Ed Marnane
The Jebel Ali Mile, the Group 3 highlight of the season at Jebel Ali, takes centre stage at the Dubai track on Saturday.
The race, sponsored by Shadwell, has a rich history going back nearly three decades to the first running in 1994, and this year’s contest looks a strong renewal with eight of the 12 runners officially rated hundred and above.
Sovereign Prince, a first runner at Jebel Ali for Charlie Appleby, bids to provide Godolphin with a first success in the race. By Dubawi, he hasn’t raced on dirt since finishing a creditable fifth in the Saudi Derby 12 months ago.
Sovereign Prince, the only four-year-old in the field, was workmanlike when winning Zabeel Trophy on turf on his seasonal reappearance at Meydan. He’s expected to have come on for the race, his first run in 316 days.
The switch to Jebel Ali is an obvious query for a gelding with limited experience on dirt. As well, he must cope with the demands of Jebel Ali’s undulations. It’s an encouraging, Sovereign Prince has winning form at Epsom, in the UK, a track not dissimilar to Jebel Ali, albeit going left-handed. He looks the one to beat, despite a potentially awkward draw in gate No 12.
The evergreen Secret Ambition, the 2019 Jebel Ali Mile winner, is one of three runners representing Zabeel Stables and Bhupat Seemar has booked the in-form Adrie de Vries, who rode a treble at Meydan on Sunday.
He made a pleasing comeback behind the impressive Algiers in Round I of the Al Maktoum Challenge last month, shaping as he needed the race on his first start in 286 days. He’s entitled to be sharper for the run and can’t be overlooked, despite turning 10 last month.
Seemar has booked Richard Mullen to ride 10-year-old Bochart. He was soundly beaten at Meydan last time, and is readily dismissed, despite boasting a decent strike-rate at Jebel Ali. Kafoo, the final runner for Zabeel Stables, hasn’t recaptured last season’s form, showing little in two starts this season.
The 2020 UAE Oaks winner Down On Da Bayou and Tenbury Wells represent Salem bin Ghadayer, who has won two of last three Jebel Ali Miles, the most recent in 2021 with surprise winner Blown By Wind.
The former, the choice of Mickael Barzalona, is a consistent and reliable mare. She’s proven under the conditions and has won here three times, the latest when a comfortable winner of the trial three weeks ago. A confirmed front-runner, she will ensure a sound tempo and could be hard to catch if allowed an easy lead.
Tenbury Wells, winner of two of his eight races at Jebel Ali, has been absent since winning on his seasonal reappearance, defeating Shamikh and five others off a mark of 97. The well-bred son of Medaglia d’Or was a creditable third behind Algiers and Remorse in last season’s Jebel Ali Mile, a personal-best. He can’t be dismissed lightly and comes here a fresh horse having missed much of the campaign.
Doug Watson, the leading trainer at Jebel Ali, relies on Canvassed, five years after Shimaal Nibras won Jebel Ali Mile for the American. Rated 107, he was third behind Blown By Wind two years ago. He wasn’t beaten far behind top sprinter Switzerland in the Dubawi Stakes, and if seeing out the stiff mile here, he merits respect.
The highlight of the undercard is the prep for next month’s Jebel Ali Sprint, Race 4. Upper Class and Meshakel set the standard, and it’s hard to split the pair on official ratings. Meshakel, trained by Salem bin Ghadayer, was a useful three-year-old but was off for 610 days after winning a minor event at Meydan 23 months back.
He has improved with racing this season and finished a good third behind Road Bloc and Upper Class in a valuable sprint at Sharjah. Upper Class, winner four times in Uruguay before arriving in the UAE, is fancied to come out on top and take the prize on his Jebel Ali debut for South American trainer Julio Olascoaga.
My Dubawi, impressive winner in handicap company on his Jebel Ali debut for Bhupat Seemar last month, disappointed behind Rawy at Meydan next time. He can be forgiven that poor run as the son of Dubawi was backing up quickly, just six days after winning on his UAE debut and was found to be mildly lame after the race.
Bhupat Seemar has called up Richard Mullen to ride once-raced Distorted Effort, replacing the suspended Tadhg O’Shea, in the 1400m maiden, Race 2. The son of Distorted Humor made an encouraging debut behind shock winner Al Khalde over this course two weeks. He is open to plenty of improvement and gets the vote over Home From Home and New Zealand import Mawthog, trained at Jebel Ali by Michael Costa.
Racing closes with a mile handicap and the reliable and consistent Mayaadeen holds solid claims for Shadwell in the hands of Dane O’Neill. The top-weight has a proven record at Jebel Ali, winning twice and finishing in the frame five times since joining Red Stables at the end of his three-year-old career.
PICTURE: DUBAI TURF CLUB
BEST BET
Race 6 No 1 Mayaadeen
VALUE BET
Race 5 No 3 Canvassed
BEST SWINGER
Race 3 2-Razeen Dubai and 1-Rayig
JACKPOT
(Races 3 to 6)
R18
Leg 1: 1, 2
Leg 2: 1, 5, 9
Leg 3: 3, 10, 12
Leg 4: 1