Golden Shaheen champ returns to Meydan

Ed Marnane

UAE champion sprinter Tuz, winner of the Group 1 Golden Shaheen in March, makes a welcome return to action in the Al Garhoud Sprint (Listed) at Meydan on Friday, the highlight of an exciting eight-race card at the Dubai track.

Trained by Bhupat Seemar for Dakki Stable, Tuz returns to the scene of the biggest success of his career when he lines up in the day’s 1200m showpiece in the hands of regular pilot Tadhg O’Shea.

Tuz, rated 115, has a 1.5kg penalty to defy on his first start in 251 days. The Oxbow gelding has a good record fresh and should start his campaign with a bang before targeting the major dirt sprint prizes later in the season.

Colour Up, last year’s Al Garhoud Sprint winner, looks the chief threat to spoil Tuz’s comeback. Doug Watson’s star sprinter, winner of three of his nine races on Meydan’s main track, dropped out tamely to finish last of 14 behind Tuz in the Golden Shaheen, his final appearance of the campaign last season.

However, he’s likely to leave that form well behind returning from a summer break and stepping down in class. Colour Up is a useful sprinter and won the Al Garhoud Sprint off a 279-day absence.

Of the rest, Morning and Mojeyrr, trained by Michael Costa, make most appeal as the pair are fit and in good heart. Morning, trained by Bhupat Seemar, impressed when winning at Sharjah last month and is proven at Meydan.

Four weeks ago, unexposed Mojeyrr made a good impression on his seasonal debut, storming clear of his eight rivals when landing a 1200m handicap at this track. He needs to take a step forward up in grade but he’s a strong-travelling sprinter that is open to further improvement on just his fifth start on dirt.

Race 6, the 1600m maiden, looks a good opportunity for King’s Fountain to open his account under in-form Connor Beasley, who rode three winners at Abu Dhabi on Sunday. Winless in five runs for Andrew Balding before being sold to Sky Racing at the Tattersalls July Sale, he made an encouraging start to his UAE career when chasing home Gamekeeper in a competitive 16-runner handicap, his first run on dirt.

He will improve for that experience and stepping down to maiden company will be tough to beat and rates the best bet on the card.

Racing gets under way with an interesting two-year-old race, in which of four of the nine runners are trained overseas. Of the quartet, Simon and Ed Crisford’s Estmrar holds the strongest credentials on his UAE/dirt debut. He shaped nicely on his racecourse debut at Chelmsford and is bred for dirt, being by Global Campaign, a son of Dubai World Cup winner Curlin. He hails from a yard that has enjoyed plenty of success in the Emirates.

Golden Vekoma, trained by Ahmad bin Harmash, leads the home challenge on his racecourse debut. He caught the eye in a recent barrier trial at Jebel Ali, scoring with plenty in hand when beating the older horses under Beasley.

Bin Harmash has a good record with his juveniles and Golden Vekoma is nicely drawn in stall No 2.

The 1200m conditions race for three-year-old that closes the card sees Musabbeh Al Mheiri-trained El Nasseeb make his comeback off a lengthy layoff, going back 12 months when he emerged an exciting prospect after routing his rivals in a maiden. The form of the race was given a major boost by third-placed Killer Collect, who has since gone on to win at Listed level and is one of the top three-year-olds in training in the UAE.

Fitness is an obvious concern but El Nasseeb hails from a yard that can be trusted to have the son of Profitable primed and ready.

Lahresh led home Saayedd and Go Soldier Go in a 1900m handicap at the track two weeks ago and the trio renew rivalry in the 2000m handicap, Race 7. Go Soldier Go, trained by Fawzi Nass, was a useful a three-year-old and finished a respectable sixth behind Derma Sotogake in the 2023 UAE Derby.

He’s fancied to snap an eight-race losing run and turn the tables with the Musabbeh Al Mheiri and Michael Costa pair on the revised terms and give Nass a welcome winner having made a quiet start to the season.

Best Bet: 9 King’s Fountain (Race 6)

Best Value: 6 Nyaar (Race 3)

Best Swinger: 6-Nyaar and 5-Maplewood (Race 3)

Jackpot

(Races 5 to 8)

R24

Leg 1: 1, 2,

Leg 2: 6, 9

Leg 3: 1, 2, 3

Leg 4: 2, 3