Massive Card at Meydan Racecourse This Thursday

One of the hottest cards of the carnival season is set to unfold at fabulous Meydan Racecourse in Dubai this Thursday as the UAE 1000 Guineas, the Al Shindagha Sprint and round 2 of the Al Maktoum Challenge bring together a top-class assortment of contenders all looking for a massive payday.

Saeed Bin Suroor and Mahmood Al Zarooni are out in full force this Thursday with a total of eighteen runners lined up amongst the six races. A number of the entrants in the Al Maktoum Challenge likely have their eye on the big one and you can’t ask for a better proving grounds than place like this.

3:00 Meydan Classic Trial

This grassy 7f for three year-olds gets thing off to fascinating start with a number of these ones getting their second starts over the Meydan surface. Brazilian shipper Energia Carioca (Thignon Lafre) scored on his Dubai debut back in late December and he’ll be looking to progress here after winning at 11/2 last time out. This is a similar sort of field to the one he lined up against and the month off will have helped him chances. Borug (Kingmambo) is a fledgling Godolphin graduate and he enters off a Kempton score at the nursery level back in October. He will not struggle with the 7f though he may prefer a bit of extra distance. Dettori switches off to Roayh (Speightstown), a stakes-placed chestnut who enters off a conditions score at Kempton- though he may be undone by a four month lay-off. 

3:40 UAE 1000 Guineas

This listed contest boasts the days’ top purse as a full £96,000 is up for grabs amongst these eight exciting fillies. Mike De Kock’s Reem (Galileo) ticks most of the boxes based on a very strong showing in her Meydan debut in a 1000 Guineas trial two weeks back when sent off at 14/1. Mahooba (Galileo) was the runner-up on the day and she likely could have put in a better shift if she broke a bit better. She boasts a nice turn of foot and will likely try to stay just off the leading pack. Godolphin’s Abtasaamah (Distorted Humor) ran third in that trial race and still looks poised to progress a bit if she doesn’t get pushed early on.

4:15 Etisalat Elife

The Blue Team saddle more than half the field in this 1m4f93y turf handicap. Buzzword (Pivotal) has forged a solid partnership with Ahmed Ajtebi and the pair will be sticking to a tactical switch that paid dividends back in the summer when the bay colt switched to a front-running style. He is a step above the rest of the field but has been laid off since September- he could need the race but anywhere over 3/1 brings him into play. Mike De Kock’s Star Empire (Second Empire) will be dangerous if the gelded five year-old gets a clean shot in the final 2f.

4:55 Al Shindagha Sprint (Group 3)

Probably one of the most difficult puzzles of the day, a hefty field of sixteen are set to contest this 6f dash for a very enticing payout. Seasoned Dubai specialist Alo Pura (Anabaa) gets the nod having not finished off the board since last February. Running 33113, the seven year-old bay mare will look to assert herself coming out of mid-division. Position and placement are key in races like this and she’s one to watch going forward. Mike De Kock’s Our Giant (Giant’s Causeway) enters off a conditions score at Meydan last time out after a lengthy lay-off since March. That’s tough for an eight year-old and he should be sharp here and connections will be hoping for smooth progress in the final stages.

5:35 Etisalat My Plan

Quick Wit (Oasis Dream) will definitely take some money as a bottom-weight coming in off three wins in a row. He is right in the mix from a ratings standpoint and the only thing that may put punters off is a switch to Ted Durcan as Dettori opts for the more seasoned Colonial (Cape Cross). He put in a solid shift to finish fourth in the first round of the Al Maktoum Challenge and this is a much easier field to navigate. Doing business in the 8/1 range sounds about right.

6:10 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 (Group 3)

The evening’s feature assembles nine well-bred contenders from all four corners of the globe. Sheikh Hamdan’s My Indy (Indygo Shiner) lined up in the World Cup back in 2009 but was never a factor during the 2010 campaign that saw the seven year-old horse run in the first two rounds of the Al Maktoum. Connections will have likely learned from mistakes last time out (a lack of conditioning for the final furlong being the key variable) and he’s dangerous if he runs to ability. Gitano Hernando (Hernando) will take money and a sixth-place finish in last year’s Dubai World Cup belies plenty of confidence. He comes off a tidy lay-off and his ability to find form on synthetic surfaces could make a big difference here. Crowded House (Rainbow Quest) is a solid contender but simply hasn’t won in more than two years so he needs major improvement. The key player looks to be last year’s Dubai Duty Free winner Al Shemali (Medicean) who has racked up massive earnings and could be set to make a real statement here. He has been laid-off since a show in the Group 1 Singapore Airlines International Cup in May. He might need the race, though he has scored off a lay-off before. If he’s anywhere around 5/2, he’ll be looking a tidy wager.

6:45 Etisalat Wasel

A tricky group lines up for the night cap at Meydan and they’ll be going 1m2f on the grass. Haatheq (Seeking The Gold) is an attractive and well-weighted selection that hasn’t finished outside the first two since his Dubai debut back in December of 2010. He ran second at a 10/1 price on his Meydan debut on January 20th and he will be well-poised for victory if he gets a correct stalking trip from Richard Hills. Mike De Kock and Christophe Soumillon team up on Here To Win (Roi Normand) and she deserves plenty of respect with a second place finish to Derbaas (Seeking The Gold) in a handicap at Meydan.