Ed Marnane
Eight days ago Michael Costa and Ben Coen combined to land their biggest success of a stellar season, thanks to the victory of the rapidly-improving Meshtri in the Al Maktoum Mile (Group 2) at Meydan.
The pair team up in five of the seven races at Jebel Ali on Saturday, the final fixture of the year at the Dubai track and will be looking to continue their productive campaign.
Race 5, the Shadwell Stakes, the most valuable race on the card, Costa runs two horses — Makfoul and Alhzeem, the choice of Coen. Winner of two of his seven races at Jebel Ali, Alhzeem must concede weight to his five rivals in the 1950m handicap.
He showed improved form behind Laasudood last time, despite having been slowly away and losing ground.
He sets the standard and if avoiding recent antics in the starting stalls, he will be tough to beat.
From the foot of the weights and getting 5.5kg from Alhzeem, Musical Dancer is the chief threat for the in-form Bhupat Seemar, who saddled a treble at Meydan last week.
By Dubawi, Musical Dancer impressed on his local debut following a eight month break when winning a minor event at Jebel Ali three weeks ago.
He’s a lightly raced three-year-old, open to plenty of improvement and is a leading player in a race many can be easily ruled out.
Thirty minutes later champion trainer Seemar can win the 1600m maiden for juveniles, Race 6, with the once-raced Dubay, who caught the eye on his recent debut over the course.
The US-bred colt, by exciting young sire Bolt D’Oro, showed a likeable attitude when only finding Rammayy too strong in a driving finish. He should be sharper for the experience and is fancied to one better.
Simon and Ed Crisford are no strangers to success at Jebel Ali, most notably winning the Jebel Ali Mile (Group 3) with Swing Vote 10 months ago. Desert Shield carries their hopes and the US-bred colt arrives in the Middle East with sound credentials, having shown promise when fifth behind the favourite Good Banter on his racecourse debut at Wolverhampton last month.
The form of the race was given a boost following the subsequent victories of the runner-up and third.
The switch to dirt from the Tapeta surface is not a concern, as Desert Shield is by Gunnevera and is a half-brother to two dirt winners, while his dam is a half-sister to 1400m dirt Grade 1 runner-up Mayakovsky.
Haasim, trained by Musabbeh Al Mheiri, has been knocking on the door since returning from his summer break, finishing the second in all three starts, all at Jebel Ali. He can win the 1200m handicap, Race 2, under Danny Tudhope, who has impressed in his first full season riding in the Emirates.
Haasim is a reliable and consistent performer and this looks a good opportunity to register his first success since winning a handicap, over the same course, 12 months ago.
The Costa-trained pair of Mawthog and Yotarid demand respect. The latter, the choice of Coen, is unbeaten at Jebel Ali and remains open to further progress on just the fourth start of his career.
Mawthog, a winner over the course and distance, left a modest comeback well behind when chasing home Asad Zabeel in a 1400m handicap at the track, shaping as the step back in distance will suit.
In Race 3 Salem Bin Ghadayer introduces a smart Irish import in the 1200m conditions race, restricted to horses that have not won more than two races. Formerly trained by Sheila Lavery, the 103-rated Torivega can boast a decent level of ability and was third behind the highly progressive three-year-old My Mate Alfie in Group 3 company at the Curragh in September.
A strong-travelling sprinter, he is well treated at the weights and if ready to roll after a 77-month break, he should go close on his local/dirt debut in a race most of the field can be readily dismissed on official ratings.
Kal Barg, one of two sprinters representing Costa, is proven under the conditions and comes here fit and well, with a couple of runs under his belt. He holds strong claims of snapping a six-race losing run and taking his career tally to two.
Race 4, the second maiden on the card but over 1950m, has attracted a field of 12 and in a modest event stamina will be essential.
In a trappy race, Ray Dawson’s mount Mesyaal gets a tentative vote for his main employer, owner Sheikh Ahmad Al Maktoum. Trained by Costa, she showed ability in a couple of barrier trials before making her racecourse debut in a 1400m maiden at Jebel Ali last month.
Mesyaal was never involved in the finish, plugging on to run a respectable sixth behind shock winner Symbol Of Power. She’s entitled to strip fitter for the race and is open to improvement going up in distance.
BEST BET
Race 6: No 3 Dubay
VALUE BET
Race 2: No 4 Road Bloc
BEST SWINGER
Race 7: 3-Kibo Masuki and 4-Algernon
JACKPOT
(Races 4-7)
R32
Leg 1: 2, 6, 7, 11
Leg 2: 1, 6
Leg 3: 3
Leg 4: 1, 3, 4, 6