Dubai: No trainer has dominated the UAE 1,000 Guineas to the extent that Saeed Bin Surour has and the highly-regarded Emirati handler looks certain to maintain that ascendancy at Thursday’s renewal of the first Classic of the UAE racing season.
Bin Surour has achieved unsurpassed success in the Listed 1400 metre dirt contest winning it nine times in all, including the first five running of the race between 2001-2005.
He saddles two of the three Godolphin contenders including Really Special, a convincing winner of the trial three weeks earlier. His second runner, Voice Of Truth was tenth on that occasion while Calare, who is trained by Charlie Appleby for Godolphin, was fifth.
The Godolphin trio face eight rivals headed by the Mike de Kock-trained Fursa, a Group 2 winner in his native South Africa who will be making his UAE debut.
Assessing the chances of his pair Bin Surour said: “Really Special has won all three of her career starts and is a filly we really like.
“The extra 200m will suit her as she won a 1600m Listed race at Newmarket in October and we think she has a massive chance.”
“Voice Of Truth always tries her best, but is a hard filly to predict because she shows little in her work at home.”
Appleby, who is seeking a first win in the race, commented on Calare: “(The) experience of racing on dirt and stepping up to 1600m should help her. “She won a Listed race over this trip in Ireland and has been training well so (she) should be thereabouts.”
Leading UAE trainer Doug Watson has his string in fine fettle and must fancy the chances of Compliment who was far from disgraced when she boldly chased Really Special to the line in the trial, in what was only her second career start.
That effort was not lost on Watson, who said: “The draw is obviously not ideal. However, she is working very well and, hopefully, Pat will be able to get into a decent position early on.”
“It is a good race but we are expecting a big run.”
Richard Fahey will bid to give the UK only their second success in the race since Vague won the 2006 1000 Guineas for Jeremy Noseda when he saddles Rajar, third in the trial and Melesina, a Group 3 winner on Turf at Deauville, France, in October.
Saudi Arabia won this race back in 2009 with So Shiny and French handler Nicholas Bachalard runs Nasmiah, who has won all three career starts, including a Group 1 contest, in the Kingdom.
The meeting opens with the Group 2 1600 metre Mazrat Al Ruwayah for Purebred Arabians.
Seven have been declared, includin AF Mathmoon, winner of the Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge R1 over the same course and distance five weeks ago, as well as the 2016 Kahayla Classic on Dubai World Cup Day.
Sporting the famous blue and white silks of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, and trained by Musabah Al Muhairi, he does have a penalty but looks hard to topple.
