Ed Marnane
The Listed Al Garhoud Sprint, the second leg of the Emirates Sprint Series, is the centrepiece of Meydan’s bumper nine-race card on Friday.
Michael Costa, the season’s leading trainer, saddles Saleymm and the Australian native is chasing back-to-back wins after Mouheeb landed the prize 12 months ago. Formerly trained in the UK by Simon and Ed Crisford, Saleymm was a useful performer, winning four of his 13 races and was unbeaten on the all-weather.
By Dubawi, the top sire in the Emirates, he merits respect if taking to dirt, despite having been off the track 15 months.
Saleymm hails from a yard operating at an impressive strike-rate this season and he is reported to be working well above average ahead of his local debut. He has the assistance of Ben Coen who has been banging in the winners since starting his winter stint as stable jockey to Costa in the UAE last month.
Unexposed Colour Up, trained by Doug Watson, was one of the most improved sprinters in the UAE last season, winning three times, including twice at Meydan. He stepped up to Group 3 level for his final start of the campaign, posting a career-high effort when fourth behind Sound Money in Mahab Al Shimaal.
A strong-travelling gelding with a sharp turn of foot, he is open to further improvement and is fancied to put up a bold show on his seasonal reappearance.
Two weeks ago at Meydan, Bhupat Seemar took the feature with impressive Al Nefud, one of three winners on a terrific night for Zabeel Stables.
Talented but fragile Freedom Fighter, the choice of Seemar’s stable jockey Tadhg O’Shea, can prove the pick of Seemar’s three runners. He had a light campaign last season, finishing third in the Al Shindagha Sprint before trailing in a remote seventh behind top US sprinter Elite Power in the Riyadh Sprint, on the Saudi Cup undercard.
Rated 107, Freedom Fighter can be expected to be in the shake-up now connections have dropped him class.
In a weak renewal, Leading Spirit can’t be overlooked and holds each-way claims for Seemar. He won’t lack for a fitness having won a handicap over the course and distance four weeks ago. He travelled strongly before going clear at halfway and was always holding off the late challenge of Magic Petition.
Leading Spirit is a likeable sprinter, proven under the conditions and is ideally drawn in stall No 2, so should enjoy a ground-saving trip.
Champion trainer Doug Watson, who has a smaller squad of horses this season, has made a quiet start to the campaign. He’s bringing a strong team to Meydan and has plenty of chances of getting among the winners, starting with the unraced Fastnet Mischief in Race 2, the mile maiden.
By the top US sire Into Mischief he caught the eye in a recent barrier trial when shaping with promise under Pat Dobbs, who maintains the partnership. He’s a well-bred colt, being out of the Group 1 Pretty Polly winner Diamondsandrubies, and cost connections $300,000 (R5.6m) at the OBS Sales in 2021.
My Verse, Nevershow Weakness, Sikorsky and Godolphin’s unraced First Magic are others to consider in a competitive contest.
Later, the 1600m juvenile conditions race sees Fawzi Nass saddle Military Artist, a comfortable winner of a minor event over 1400m on the All-Weather at Kempton for Roger Varian in September, on his UAE/dirt debut.
Being by Munnings, out of a Forestry mare, he should take to the dirt and sets the standard in a race in which few hold sound claims. He hit the line strongly at Kempton and will appreciate the step up to a mile.
Godolphin’s Nezeeh, a winner on his racecourse debut at Thirsk, represents Saeed bin Suroor and is having his first start at Meydan. His pedigree, by Profitable out of a Raven’s Pass, doesn’t scream dirt, while I have reservations he will see out 1600m.
Valdivia, the choice of Connor Beasley of the Ahmad bin Harmash-trained runners, showed minor promise on his racecourse debut behind Mendelssohn Bay last month and is fancied to progress for that run. He made late headway from the rear to finish eight lengths behind the Bhupat Seemar-trainer winner, who looks one of the top two-year-olds seen this season. He has each-way claims at decent odds.
Race 3, the opening handicap, over 2200m, is wide-open and plenty hold claims. Branwell, trained by Musabbeh Al Mheiri, has won two of his last four races and made a pleasing comeback here last month under an inexperienced apprentice. He can build on that promise and take his tally to three since arriving in the Emirates in the hands of Ryan Curatolo, Al Mheiri’s stable jockey.
The frustrating Triple Venture has been knocking on the door since returning from his summer break, twice finishing in the frame in competitive handicaps. Trained by the in-form
Ahmad bin Harmash, he gets the vote to snap a lengthy losing sequence in the 1400m handicap, Race 5. He has the advantage of a good draw and is getting weight from most of his rivals.
BEST BET
Race 6 No 4 Colour Up
VALUE BET
Race 4 No 10 Valdivia
BEST SWINGER
Race 4: 1 Military Artist and 10 Valdivia
JACKPOT
(Races 6 to 9)
R48
Leg 1: 4, 6
Leg 2: 1, 4, 9, 12
Leg 3: 1, 8
Leg 4: 1, 2, 3