Ed Marnane
The season cranks up a gear with the running of the Listed Dubai Creek Mile at Meydan on Friday, the first Black-Type race of the campaign at Dubai’s iconic track.
First run in 2014, Doug Watson has won two of the last three renewals and his hopes rest with the veteran Golden Goal, 2020 winner Thegreatcollection and Everfast, the choice of stable jockey Pat Dobbs.
He failed to win in five starts last season, posting his best effort when narrowly beaten in the Firebreak Stakes, Group 3. He’s a reliable type and if primed and ready following a 244-day break, he should go well from a favourable draw.
Exciting US import Home Brew, representing the red-hot stable of Michael Costa, is an interesting runner on his UAE debut. Rated 110, the highest rated runner in the line-up, he was a smart performer for Brad Cox, winning five of his eight races. His fitness is a query having been off the track since scoring at Churchill Downs in September last year. He warrants respect from a yard banging in the winners since racing resumed last month.
Al Nefud, trained by Bhupat Seemar, has a lengthy layoff to overcome for his new owner Michael Burke, who acquired the five-year-old for AE 800,000 (R4m) at the Al Rashid Stable dispersal sale in September.
Formerly trained by Charlie Appleby, he thrived when switching to dirt at Meydan, winning two of his four races. Sent off warm favourite for the 2022 Godolphin Mile, he never fired and trailed in a remote last of 16 behind shock Japanese winner Bathrat Leon. He was found to be lame after the race and has been on the sidelines since.
UAE 1000 Guineas and Oaks heroine Mimi Kakushi, the only three-year-old in the field, gets weight from her 12 rivals and has the assistance of regular pilot Mickael Barzalona, who starts his winter stint in the UAE. Not seen since finishing mid-division in the Kentucky Oaks in May, she looks vulnerable taking on her elders from a wide draw.
Race 2, the fillies 1200m maiden, has attracted only six two-year-olds and Costa’s well-bred debutante Lahfaty gets the vote. By Mitole, an exciting young sire in the US, she won a four-runner barrier trial and hails from a stable that has done well with its juveniles this season.
Morjanah, one of three runners from the Ahmad bin Harmash stable, looks the chief threat under stable jockey Conor Beasley, the season’s top rider. A $45,000 (R843,000) purchase at the OBS Sales in April, she has the benefit of a recent barrier trial over the course when making all to score in comfortable style.
The opening handicap, Race 3 over 1600m, sees consistent and reliable Triple Venture look to avenge his narrow defeat on his seasonal reappearance at Meydan two weeks ago. Always handy, he was just caught close home by the unexposed Sadeedd, with Fawzi Nass-trained Shake Hand two lengths back in third. Triple Venture is entitled to strip fitter for the run and holds leading claims, despite continuing to climb in the ratings.
In an open-looking race, Shake Hand holds sound claims and reversing the form with Triple Venture. He is better off at the weights and is open to further improvement on just his seventh start of his career.
Many of the top stables are represented in Race 4, the second juvenile maiden over 1400m on dirt. Salem bin Ghadayer’s newcomer Velvet Catcus boasts an eye-catching pedigree and cost connections €200,000 (R4m) at Arqana Breeze-up Sale in May. He impressed in a recent barrier trial under tender handling when chasing home Million D’Oro, trained by Ahmad bin Harmash. The winner, who renews rivalry, enters calculations in a race nine of the 13 runners are having their first start in public.
Of the others, Mendelssohn Bay is one to consider. The choice of Tadhg O’Shea of the Bhupat Seemar-trained pair, he showed promise when splitting the Costa pair of Lahfaty and Alsayef in a barrier trial. Seemar introduced a smart juvenile at Jebel Ali last Saturday.
Racing concludes with a three-year-old conditions race over a mile. The official ratings suggest the 104-rated Mr Raj, trained by Ahmad bin Harmash, is the horse to beat on his seasonal debut. He was a decent juvenile last season, winning a maiden at Meydan on his racecourse debut, before going on to run with credit in defeat in the UAE 2000 Guineas and Al Bastikiya.
He rounded off the season when finishing a respectable sixth behind subsequent Breeders’ Cup Classic runner-up Derma Sotogake in the UAE Derby. Mr Raj has been gelded in the off-season and looks a major player dropping in class.
Tiger Nation, the mount of Mickael Barzalona, enters the reckoning, despite having been off the track since badly flopping in the UAE 2000 Guineas, when failing to get involved after a tardy start. He looked a smart prospect when winning his first two starts and could be hard to catch if allowed dominate and Barzalona has few peers riding front-runners at Meydan.
Seyouff, trained by Costa, has plenty to find on the official figures but won’t lack for fitness and hails from a yard in dazzling form. He comes on the back of an encouraging effort in a competitive 13-runner handicap two weeks ago, just finding useful, battle-hardened Western Symphony too strong. He’s entitled to step forward for the run.
Best Bet: Race 3 No 5 Shake Hand
Best Value: Race 6 No 10 Street Mood
Best Swinger: Race 8 No 5 Shake Hand and No 3 Triple Venture
Jackpot
(Races 5 to 8)
R72
Leg 1: 2, 6, 8
Leg 2: 2, 5, 7, 10
Leg 3: 2, 3, 8
Leg 4: 4, 7