Top picks for UAE Derby

Group 2; 5.35pm; $2 million; 1,900m; sponsored by The Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Group  

 

Frank Conversation

 

Trainer Doug O’Neill and owner Paul Reddam, who won the Godolphin Mile together with Spring at Last in 2007, have an interesting UAE Derby contender this time in Frank Conversation. This son of Quality Road, born on May 2013, probably needed time to fulfil his potential. 

 

He has won two minor classics already in 2016, landing the California Derby in January and El Camino Real Derby in February — both staged over the artificial Tapeta track at Golden Gate Fields in San Francisco.

 

Having finished fifth in the Los Alamitos Futurity on dirt in December, he won these races with little fuss, beating Tusk readily by three parts of a length when stepping up to 9 furlongs (about 1,800 metres) in the El Camino Real. He started favourite and raced nicely settled in a handy position throughout, before moving up three wide to take command halfway down the home straight.

 

Frank Conversation’s form can be best described as solid, not top-class, but he may be about to hit an upward curve.

 

Polar River

 

This Doug Watson-trained filly has taken Meydan by storm, with four ridiculously easy wins in the fillies’ division, and she must have an excellent chance as she meets the boys for the first time on World Cup night. Fillies have done well in the UAE Derby before but this lady could turn out to be something extra special. Polar River’s victory streak began with a 13½-length success in maiden company in December when she showed excellent speed to win over 1,200 metres. 

 

Her next task, the UAE 1000 Guineas Trial in January, represented a big step up in class and a small step up in distance, as she tackled 1,400 metres just as easily to beat Promising Run by almost 5 lengths. The two met again in the Guineas four weeks later. The distance was now 1,600 metres and the result the same. Only this time, Polar River beat Promising Run by 13 lengths. It was a most impressive run by the young, still relatively inexperienced, daughter of Congrats.

 

Jockey Patrick Dobbs had her in a perfect position just behind the leaders from the outset and sent her into a clear lead some 400 metres from the winning post. Polar River drew further and further away from her five rivals. Her performance made her the best horse seen in the classic division at Meydan this season. It also scared off all but two rivals in the UAE Oaks on March 3, when Polar River moved up to 1,900 metres and faced Vale Dori, a top-level winner in Argentina last May, and Dolly Dagger, a badly outclassed runner representing Sweden. 

 

She cruised home again, beating Vale Dori geared down by three parts of a length. The race told us little new about Polar River but it was nice to see her handle the Derby distance so well. It will take a classy colt to lower her colours in the Derby. 

 

Market Rally

 

Market Rally, a wide-margin maiden winner for trainer Wayne Catalano at Monmouth Park in New Jersey last August, improved in leaps and bounds from his first to his second start at Meydan. He continued the progress with another impressive win in the Al Bastakiya over 1,900 metres on Super Saturday. 

 

A son of Florida Derby winner Unbridled’s Song, Market Rally opened his classic campaign by finishing fourth of eight behind Steady Pace in the UAE 2000 Guineas Trial in January. When they met in the UAE 2000 Guineas in February, Steady Pace failed to fire. But Market Rally went straight to the lead in the 1,600-metres contest, opened up a clear advantage and was never in any danger.

 

Confidently ridden by Chris Hayes, the colt cruised home for a comfortable 6-length win over Lazzam. He handled the distance well when the result was duplicated on Super Saturday. He is open to improvement and must be a live contender in the UAE Derby.