Ed Marnane
Jebel Ali-based Australian trainer Michael Costa has begun the new season in the UAE in terrific style and has already saddled eight winners. He will take plenty of stopping in his pursuit of a first trainers’ title since arriving in the Emirates two years ago.
Costa has a strong team in action at Jebel Ali’s second fixture of the campaign on Saturday, with five runners across four of the seven races.
In Race 2, Ghaaleb can kick-start a good afternoon for owner Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum and Costa by winning the opening maiden, over 1200m for older horses. Bred in New Zealand, Ghaaleb ran to a decent level in maiden company last season. Arguably the pick of his four starts was at Jebel Ali in December when a close second to stable companion Ajdayet, the Costa pair pulling well clear of their eight rivals.
In a race that will not take much winning this looks a good opportunity for Ghaaleb to open his account at the fifth time of asking and give stable jockey Ben Coen his first winner at Jebel Ali this season.
Race 4 is the feature, the first leg of the Emirates Sprint Series, and has drawn a field of 12 sprinters, five trained by Kuwaiti Rashed Bouresly.
Of the quintet, course specialist Shanaghai City makes most appeal. Winner of a handicap over the course and distance in January, he is capable of being in the mix, despite obvious fitness concerns on the back of a lengthy break.
Costa and Coen team up with the once-raced Marsoom, impressive winner at Jebel Ali 12 months ago. Always travelling strongly, he readily quickened clear to beat Turjman and four others in a 1000m maiden and created a good impression on his debut. He’s open to bags of improvement and Costa can be trusted to have the gelding fit and well after a lengthy absence.
Top-weight Billy Webster is a nice recruit for Doug Watson. Formerly trained by George Scott, he won three of his eight races for the Newmarket handler and wasn’t disgraced in a competitive three-year-old sprint handicap at Royal Ascot on his final start before being sold to race in the Middle East. He’s likely to need the run and is best watched on his dirt debut.
Razeen Dubai, now representing champion trainer Bhupat Seemar, missed all of last season and has been off the track since finishing a creditable fourth behind useful Leading Spirit at the track in February last year. He’s proven at Jebel Ali and can’t be discounted as conditions will suit in a race that lacks strength in depth.
Al Arbed, owned by Nasir Askar and trained by Musabbeh Al Mheiri, has the benefit of a recent run when finishing mid-division behind Thawban at Jebel Ali. He shaped like he needed the run, only weakening in the closing stages and should strip fitter. The handicapper has been kind and dropped him two points for the run.
Only four juveniles, all unraced, run in Race 3, the 1200m maiden. It’s an interesting contest despite the poor turnout and many of the top yards are represented. Rammayy, a $250,000 (R4.5m) Keeneland September Sale purchase, hails from the all-conquering Costa stable and ran second to his stable companion Nahaash in a barrier trial at Jebel Ali.
The winner gave the form a timely boost when winning on his racecourse debut at Jebel Ali two weeks ago so Rammayy looks the one to beat.
Racing concludes with a 1950m handicap and top-weight Ghost Of The Mambo is fancied to build on his pleasing comeback behind Mount Kosciuszko and register his fourth win at Jebel Ali, a venue at which he has not run a poor race.
Trained by Seemar, Ghost Of The Mambo failed to win in nine starts last season, but was largely consistent and hard to knock his overall record. He has a good draw in stall No 2 and can snap a lengthy losing run, going back to February 2023.
An hour earlier Ahmad Bin Harmash’s Rasas looks the answer in Race 5, the 1400m handicap. It is a weak contest and Rasas, the mount of Connor Beasley, enjoyed a productive campaign last winter, winning two of his four races at Jebel Ali. He is lightly raced, has more to offer and has sound claims of defying a career-high mark on his seasonal debut.
Haasim, trained by Musabbeh Al Mheiri, rates a big threat. He caught on the eye on his comeback at this course 14 days ago, running on nicely in the closing stages to finish two lengths behind Thawban in a 1200m handicap. He will relish stepping up in distance and is getting plenty of weight from Rasas.
Best Bet: Race 2 No 4 Ghaaleb
Best Value: Race 5 No 5 Haasim
Best Swinger: Race 7: 1-Ghost Of The Mambo and 4-Regal Gallery
JACKPOT
(Races 4-7)
R27
Leg 1: 2, 5, 7
Leg 2: 2, 4, 5
Leg 3: 2, 5, 7
Leg 4: 1