Dubai: Alexandros, who won with almost ‘ridiculous ease' when making his seasonal debut in the Al Rashidiya (Group 3) over 9 furlongs at this venue early in February, looks the pick in the Jebel Hatta (Group 2)
Sent off a warm favourite, the five-year-old son of Kingmambo cruised home to win by 3 ½ lengths from Crowded House, who stayed on well from off the pace. The race was certainly run to suit Alexandros, and he looked really well in himself, but the form is solid enough.
Crowded House, one of the top juveniles in Europe in 2008 and now a Dubai World Cup contender, came back to run well in second behind Allybar in the second round of the Maktoum Challenge (Allybar runs in the Maktoum Challenge today), giving the form a nice boost.
Alexandros is not quite in the same class as Presvis, but he is more at home over this distance and he gets a useful weight pull from the Cumani runner.
Presvis has also had one outing here at the Carnival, finishing second in a slowly-run tree-runner event over 10 furlongs.
Allybar was the name of the winner again, and he beat Presvis by 7 ½ lengths after benefitting enormously by the pace scenario. Presvis was conceding 6kg (13lb) and what was surprising was that he was made odds-on favourite for the race.
This week, Presvis is in a stronger field, but he is not so harshly treated by the weight conditions. That's a plus. The fact that he will be fitter is another positive, but one negative factor is the drop in trip.
Presvis was second in the Dubai Duty Free over 1,777 metres at Nad Al Sheba last year, but he is better over 2,000.
Either way, he must be respected, in what will likely be his prep run leading to a crack at the World Cup.
Justenuffhumor failed to fire on his UAE debut two weeks ago, as he ran a bit flat and could manage only sixth, behind Bankable, in the Al Fahidi Fort (G2) over a mile while Ibn Battuta finished best of all and was an unlucky loser when third in a very close finish to the same race.
