Drew's goes for Gold in Dubai
DUBAI Being universally liked is a rare thing, but no one has a bad word to say about Julio Olascoaga.
The young Uruguayan has enjoyed some impressive results during his three years with a licence in the United Arab Emirates, but has the chance of a big upset when Drew's Gold takes on Tuz and Straight No Chaser in the US$2 million (S$2.68 million) Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen (1,200m) on Dubai World Cup (DWC) night at Meydan on April 5.
Second in the 2023 Grade 1 Woody Stephens Stakes (1,400m) when trained in the United States by James Chapman, RRR Racing's five-year-old ridgling had a good first run for Olascoaga, finishing third to Tuz in the Group 3 Al Shindagha Sprint (1,200m) at Meydan on Jan 24, before missing the break when only ninth to the same Tuz in the Group 3 Mahab Al Shimaal (1,200m) last time.
"Gelson (Ribeiro), one of our work riders, has been working with him in the gate, so I'm confident he won't do that this time," said Olascoaga of the US-bred by Violence.
"We were very happy with his first run here and if he can repeat or improve upon that, then he will be tough."
Reaching the big night is important for the 33-year-old, who began his career as a veterinarian before a spell as a flying groom.
That brought him into contact with multiple Brazilian and Uruguayan champion trainer Antonio Cintra, who remains his mentor and manages the operation at Grandstand Stables in Dubai.
"I worked with Antonio when he came here in 2019 with three horses," said Olascoaga. "I came for one week, then one month and now it has been nearly five years.
"We have 30 stalls here at Meydan and tremendous support from the owners and the team back in Uruguay, so this operation has continued to improve every year.
"Everyone who gets a good horse back home at some point thinks of running overseas, so there is always the option to come here with us. The prize money and the exposure are also very important.
"We could bring more horses, but there wasn't room this season. If there are conditions here that make it possible to grow, we will grow."
Success includes several wins at Listed level, including this season's Listed National Day Cup (1,609m) in Abu Dhabi with Daramethos, but it is another which ranks higher for Olascoaga.
"The highlight for me was Quality Boone winning the (Listed) Al Bastakiya (over 1,900m in 2022)," he said.
"That was the game-changer for us as it changed the perception of the local owners to us.
"Another special one was Atletico El Culano winning the Listed Entisar (1,800m) because of that horse's history (as the winner of the 2021 Grade 1 Gran Premio Jose Pedro Ramirez over 2,400m, the biggest race in Uruguay) and the support from the fans back home, because he was a Uruguayan-bred."
Olascoaga has built a reputation for improving horses who have had problems in the past, something he does not mind.
"We've had some good results with horses who have come from other trainers, like Desert Peace, Mount Kosciuszko," he said.
"It's a challenge for me and I kind of enjoy it. Maybe they don't win big races but seeing a horse that came with problems back on the track, being competitive, gives me a lot of joy."
While others his age might be enjoying Dubai's booming nightlife, Olascoaga's dedication is such that he lives on site at the stables and uses an electric scooter to get between tracks in the mornings.
"I believe that in this business you have to give 120 per cent," he said. "The competition is high, so I'm here 24 hours in the stable trying to find that small advantage that makes the difference between winning and losing.
"I enjoy being competitive and I enjoy winning. My main motivation when I go to bed is to be the best I can possibly be the next morning.
"That's the way I live, and that's the way I like it." DUBAI RACING CLUB
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