Ed Marnane
Saeed bin Suroor, Godolphin’s longest-serving trainer, has endured a disappointing campaign in the UAE this season, having failed to saddle winner from 40 runners.
His horses have been struggling for form and he suffered a major blow when stable star Mawj, winner of the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket last May, was retired after running poorly on her seasonal debut in the Jebel Hatta.
At Meydan’s penultimate fixture of the season on Friday, Suroor, who has won the Dubai World Cup a record nine times, can enjoy a welcome and overdue winner with Wild Tiger in the finale, a 1400m handicap on turf.
By Frankel, Wild Tiger made an encouraging comeback on his Meydan debut following a 468-day break when narrowly denied by Mountbatten in a competitive mile handicap last month.
Winner of a minor event on his racecourse debut at Wolverhampton in late 2022, he travelled strongly and quickened to lead approaching the final 350m but failed to see off the late challenge of Musabbeh Al Mheiri-trained winner, the pair finishing clear of their 14 rivals.
Wild Tiger, raised 2.5kg for the effort, has the services of Tadhg O’Shea, who is now two clear of Connor Beasley at the top of the jockeys’ championship. Owned and bred by Godolphin, Wild Tiger is very unexposed, unlike most of his rivals.
Earlier on the card, O’Shea and his main employer, Bhupat Seemar, combine with the frustrating Mezzotinto in the 1200m maiden on dirt. He has finished in the frame in his last three runs at Meydan, all on dirt, the most recent when a good third behind Nyaar. He’s ideally drawn next to the rails and holds sound claims of shedding his maiden tag at the 21st attempt.
A field of 15 run in Race 4, the three-year-old conditions race over 1900m on dirt. It’s a trappy race and Elyabri, winner of the Al Bastakiya Trial (made all), can bounce back after trailing in a long way behind Killer Collect in the Al Bastakiya, a Listed event and the middle leg of the Dubai Triple Crown.
Drawn out widest in stall No 12, he jumped slowly, could never get to the front and was soon struggling in the kickback before eventually coming home a distance behind the Bhupat Seemar-trained winner.
He has a plum draw in stall No 1 and should be able to dominate from the front.
Race 7, the 1200m handicap on turf and Vespasian is fancied to continue the good run of the Simon & Ed Crisford team, who are operating at an impressive strike-rate this season. He has blossomed since arriving in the Emirates, winning a handicap over the course and finishing second twice from just three appearances.
Pat Dobbs is booked to ride the admirable and consistent five-year-old, who can defy a career-high mark in an open-looking event.
Dobbs rides Nyaar for his boss, Doug Watson, in Race 8, the 1400m handicap on dirt. Having run second in three starts, all on Meydan’s main track, he enjoyed a deserved win last time when landing a mile maiden under a canny ride from Dobbs. The US-bred colt, who won’t be hindered stepping back in distance, can follow up.
Border Edge, one of three runners representing Bhupat Seemar, is the choice of O’Shea and looks a threat, along with Al Muzn. Winner of one two of his four races on dirt, Border Edge went close when Al Muzn rallied to deny him close home in a 1200m handicap last month. The winner, by Oasis Dream, showed plenty of speed to overcome a wide draw. He is a lightly raced gelding that has more to offer.
Nibras Passion, winner of the Listed President’s Cup at Abu Dhabi last month, caught the eye in the Ras Al Khor (Group 3) six days ago and makes plenty of appeal stepping down in grade in Race 5, the 1600m handicap.
Ridden by Dobbs, he had a difficult passage, finding trouble in running but ran on well in the closing stages to finish a close fourth. O’Shea has secured the ride on Nibras Passion, as Dobbs has been claimed to ride McManaman, a recent winner over the course, for Red Stables.
Trained by Watson, McManaman has the benefit of a good draw and it is hard to fault his consistency, having never finished worse than fourth in each of his appearances this season.
Race 3, the 1800m handicap on turf, looks a strong race, with recent winners Maplewood and Condor Pasa in the line-up. The latter, trained by Fawzi Nass, improved for the step up to a mile when opening his account in a maiden at the track last month. He has the advantage of a low draw and should be able to navigate a ground-saving trip, a bonus with a full field of 16 set to face the starter.
Maplewood, a surprise winner over a mile three weeks ago, is unexposed on grass and a 2kg rise may not halt his progress for his unfashionable trainer.
Of the others, the quirky but useful Laser Guided appeals, now connections have stepped him down in distance after a solid effort behind Ouzo over 2000m. Eye On The Prize, Law Of Nature, Poster Paint and Silver Jubilee all merit consideration, the quartet come in good shape and are effective under the conditions.
SELECTIONS:
Race 1
15 JAZEELAH 4 AF MAQAM 3 HEROS DE LAGARDE 2 AF ALAJAJ
Race 2
5 MEZZOTINTO 4 DAAHES 8 SIKORSKY 11 MOHEEBA
Race 3
8 POSTER PAINT 3 LASER GUIDED 7 EYE ON THE PRIZE 10 CONDOR PASA
Race 4
2 ELYABRI 4 DESTRUCTIVE 1 EL INTROVERTIDO 6 GUNS AND GLORY
Race 5
3 NIBRAS PASSION 8 MCMANAMAN 7 NIBRAS ANGEL 2 ROYAL DUBAI
Race 6
4 LION’S MANE 6 ARABIAN TALE 1 GRAND DUBAI 9 BRANWELL
Race 7
6 VESPASIAN 8 AL ARBED 11 ZAWAAYA 4 FAATTIK
Race 8
7 NYAAR 9 AL MUZN 8 TRIPLE VENTURE 4 BORDER EDGE
Race 9
6 WILD TIGER 1 ANDREAS VESALIUS 9 AJDAYET 17 HAASIM
BEST BET:
Race 9 No 6 Wild Tiger
VALUE BET
Race 8 No 8 Triple Venture
BEST SWINGER
Race 2: 5-Mezzotinto and 4-Daahes
JACKPOT
(Races 6-9)
R32
Leg 1: 1, 4, 6, 9
Leg 2: 6, 8
Leg 3: 4, 7, 8, 9
Leg 4: 6