Dubai: It might not be the Dubai World Cup Carnival but you could never tell, given the depth and quality of fields lining-up to contest the six races at Saturday’s Gulf News-sponsored race meeting at Meydan.
Highlights on the card include the 1,200-metre gulfnews.com Handicap and the 1,600m Gulf News Handicap, both of which will be run on turf.
Leading UAE trainer Musabah Al Muhairi appears to have strong claims with Hattaash, a course and distance winner two weeks ago, and Chasing Halos, who also struck over course and distance in November.
Godolphin handler Saeed Bin Surour’s I’m Back, the choice of stable jockey Silvestre De Sousa, and Ahmad Ajtebi’s Pied A Terre, are the main threats together with Dhruba Selvaratnam’s Roicead, who was an eye-catching fourth at the first Carnival meeting.
Bin Suroor said: “I’m Back worked nicely last Sunday and this looks a good race for him. He will improve for the run but should run well.
“Pied A Terre is also going well in the mornings but, likewise, will come on for this outing.”
Commenting on Roicead’s last run, Selvaratnam’s stable jockey James Doyle said: “That was a very good run, nine days ago. That was over 1,000m but the extra 200m should not be a problem and he should go well.”
South African Mike De Kock runs Red Duke, who was a Group 2 winner over 1,400m as a two-year-old.
“His best form is very good and he shows enough speed at home to try him over 1,200m,” said de Kock. “He will improve for the run, certainly, but this looks the right race to get him back on the track.”
De Kock also saddles two runners in the Gulf News handicap with Specific Gravity and Final Button, however, Bin Surour’s Famous Poet looks the one to beat in the 1,600m contest.
“Specific Gravity ran well enough first time and would have needed that,” said de Kock. “Final Button never really fired last year but seems in good order.”
Selvaratnam’s Canwinn, who makes his first turf start since winning a handicap at Abu Dhabi in March, is another to consider.
Racing starts at 6.50pm.
