Ed Marnane
Meshtri is back to defend his Dubai Creek Mile (Listed) title at Meydan on Friday, the highlight of a decent seven-race card, all on dirt, at Dubai’s iconic track.
Trained by Michael Costa, the Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum-owned gelding has been absent since flopping behind King Gold in the Firebreak Stakes (Group 3) 10 months ago. He dropped away tamely in the closing stages and his action did not look comfortable.
Meshtri thrived for Costa last season, winning two of his four races, and created a big impression when winning the Maktoum Mile on his Group 2 debut. From a yard that has made a terrific start to the season, Meshtri is fancied to run a big race and can bag another big prize at Meydan.
Bhupat Seemar and Tadhg O’Shea have combined to win two of the last four renewals of the Dubai Creek Mile and the pair team up with Castlewarden, owned and bred by Juddmonte. A lightly raced five-year-old, he is winless since landing a minor event at Churchill Downs in May last year.
He showed little in two appearances for Seemar last winter, both on dirt at Meydan. He needs to take a big step forward and recapture the form he showed for Brad Cox in the USA before joining Seemar.
David Of Athens, the only three-year-old in the field, is an interesting runner for Wathnan Racing, the Qatar owners who enjoyed Dubai World Cup success with the shock victory of Hit Show in April. Formerly trained in the USA by Brendan Walsh, he arrives in the Middle East with a decent reputation and is getting weight from all his rivals.
David Of Athens is very unexposed and is taking a big step down in class after contesting the Pennsylvania Derby (Grade 1). It looks significant connections have pitched him in the Dubai Creek Mile on his UAE debut.
Julio Olascoaga has made a bright start to the new season and has his horses in good form. He introduced a nice two-year-old at Jebel Ali on Saturday and he runs unraced juvenile Tjareed in Race 2, the Fillies Maiden.
The daughter of Yaupon caught the eye in a recent barrier trial, over the same course, finishing with plenty left in the tank. Olascoaga has booked Silvestre de Sousa, the season’s top rider and reigning UAE champion.
Yaupon has made a big impression with his first crop of runners in the USA this year and will be crowned champion freshman sire next month.
Star Mirage, representing Wathnan Racing and trainer Hamad Al Jehani, has the benefit of a run having made an encouraging debut at Kempton in September. By Street Sense, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Kentucky Derby, she is bred for dirt and merits plenty of respect.
Heart Of Honor, runner-up in the UAE 2000 Guineas and Derby earlier in the year, makes his return to action in the 1600m conditions race, the final race, later on in the card.
Jamie Osborne’s stable star, rated 109, looks well treated by the weights but at skinny odds can be opposed off his near six-month break. He has tendency to be sluggish leaving the stalls and will need to avoid those antics to record his third win at Meydan.
Bhupat Seemar is mob-handed, saddling four of the seven runners. Stable jockey O’Shea has chosen to ride penalised Galactic Star, winner of the Al Bastakiya Stakes (Listed), the middle leg of the Dubai Triple Crown.
Not seen since failing to beat a rival home after enduring a tough, wide trip in the UAE Derby, he can easily bounce back to his best and should be in the shake-up.
Go Chrome Go, a multiple winner on dirt in South American before sent to race in the Middle East, can take advantage of a tumbling mark in Race 6, the 1400m Handicap.
He struggled in two runs in 2024 but there was plenty of encouragement from his barrier trial at Meydan last month. Always travelling strongly, he easily went clear of his rivals suggesting he was back to his best.
Shepperton Lodge can follow up on his recent win in Race 4, the 1900m Handicap. Trained by Musabbeh Al Mheiri, he provided Argentinian champion rider William Pereyra with his first UAE win, steering the Lope De Vega colt to a comfortable three-length victory on his seasonal debut.
The winner, 2-3 on dirt in the Emirates, is very unexposed under the conditions and will be hard to beat, despite his hike in the ratings.
BEST BET
Race 2 No 7 Tjareed
VALUE BET
Race 6 No 3 Go Chrome Go
BEST SWINGER
Race 4: 7 Shepperton Lodge and 4 Elyabri
JACKPOT
(Races 4 to 7)
R18
Leg 1: 2, 4, 7
Leg 2: 1, 2
Leg 3: 3, 5, 8
Leg 4: 1