De Sousa closes in on jockeys' title

Ed Marnane

On the final meeting of the 2025 Dubai Racing Carnival punters face a challenging card at Meydan on Friday, eight of the nine races are competitive handicaps and finding winners will be tough.

Former British champion Silvestre de Sousa is enjoying a good spell, five winners in March have helped him close the gap on Tadhg O’Shea, the season’s leading rider, in the battle to be crowned champion jockey.

De Sousa has an outside chance of denying O’Shea a 13^th title as the season draws to a close.

De Sousa has a full book of rides and progressive Smart System is arguably his best chance of a winner in Race 6, the 1200m handicap on dirt. Trained by Ali Al Badwawi, the son of The Factor is thriving since switching to Meydan’s main track and is chasing a hat-trick of wins.

A confirmed front-runner, Smart System has the benefit of a low draw and will take plenty of stopping, despite climbing in the weights.  

It’s hard to ignore the claims of Pen Portrait, an impressive winner at Sharjah in December, for Simon and Ed Crisford, who have their horses in terrific form and have already sent out seven winners at Meydan this season.

Owned by Rabbah Racing, Pen Portrait landed a handicap, over the track, seven days ago. An inside draw in stall No 5 should ensure a good position and he holds strong claims of taking his career tally to four.

Lahfaty, a narrow winner at Jebel Ali, completes the shortlist under the in-form Ray Dawson. By Mitole, she’s a lightly raced filly and remains open to further improvement for trainer Michael Costa.

Earlier on the card, Dawson and Costa team up with Monfrid in the 1400m handicap, the opening race on turf. Formerly trained in Newmarket by William Haggas, he caught the eye on his UAE debut at Jebel Ali last month, staying on strongly in the closing stages behind stable companion Lahfaty over a trip short of his best on his first run in 260 days.

Owned by Sheikh Ahmad Al Maktoum, the French-bred Zoustar gelding will improve going up in distance and is entitled to be strip fitter for his first run for Costa. Recent Meydan winners El Bosnia and Expert Choice arrive in good heart and have decent claims, while King’s Fountain, a wide-margin winner of a maiden at Jebel Ali, appeals stepping back into handicap company.

Race 7, the 1000m handicap on turf, looks a good opportunity for Julio Olascoaga-trained Markakol to follow up his recent course and distance win. He bounced back to form back at Meydan after a poor run at Abu Dhabi, where he raced keenly and was wide before weakening to finish down the field.

He can defy a career-high mark in a race that many of his rivals are struggling for form.

A field of nine three-year-olds are declared in Race 8, over 1200m on dirt and restricted to horses that have not won two races. Dark Saffron, the highest rated horse in the field, is the one to beat under Connor Beasley for his main employer, Ahmad bin Harmash.

The US-bred gelding has a good record at the venue, winning a maiden (made all) in November and not finishing worse than third in two appearances on Meydan’s main track.

He wasn’t disgraced behind the West Acre in the Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint, a local prep for the Al Quoz Sprint (Group 1). That was a solid effort behind a progressive sprinter and he should find this an easier assignment.

Racing concludes with division 2 of the 1600m handicap on dirt and in a moderate race, Norato can make the breakthrough at the eight time of asking. The South American-bred colt, the only three-year-old in the field, is not badly treated off a rating of 77 on form in maidens earlier in the campaign, latest when third at behind King’s Fountain at Jebel Ali. He’s less exposed than most of his rivals and has the services of Dawson.

The opening division, Race 2, is more competitive and top-weight Al Arbed will be popular, seven days after finishing a good third behind Pen Portrait. Trained by Musabbeh Al Mheiri, the season’s leading trainer, he is a consistent performer, proven under the conditions and should go well.

Of the rest, the Tahdeed appeals back on dirt having run well behind Expert Choice in a competitive 13-runner handicap on turf last month. He can boast winning form on the track and has been progressing with racing since returning from his summer break in December.

South African trainer Ernst Oertel, who is enjoying a good campaign, saddles Classic City in the 2000m handicap on dirt, Race 4. He was an eye-catching winner of a handicap, over the same course and distance, defeating Elraaed and 13 others and causing a big shock last month.

He travelled strongly and readily quickened clear, crossing the line six lengths ahead of the favourite. He can go in again and defy a tricky draw, despite taking a big rise in the weights.

Costa-trained Elzaami and Alsayef, the 1-2 in a recent maiden at Jebel Ali, rate obvious dangers switching to Meydan on their handicap debuts, while unexposed Mashkoor can’t be ignored back at Meydan, a track where he won a 2200m handicap last month.

Spanish champion trainer Guillermo Arizkorreta has made a good impression with a handful of horses in the Emirates this season and is two-handed with Shamran and Thundering in the 2410m handicap on turf, Race 5.

The last-named, the mount of Vaclav Janacek, was a shock winner on his UAE debut, getting up close home to deny Godolphin’s Kalidasa in a course and distance handicap at the beginning of February.

He has run well since in defeat behind Royal Power, finishing a good fourth behind the unexposed Godolphin gelding seven days ago in stronger handicap. Thundering will appreciate the drop in class and is drawn to enjoy a ground-saving trip, jumping from stall No 2.

Best Bet: 8 Markakol (Race 7)

Best Value: 6 Jumaira Bay (Race 3)

Best Swinger: 8 Markakol and 2 Al Shibli (Race 7)

JACKPOT

(Races 6-9)

R36

Leg 1: 5, 6, 9

Leg 2: 2, 8

Leg 3: 2, 4

Leg 4: 6, 9, 13