Photo:

Shamela Hanley / Eclipse Sportswire

Multiple Meydan Group 1-winning rider Mickaël Barzalona has
been booked to ride Facteur Cheval for his dirt debut in the Maktoum
Challenge (G1) on Jan. 24 at Meydan in hopes of going for huge Middle East purses after that.

The reigning Dubai Turf (G1) winner, Facteur Cheval is owned by
Americans Barry Irwin of Team Valor and Hollywood movie producer Gary Barber.
He is trained in France by Jérôme Reynier and arrives in Dubai on Jan. 10, two
weeks out from the race.

Barzalona has a good record on the gelding, finishing second
in the Queen Elizabeth II (G1) at Ascot and third in the Prix du Moulin de
Longchamp (G1) in his only two rides on the 5-year-old.

“Maxime Guyon rode him to win the Dubai Turf, and we have
the utmost respect for him,” Irwin said. “However, dirt is a new game for our
boy, and Mickaël has won the Maktoum Challenge four times, so he has the
experience and expertise for the job.”

Bred in Ireland, Facteur Cheval is using the Maktoum
Challenge to see if he can be effective on dirt. If it proves viable, he will
target the Saudi Cup (G1) and the Dubai World Cup (G1). Should he flop on
dirt, connections have indicated he will stay in the United Arab Emirates to
defend his title in the Dubai Turf in April.

Team Valor has won the Dubai Turf twice, the other time with
UAE horse of the year Ipi Tombe in 2003. The same owners won the Dubai World
Cup with Animal Kingdom in 2013.