Dubai: Kilt Rock, one of the success stories of the EERC (Emirates Entertainment Racing Syndicate), returns to his favourite hunting ground at Jebel Ali Racecourse on Friday where he lines up alongside a quality six-horse field to contest the Emirates Airline Handicap, the feature race of an entire card sponsored by the award winning airline.

A five-time winner at the track the 10-year-old has, however, not won here in almost two years.

Trained by UAE champion Doug Watson Kilt Rock has been regularly campaigned at Jebel Ali but it is at Meydan Racecourse, where he has found greater success, winning twice at the Dubai World Cup Carnival.

His wins have come with an assortment of jockeys, but Watson’s stable rider Pat Dobbs, who has enjoyed a pair of victories aboard the game galloper continues his association with the horse as he bids for a career tenth victory.

Watson also saddles Ostaad another Jebel Ali regulars, who take on the Jebel Ali trained and highly regarded ex-American campaigner, Bluff.

“Ostaad has not really fired the last twice but is continuing to work well,” said Watson. “He has won over 1400m so the return to this trip may help him.

“Kilt Rock has been a great servant to the yard and is in very good form. We think he will stay the 1600m and are hopeful of a big run.”

Ostaad carries the colours of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance and is the choice of Jim Crowley. The same owner’s Mushaakis, trained by Ali Rashid Al Rahie, is the mount of Dane O’Neill, also retained by Shaikh Hamdan.

Selvaratnam also saddles two in the field for racecourse patron Major General Shaikh Ahmad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Chief of Dubai Police and Public Security, the second runner being Gobooll.

Selvaratnam’s stable jockey Chris Hayes, however, stays loyal to Bluff who was both his and Selvaratnam’s first winner of the season when scoring in December.

“He is a talented horse but not the easiest to ride as he makes a jockey’s life hard work,” said Hayes. “The small field might help him and, hopefully, he will be staying on up the hill in the long straight.

“He’s on a retrieval mission having run below expectations in his last start,” explained Hayes. “He’s a horse that we like a lot but the pace of the race will tell is a lot about his well-being and how well he performs.

Selvaratnam added:. “We know he goes well on the Jebel Ali track and hope that he can bounce back from his Meydan run,” said Selvaratnam.

The sextet is completed by Long Water, trained by Helal Al Alawi for whom he was a first ever Thoroughbred winner when landing a 1400m handicap at Meydan in November. He has run well at Jebel Ali in the past and cannot be ruled out under Royston Ffrench in a fascinating small field contest which looks likely to develop into a tactical affair with the speedsters, such as Kilt Rock, opposing the stayers, like Bluff, over this interim trip.