Khuzaam chases Jebel Ali Sprint double

Ed Marnane

Al Tariq and Khuzaam, the last two winners of the Listed Jebel Ali Sprint, are among 14-strong field declared for Jebel Ali’s sprint showpiece of the season at the Dubai track on Saturday, the final meeting of the season at Jebel Ali.

Owned and bred by Shadwell, Khuzaam has only made one appearance this season when finishing ninth behind shock winner Miqyaas in the Blue Point Sprint (Group 3). The son of Kitten’s Joy was entitled to need the run having been off the track since beaten four lengths by A Case Of You in last season’s Al Quoz Sprint, on Dubai World Cup night.

Shadwell continues to enjoy a cracking season and seven days ago, Alfareeq under Dane O’Neill won back-to-back renewals of the Jebel Hatta, the Group 1 turf showpiece on Super Saturday at Meydan.

Khuzaam, the mount of O’Neill, impressed when winning the Jebel Ali Sprint 12 months ago and holds leading claims of giving Shadwell and O’Neill another big prize at Jebel Ali, four weeks after Fanaar landed the track’s biggest race, the Group 3 Jebel Ali Mile.

Al Tariq, the mount of Pat Dobbs, has an impressive strike-rate at Jebel Ali, winning two of his three races. However, the Oasis Dream gelding, who doesn’t look the force of old, has plenty to prove on recent form having shown little in two runs at Meydan since a respectable comeback in the Al Garhoud Sprint in December.

Connections will be hoping the switch to Jebel Ali will trigger a return to his best.

Story Of Light, trained by Ahmad bin Harmash, caused a big shock in the prep last month, defeating Royal Commando and seven others following a poor start to the season when showing little in his first two runs.

He travelled nicely before readily going clear to register his first win at the Jebel Ali on his third attempt. By Dark Angel, he is expected to confirm form with the runner-up, who renews rivalry and meets Story Of Light on identical terms.

UAE champion trainer Bhupat Seemar is three-handed with the Shadwell-owned Zawaaya, Shamlaan and Leading Spirit, with preference for the last-named, the choice of stable jockey Tadhg O’Shea. He enjoyed the step back to the minimum distance and return to Jebel Ali when running a resounding winner of a 12-runner handicap 13 days ago. Given a confident ride by O’Shea, he was delivered with a well-timed challenge and crossing the line had 2.25 lengths to spare over Bilhayl under his big weight.

Now rated 95, he will need to take a step forward stepping up to Group 3 level but comes off a personal-best and can’t be overlooked from a yard going well.

Vasari, who won a maiden at Jebel Ali two years ago, has plenty to find on the ratings but could reward each-way support at big odds. He has only raced three times this season, the latest at Meydan two weeks when running on late to finish second to the highly progressive Colour Up. He never threatened the impressive winner, but it was encouraging the manner he hit the line, especially as he was returning from a 91-day break. He is proven at the track and is entitled to strip fitter for his recent outing.

Race 6, the Jebel Ali Classic, is the pick of the undercard and this year’s renewal is a trappy event, as many of the 16-strong field are struggling for form and are out of sorts.

On official ratings, the 105 rated pair Secret Ambition and Monaadah, both trained by Bhupat Seemar set the standard. The latter, owned by Shadwell, was formerly trained by Saeed bin Suroor and makes his local/dirt debut after an eight-month break. He’s likely to need the run and a watching brief looks the best call over a surface on which he’s unproven.

The admirable veteran Secret Ambition, winner of the 2019 Jebel Ali Mile, failed to land a blow in last Saturday’s Burj Nahaar, trailing in a long way behind his stable companion Discovery Island. He was reported to have scoped poorly after the race.

He can easily bounce back as he’s proven under the conditions and finished a good second to Fanaar in last month’s Jebel Ali Mile. Richard Mullen has been booked with Seemar’s stable jockey O’Shea riding Imperial Empire, who is making his Jebel Ali debut and is hard to fancy on his latest outing when tailed off in the Burj Nahaar.

Thegreatcollection, winner of the 2020 Jebel Ali Classic, is one of four runners representing Doug Watson, the most successful trainer in the history of the race with three wins. The nine-year-old, the mount of Andrei de Vries, makes most appeal of the Red Stables quartet.

Rashed Bouresly has his team in good form and Celtic Prince comes here on the back of a solid run in the Burj Nahaar seven days ago. He produced a remarkable performance in the Group 3 event, staying on strongly in the closing stages having been detached at halfway. He can boast winning form at Jebel Ali and is fancied to snap a 12-month losing run.

Justice Protecol has thrived since arriving in the UAE, winning three of his five races, including twice at Jebel Ali. He has soared in the ratings and must defy a career-high mark of 92 in Race 2, the 1600m handicap.

He’s a solid bet to round off the season in style for trainer by Ismail Mohammed and cement his status as one of the most improved horses in training in the Emirates.

Violent Justice and Secret Image, who were second and third behind Justice Protecol respectively, are obvious threats, while the unexposed Ibra Attack, a winner twice at Jebel Ali, also merits respect.

The best bet on the card comes up in the opening race, a 1600m maiden for three-year-olds, with the once-raced Margham. Trained by Salem bin Ghadayer, he made his racecourse debut in a turf maiden at Meydan when third behind Torrkee, an encouraging effort taking on his elders.

Being by Accelerate, a dirt influence, out of a Henny Hughes mare, he should handle the switch to dirt, and is open to improvement stepping up in distance.

BEST BET

Race 1 No 6 Margham

VALUE BET

Race 5 No 13 Vasari

BEST SWINGER

Race 7 5-National Bank and 1-Yurman

JACKPOT

(Races 4 to 7)

R64

Leg 1: 2, 3

Leg 2: 4, 5, 10, 11

Leg 3: 5, 8, 13, 16

Leg 4: 1, 5