Godolphin mile: Sky is the limit

Dubai: If Skysurfers had not received the outside draw of 13 in the 14-horse field, he would have surely been the one to beat as the Godolphin Mile (Group 2) sponsored by etisalat has been won eight times by trainer Saeed Bin Surour, four of them in partnership with Lanfraco Dettori.

Skysurfers returned to the Tapeta here on Super Thursday, 12 months after running third in the Godolphin Mile, with a smashing win ahead of Musir (who runs in the Dubai World Cup). But Dettori and Godolphin Racing manager Simon Crisford feel it would now be a huge task for Skysurfers to win from gate 13 though the E Dubai son is sure to garner a lot of support from the Pick Six followers.

"I thought he was one of my best rides of the night but being drawn 13 of 14 is not very kind and he has to travel further than the others. The draw has harmed his chance," said Dettori.

However, trainer Bin Surour relies on the fact that Skysurfers runs well fresh and is hoping for a big run while his fellow Godolphin trainer bids to make it two in a row after winning the Mile last year with Calming Influence under Emirati jockey Ahmad Ajtebi.

Good chance

The two Emiratis come together on Rileyskeepingfaith and Ajtebi said, "I think I have a good chance and he looks my best ride of the night."

However Ajtebi's mount has drawn gate 12 which brings the Barry Hills-trained Red Jazz, Satish Seemar's Conveyance, Richard Dutrow Jr.'s I Want Revenge and Christian Wall's Premio Loco into the picture.

Third to Dubai World Cup runner Poet's Voice in a Group 1 race in Ascot in September, Red Jazz is the highest rated in the field and comes on the back of a smart win in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes in New Market.

Conveyance is unbeaten in two starts over a mile and on Super Thursday finished second to Bankable over six furlongs and has been tipped as his best chance for the night by Seemar.

Dutrow Jr., who won this race in 2008 with Diamond Stripes, has entered I Want Revenge. A Grade 1 winner, I Want Revenge was aimed at the Dubai World Cup so the drop in both distance and quality of opposition makes this American raider a strong prospect.

One of the success stories of this year's Carnival has been the Musabah Al Muhairi-trained Zafeen Speed and the four-year-old Zafeen colt followed up his three wins this season just a neck behind Mendip on Super Thursday, the latter now running in the Group 1 Dubai Duty Free later in the night.

No dearth of effort

There will be no dearth of effort from Zafeen Speed's jockey Wayne Smith who is battling for the UAE jockey's championship.

Qatari raider Hearts of Fire, the Mauricio Delcher-trained As De Trebol, Benjamin Cecil's Crowded House, US runner Make Music For Me, Mike de Kock's Imbongi along with Mufarrh and Le Drakkar trained by Emirati handlers Ali Rashid Al Raihe and Abdullah Bin Huzaim complete the field.

GULF NEWS SELECTIONS

• A: Skysurfers
• B: I Want revenge
• C: Red Jazz
• Upset: Zafeen Speed