is possible. Ignacio Correas (Jr.) or Paulo Lobo in the United States have already proved it. It can be done”.
Are a lot of South American dreams at Meydan, with its horses and its professionals. Let's hope for the best...
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