Ed Marnane
The UAE Oaks, the first Classic of the season at Meydan on Friday, has been a terrific race for favourites, five of the last six have won and Queen Azteca is fancied to become the seventh favourite to land the prize in the last decade.
Niels Petersen’s stable star, impressive winner of the Cocoa Beach Stakes, is a strong stayer and will relish stepping up to 1900m. Queen Azteca has little to fear from the reopposing Taswaheen and Arigatou Gozaimasu, who chased home Queen Azteca last month. She will be hard to beat in a typical weak renewal of the Group 3 event.
The return of Charlie Appleby’s high-class filly Cinderella’s Dream in Race 5, the Balanchine Stakes (Group 2), is the highlight of the undercard. Winner of six of her eight races, she has been off the track since finishing second in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf in November.
The daughter of Shamardal, who is unbeaten in two appearances at Meydan, had a troubled passage at Del Mar and was an unlucky loser. She possesses a sharp turn of foot, loves quick ground and can start her campaign with a bang.
Simon and Ed Crisford-trained Choisya, winner of the Cape Verdi on her seasonal debut, looks the only threat in the 1800m event. She was given a frontrunning fine ride by Mickael Barzalona in a muddling contest.
She’s a useful, progressive filly but unlikely to trouble Cinderella’s Dream.
Race 2, the Al Bastikiya Stakes, the middle leg of the Dubai Triple Crown, should offer some clues for the UAE Derby later in the season. The Listed race over 1900m on dirt has drawn a full field of 16 and 99-rated Heart Of Honor, winner of two of his three races since switched to dirt at Meydan, makes plenty of appeal in the hands of Saffie Osborne, the first female rider to ride a winner at Meydan.
Trained by Jamie Osborne, Heart Of Honor was a good second behind Golden Vekoma in the UAE 2000 Guineas last month, staying on late from the rear of the field having got badly outpaced in the early stages.
The manner in which he came home in the closing stages suggests he will improve going up in distance from 1600m to 1900m, a view backed up by his pedigree, being a son of Honor AP, winner of the Santa Anita Derby.
Royal Favour, trained by the Crisfords, has done little wrong in two starts on dirt since arriving in the UAE, the most recent when third in the UAE 2000 Guineas, finishing 3.50 lengths behind Heart Of Honor.
By Hard Spun, Royal Favour is lightly raced and remains open to further improvement. He is nicely drawn and appeals as an each-way bet under the in-form William Buick, who is operating at a 33% strike-rate at Meydan this season.
Bhupat Seemar has booked Irish rider Andrew Slattery to ride Undefeated, replacing UAE champion Tadhg O’Shea who is riding in the International Jockey’s Challenge at Riyadh racetrack on Friday.
Winner of a minor event (made all) over the course and distance, Saeed Suhail’s colt has progressed nicely with racing and commands respect, despite being done no favours with his wide draw.
Faal Khair, trained in Saudi Arabia, is an interesting runner and Barzalona is an eye-catching booking for the US-bred colt. Winner of three of his last four races, all on dirt, in Riyadh, Faal Khair wasn’t beaten far in the Saudi Arabia 2000 Guineas and is one to consider jumping from barrier No 3.
Race 7, the Nad Al Sheba Trophy, a trial for the Dubai Gold Cup, has attracted a small field of six stayers for the Group 2 event over 2810m on turf.
Keffaaf, representing Michael Costa, was given an inspired ride by James McDonald when winning the Al Khail Trophy, over the same course and distance. He renews rivalry with the runner-up, King Of Conquest, trained by Appleby for Godolphin.
It’s hard to split the pair and lightly raced Keffaaf, the mount of Ray Dawson, is fancied to confirm the form and take his career tally to five.
A 1600m handicap on turf to kick off the action looks wide-open and is minefield for punters, featuring plenty horses that are badly out of sorts and struggling for form. At decent odds lightly raced Moonshiner, the only three-year-old in the line-up, is worth chancing.
He had shown little early in the season but his latest run behind Elraaed at Jebel Ali was a step in the right direction, keeping on to finish a creditable 3.50-length third behind Costa’s gelding. Moonshiner, trained by Julio Olascoaga, has tumbled in the ratings and is very unexposed on turf.
Unbeaten Folk Festival arrives at the top of his game, winning a maiden at Abu Dhabi before scoring on his Meydan debut at the beginning of the month. Trained by Salem bin Ghadayer, he impressed when delivered fast and late to get the better of No Retreat and 14 others on his handicap debut.
The runner-up gave the form a timely boost when winning a 16-runner handicap at Meydan last week. Folk Festival holds sound claims in Race 3, the 1800m handicap, and giving his in-form trainer another winner, six days after Royal Commando caused a shock in the Jebel Ali Sprint (Listed).
The Crisfords have booked Silvestre de Sousa, fresh from riding three winners at Jebel Ali on Saturday, to ride the top-weight Tamrat.
Formerly trained in Ireland by Ger Lyons, he has improved since arriving in the Middle East and won a competitive 14-runner handicap in a first-time visor at Abu Dhabi. He should enjoy a ground-saving trip drawn in stall No 2 and holds strong claims.
BEST BET
Race 4 No 4 Queen Azteca
VALUE BET
Race 1 No 14 Moonshiner
BEST SWINGER
Race 2: 15-Royal Favour and 6-Heart Of Honor
JACKPOT
(Races 5-8)
R32
Leg 1: 1
Leg 2: 1, 3, 5, 8
Leg 3: 3, 4
Leg 4: 1, 7, 10, 11