EdMarnane
Fourweeks after causing a shock in the Al Wasl Stakes, Flying Comet returns to Meydan on Frday seeking further glory in the Dubai Trophy, the valuable three-year-oldcontest on turf on a very competitive eight-race card.
Trainedby Simon and Ed Crisford, he ran on strongly in the closing stages to denyGodolphin’s Words Of Truth and nine others, showing a likeable attitude underpressure in the hands of Silvestre de Sousa for his Bahrain-based ownersVictorious Forever.
ByHavana Grey, Flying Comet is entitled to be sharper for the run having returnedfrom a near three-month break when registering his third win in eight careerstarts on his UAE debut.
CharlieAppleby, operating at a 20% strike-rate in the Emirates this season, is twohanded with Maximized and Catullus, the choice of William Buick. He lost littlein defeat when beaten a short head by Northern Champion from a wide draw in theJumeirah Stakes last month. He can reverse the form with the winner and emergethe chief threat to Flying Comet.
NorthernChampion, the mount of Oisin Murphy, can’t be dismissed lightly. It was hard tofault his attitude, as he rallied bravely to deny the Godolphin-owned colt in athrilling finish. The concern is the drop in distance, stepping down to 1200mfrom 1400m for Ed Walker’s son of Wootton Bassett.
Lateron in the card, a full field of 16 line up in the Lord Glitters Handicap, namedafter the two-time Group 1 and multiple winner in the Middle East forYorkshire-based handler David O’Meara.
AlpineTrail, trained by Appleby, is a leading player in a competitive event. Hewasn’t beaten far in a similar contest last month, finishing less than fourlengths behind stable companion Arabian Light. The winner gave the form a majorboost when beaten in a photo-finish in the Dubai Millennium Stakes (Group 2)seven days ago.
Dividend,the mount of Rossa Ryan, holds each-way claims having caught the eye on hislocal debut three months ago. He produced a decent effort in defeat whenrunning on nicely in the closing stages from the rear to finish a creditablethird behind Folk Festival. He will enjoy going up in trip and is fitted withfirst-time cheekpieces.
WathnanRacing’s Activist, trained by the in-form Hamad Al Jehani, is closely matchedwith Alpine Trail when they clashed here last month and must enter calculationsunder James Doyle.
Ofthe others, Al Aali is an interesting runner on his UAE debut for new trainer,Fawzi Naas. Formerly trained in France, he was runner-up in a Group 3 at Chantillyand cost his new owners €500,000 (R9.5m) at the Arqana Arc Sale in October. Itis encouraging the yard had a winner at Jebel Ali last Saturday, havingstruggled badly for form earlier in the season.
DougWatson, eight-time UAE champion trainer, has his team in good heart after aquiet start to the season. He sent out five winners in January and can win the1200m Dirt Handicap, Race 7, with Cats By Five, the mount of Pat Dobbs.
Ownedby RRR Racing, he has progressed with racing this season and opened his UAEaccount when defeating Danyah and Sahalat, over the same course and distance,at the beginning of January. I fancy he will have the measure of the second andthird, who renew rivalry in the eight-runner event.
Inan open-looking contest, Lahfaty is not to be discounted for Jebel Ali-basedAustralian trainer Michael Costa. She’s a multiple winner on dirt and has theservices of reigning UAE champion De Sousa, who is also the season’s leadingrider.
DondeFirmo, the only three-year-old in the line-up, makes a quick return afterchasing home the useful sprinter Billy Webster at Jebel Ali six days ago. TheUruguayan-bred colt is very unexposed and if recovered from Saturday’sexertions, he should go well.
Racingcloses with a 14-runner Turf Handicap and there is no shortage of horses withclaims. Welcome Dream, representing the red-hot Bhupat Seemar, the season’sleading trainer, has been in good form since returning from his summer break,winning on dirt at this course on his seasonal debut before a couple of solidefforts in defeats, the most recent when third behind Yotarid when switched tograss.
Theson of Night Of Thunder, to be ridden by Tadhg O’Shea, can finally open hisaccount on turf at the eight time of asking.
BESTBET
Race7 No 1 Cats By Five
VALUEBET
Race2 No 8 Expert Choice
BESTSWINGER
Race3: 1-Awesome Fleet and 3-Heart Of Libya
JACKPOT
(Races4-7)
R18
Leg1: 1, 5
Leg2: 3, 7, 10
Leg3: 4, 11, 12
Leg4: 1