Dubai: Plenty of Classic clues will be on offer as Meydan hosts an attractive six-race card on Thursday headed by the inaugural running of the Listed Dubawi Stakes and the trials for the first UAE Classics.
Run over a straight 1200m on the All-Weather track the Dubawi Stakes has the makings of a proven trial for all the major sprint races leading up to the $2 million Dubai Golden Shahen (G1) on Dubai World Cup night.
The race looks a fascinating contest with five of the first six home in last year’s Golden Shaheen making their first appearances of the season, including Satish Seemar’s Reynaldothewizard, the Edward Lynam-trained Balmont Mast and Krypton Factor, who occupied the top three positions in that sprint.
Seemar’s stable-star has been the subject of flattering gallop reports which is reflected in his overwhelming favouritism in the international betting markets.
Stable jockey Richard Mullen explained: “This is the obvious place to get him back on the track, especially as he does not have a penalty.
“He is not a horse you can race too much and only had three runs before the Golden Shaheen last year and that could well be the case again. He seems in great form at home and I am looking forward to getting him back on the track.”
South African handler Mike de Kock will also be looking forward to seeing how his international globe-trotter Kavanagh has trained on from last season where he was sixth in the Shaheen prior to challenging for some of the big sprint races at Singapore’s Kranji track and Newmarket, Haydock and Ascot in the UK.
Krypton Factor was winless last season but must be feared on the strength of his string of victories the previous which culminated in him winning the Golden Shaheen.
He is owned and trained by Bahraini Fawzi Nass who said: “He was running well in Dubai last year without things falling quite right and then nothing really went right in Europe after his excellent third in the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes.
“Newmarket was disappointing — everything looked spot on for him but he was unable to run after getting out of the stalls. He has settled back in well in Dubai and should run well but will come on for this run.”
Former Meydan scorer Hitchens makes his return for trainer David Barron while Ireland are well represented with Carnival regulars Russian Soul, who is saddle by Mick Halford and the Eddie Lynam-trained Balmont Mast are joined by Farmleigh House, a first UAE runner for his Irish owner and trainer, William Martin.
Local powerhouse Godolphin look to have genuine claims in trials for both the UAE 2000 and 1000 Guineas, with long-serving handler Saeed Bin Suroor strongly represented by the ante-post favourite Emirates Flyer in the colt’s event and his Godolphin parnter Charlie Appleby saddling the top two contenders, Autumn Lily and Wedding Ring (3/1), in the fillies trials.
Ireland’s Pat Shanahan also sends out the well-regarded Dolce N Karama, who was an eye-catching fourth in last year’s Group 1 Racing Post Trophy, in the 2000 Guineas Trial, a race that
Mike De Kock won both the trial and the Guineas with Soft Falling Rain last year and is this time two-handed with the southern hemisphere foaled Full Combat and Similarly, De Kock’s pair, Magrooma and Magroora giving weight to their eight rivals due in the fillies’ trial.
