2010 UAE Derby at Meydan Racecourse Betting Tips

Saeed Bin Suroor takes on Mike De Kock in a big showdown at Meydan Racecourse for the 2010 UAE Derby.

This one is looking like a duel between Musir and Mendip, while one of two outsiders look like they could play spoiler. There are some solid prices on offer here and I think this is one of the more attractive races of the day, especially if you're looking to play exotics.

I don't see a huge amount of surprises here and Musir (Redoute's Choice) is trading as the 6/4 favourite and looking to build on his undefeated spell at this year's Dubai Racing Carnival. He took the UAE 2000 Guineas Trial with Frozen Power (Oasis Dream) running second and then more or less repeated the exact performance in the 2000 Guineas proper, again besting Frozen Power.

I think his running style suits the type of competition he's facing off against and he is not troubled at all by the distance. This is one of the more talented runners to go on display at this year's meet and I think he's likely to acquit himself well here today.

Mendip (Harlan's Holiday) looks set to be his chief competition and the Saeed Bin Suroor-trained colt has also scored two on the bounce at Meydan; looking to complete his own personal trifecta of Tapeta victories.

He hasn't been competing at the class level that Musir has, but it's the emphaticness of his victories that belies confidence in my book. He knows how to find the finish line and has scored at both 7f and 1m1f. He will be in your top 3 barring any major mistakes, and is a better value play at 5/2 than Musir's nearly even-money listing.

The best bet for the tail end of your exotics is likely to be the aforementioned Frozen Power. He's 221 at Meydan this year, having just scored his first victory on March 5 in the Meydan Classic; a switch over to turf, and a step down in class. He'll look to stalk and push about 2.5f out from the stretch, if there is a slower pace at the start he'll be in good shape and will be well-poised to challenge on a stretch drive.

There are better horses than him in the race though, and that needs to be respected. He's trading at 14/1.

Another selection to complete the lower end of your ticket is the solid Della Barba (Della Francesca) who ships in from Chile. He's run 32 on his two spins around the Tapeta at Meydan, performing well enough to beat lower-class runners, but has been punching above his weight at this year's carnival. He's still young and will be interesting to watch, especially if he gets the right trip. I like his guile and his 20/1 price tag. He adds plenty of value to a tricast.