Ed Marnane
Racing returns to Meydan on Friday for an eight-race card that is short on quality but high on quantity as four of the eight races have attracted maximum fields, and finding winners will be tough.
Race 3, the 1400m dirt conditions race for three-year-olds, looks a fine opportunity for lightly raced Awab, three weeks after finishing a respectable fourth behind Saudi Derby hopeful Golden Vekoma in the UAE 2000 Guineas.
Trained by Musabbeh Al Mheiri, Awab kept on well to finish less than six lengths behind the winner, showing a likeable attitude for pressure in the closing stages on just third run of his career. He will appreciate the drop in grade, is open to further improvement and rates the best bet on a difficult card.
Quirky No Retreat, trained by Fawzi Nass, continues to frustrate his connections and punters, having finished second for the fourth successive time at Meydan seven days ago. He travelled strongly but idled in front in the closing stages and found little for pressure when failing to see off the late challenge of Folk Festival.
No Retreat, beaten favourite in all five lifetime runs, contests the final race, the 1400m handicap on turf. From a double-digit draw in a big field, Adrie de Vries will need all his experience and skill to get No Retreat to finally make the breakthrough.
Saeed bin Suroor has booked top Irish rider Dylan Browne McMonagle to ride the unexposed Warsong. By Night Of Thunder, he made an encouraging comeback following a lengthy layoff at Meydan last month, just finding the progressive and reliable Haasim too strong in a minor event.
The winner gave the form a timely boost when chasing home Romantic Style in the Dubai Sprint (Listed). Warsong looks nicely treated off 83 on his handicap debut and is fancied to open his account at the fourth time of asking.
Charlie Appleby remains in red-hot form and is two-handed in the feature, the 1400m handicap on turf, Race 6. Operating at 27% strike-rate at Meydan in 2025, Appleby can win the race with Creative Story, the choice of William Buick.
He impressed on his seasonal debut at Meydan last month, taking advantage of a lenient rating when defeating The Camden Colt and 13 others on his handicap debut. The four-year-old, by the exciting young sire Too Darn Hot, has more to offer on just the fifth run of his career.
Appleby has booked Richard Mullen to ride Native Approach, winner of the Listed Business Bay Challenge, over the same course and distance, in December. He disappointed slightly in the Al Fahidi Fort (Group 2), finishing fifth of eight behind Marbaan. He can easily bounce back dropping in grade but faces a stiff task giving Creative Story weight.
The Musabbeh Al Mheiri-trained El Nasseeb, winner of two of his three runs on dirt, switches to turf. He has progressed nicely this season and if handling the conditions can’t be dismissed under the talented rider Danny Tudhope.
Michael Costa, the season’s top trainer, is responsible for three of the 10 runners and Saleymm, Ben Coen’s mount, looks the pick of the trio. He was last seen in action in the Garhoud Sprint (Listed) at Meydan 14 months ago.
Ridden by Coen, he ran well when third behind Colour Up, shaping nicely over a trip short of his best. Costa has a good record this season with horses off long breaks and is one to consider.
Race 4, the 1000m turf handicap, has attracted a full field of 16 and consistent Al Muzn, runner-up in his last two starts, gets the vote. He ran with credit behind the unexposed Tawalla on his return to turf at Meydan last month, before narrowly denied by Royal Commander at Jebel Ali.
The five-year-old is very unexposed on grass and commands plenty of respect in a race many of his rivals are largely out of sorts and struggling for form.
Lightly raced Elraaed, a recent winner at Jebel Ali, heads the weights in the 1600m handicap, Race 5. The Costa-trained gelding showed improved form on his local track and has strong claims of following up under Coen.
In an open race, Mount Kosciuszko is one to consider. He was an unlucky loser at Meydan earlier in the campaign and took a step back in the right direction last time at Jebel Ali. He’s proven under the conditions, is on a competitive mark and the draw has been kind.
Cupid’s Dream, trained by Musabbeh Al Mheiri, ran much better than his finishing position suggests on his handicap debut last month, having endured a tough wide trip behind the shock winner Crown Estate. Cupid’s Dream had shaped nicely on his Meydan debut previously. He is very unexposed and can go well.
BEST BET
Race 3 No 1 Awab
BEST VALUE
Race 5 No 8 Cupid’s Dream
BEST SWINGER
Race 3: 1-Awab and 5-Diamond Dealer
JACKPOT
(Races 5 to 8)
R64
Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 8
Leg 2: 9
Leg 3: 2, 5, 6, 13
Leg 4: 3, 5, 7, 10