Jila tipped to reward Charpy

French trainer Erwan Charpy goes in search of a mini windfall at Nad Al Sheba tonight, when he sends out the luckless Jila to take on eight rivals in the thoroughbred feature race sponsored by Dubai Racing Club.

A first prize of Dh50,000 awaits the winner of the seven furlong event, which appears to be the perfect distance for the five-year-old son of Kris who was placed in all five starts last season. Jila's last start in March was particularly impressive, when he finished a very close third to Blue Snake and Dubai World Cup hope Running Stag at this course.
Among Jila's eight competitors today are two newcomers from the UK, River Times a two time winner for Tim Easterby, and the much raced Blue Star, who has been brought here by Lingfield trainer Miss Gay Kelleway.

An extremely enterprising campaigner for Kelleway, Blue Star has already seen the race track on 14 occasions this year, winning twice at Wolverhampton. Kelleway is no newcomer to Dubai having saddled Buggy Ride in the Khor Dubai (Prestige), last season.

Other notable contenders are the Dhruba Selvaratnam duo, Derby Darbak and Mouthaddee, Kiaran McLaughlin's Mumtaaz and Jaqi Wickham's Countless.
The meet begins with a maiden's race sponsored by Expose Advertising. New Zealand trainer Graeme Rogerson dominates the entries with five runners, including last outing second Flying Springbok. But the horse they will all have to beat looks to be the Satish Seemar-trainer Pikachu who was a modest second to Just Call Me two weeks ago.

Handlers at the starting gates will have their hands full for the second race sponsored by Dubai Police, which has attracted 16 runners. Picking a winner here looks a tricky business though Seemar's recent Abu Dhabi winner Stavanger and Bob Hackworth Jr's consistent Green Barries appear to have form on their side.
What the third race, a Dh120,000 contest for Purebred Arabians, lacks in quantity, it more than makes up in quality.

Heading the field is McLaughlin's top-rated Falina Des Fabries, who was a close third to Al Sakbe in in the first leg of the Maktoum Challenge. The seven-year-old son of Dormane makes his first start since finishing eighth to stablemate Nivour De Cardonne in the Group 1 Dubai Kahayla Classic. Well rested and reportedly training well Falina Des Fabries is expected to return to his winning ways under jockey Richard Hills.

The challenge comes from Abu Dhabi in the form of Julian Smart's trusted campaigner Dent De Loup, who ran a good second to the region's best Arabian, Ezil, less than two weeks ago.
Jaqi Wickham runs two of her younger crusaders, Nyatih and Singlet. Both have made their debuts this season, with the former beaten only a neck by Marh'aba at Abu Dhabi and Singlet claiming third place behind the top rated Ezil. Both can be expected to stir things up at the finish in this Dubai Racing Club-sponsored feature event.

Peter Brette goes for his third win of the season in a thoroughbred handicap supported by Streamline Marketing, with Starlight Festival who was close second to My Pleasure at this course six weeks ago. My Pleasure also starts today's seven and a half furlong event and should also figure in the finish.

Exhibition organisers Streamline Marketing has also sponsored the Limited Conditions race for Amateur Riders, the night's additional event. Sheikh Rashid bin Mohammed Al Maktoum chases back-to-back wins astride Martello Tower, while his younger brother Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed hopes to go one better with Redones. Sheikh Hamdan was a second to Sheikh Rashid, when the two brothers last raced against each other.

Streamline Marketing will be organising the Equestrian Show in association with Dubai Racing Club in March next year.
"We're very happy to support racing at Nad Al Sheba, and we're looking forward to a very competitive race to launch our relationship as a sponsor of Dubai Racing Club events," said Joanne Evans, director of Streamline Marketing Communications.