Ed Marnane
First run in 2014, the Dubai Creek Mile (Listed) has been a key prep for the Al Maktoum Mile, the first major race for dirt milers in the UAE.
Walk Of Stars, not seen since finishing a creditable second behind Two Rivers Over, makes his seasonal debut in Friday’s AED 500,000 (R2.5m) showpiece at Meydan. He represents Bhupat Seemar, the champion trainer who has a terrific record in the race, winning two of the last three renewals.
By Sea The Stars, Walk Of Stars is the highest ranked runner in the nine-runner field and sets the standard on his return from an eight-month break.
Desert Wisdom, the mount of Adrie de Vries, can boast smart form at Meydan, winning a Group 3 in March last year. He should enjoy the drop in grade having run well in defeat in many of the top dirt races last season. Sixth behind Al Nefud in last year’s Dubai Creek Mile, Desert Wisdom merits respect in an open-looking race.
Doug Watson, who saddled his first winner of the season at Jebel Ali last Saturday, is two-handed with exciting South American import Atif and the useful Al Tariq, the choice of stable jockey Pat Dobbs.
Now eight, Al Tariq has been off the track since causing a minor shock in the Jebel Ali Classic in March. He’s a player if he sees out the 1600m, his first run over the distance since joining Watson after starting his career in France.
Watson has booked Oscar Chavez to ride Atif, rated 102 and unbeaten in two starts in dirt in Argentina. He is an interesting runner but with doubts over his fitness, off a 14-month break, he is best watched on his UAE debut.
Qareeb, a three-time winner on dirt at Meydan, is trained by Musabbeh Al Mheiri and has the services of Danny Tudhope, who has impressed in his first season riding in the Emirates.
He holds sound claims as he’s proven under the conditions and hails from an in-form stable.
In recent years Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum has spent heavily on yearlings at the Keeneland September Yearling Sales. The investment has begun to pay dividends, having won the first two juvenile races of the season, and Malhouf carries his silks in Race 2, the 1200m maiden for two-year-olds.
Trained by Michael Costa, who is operating at an impressive 26% strike-rate this season, Malhouf has shown promise in two barrier trials and is a well-bred colt, by Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner and exciting young sire Authentic.
It’s hard to ignore the claims of Dark Saffron, trained by Ahmad bin Harmash. The US-bred colt built on an encouraging effort in a barrier trial when splitting the Michael Costa-trained pair, Nahaash and Tawthig, at Jebel Ali. He’s entitled to be sharper for the race and should be in the mix.
Bhupat Seemar’s Undefeated, the mount of Tadhg O’Shea, caught the eye in a recent barrier trial at the track, shaping nicely behind Military Order and leaving the impression he would improve for the experience. He holds obvious claims in a tricky race for punters, as only two of the seven runners have raced in public.
In Race 4, Seemar and O’Shea team up with the 102-rated Killer Collect, one of the top three-year-olds last season and winner of the Al Bastikiya Stakes, in the 1600m conditions race.
Winner of two of his four starts at Meydan, he must concede weight to his six rivals on his seasonal debut. He should be up to the task and is fancied to start his campaign with a bang.
Gaassid, a wide-margin winner of a maiden at Jebel Ali on his first start of the season, rates the chief threat. Always travelling strongly, he impressed when defeating Kibo Misaki and Eruptive on his first run in 12 months. The third gave the form a timely boost when scoring on his handicap debut at Jebel Ali last week.
The best bet on the card comes up in Race 6, the 1900m handicap on dirt. From the foot of the weights, Lion’s Mane is a confident selection to follow up his recent course-and-distance win and defy a hike in the weights in the hands of Connor Beasley. He’s very unexposed on dirt, progressive and is nicely drawn in stall No 3.
The 1400m maiden for juvenile fillies wraps up the action and recent barrier trial winners Arigatou Gozaimasu, Flama Sunshine and Ruby Hamilton, all representing top stables, look the ones to focus on.
Of the trio, preference is for Arigatou Gozaimasu, trained by Salem bin Ghadayer and a $235,000 (R4.2m) purchase at the OBS Sales in April. She shaped nicely when defeating Granted Wish and Yezdaan at Jebel Ali earlier in the month. She’s a well-bred filly and is related to two stakes winners.
Best Bet: Race 6 No 10 Lion’s Mane
Best Value: Race 3 No 9 Mayaadeen
Best Swinger: Race 6 10-Lion’s Mane and 9-Lahresh
JACKPOT
(Races 4 to 7)
R18
Leg 1: 1, 2
Leg 2: 2, 4, 9
Leg 3: 10
Leg 4: 1, 2, 5