Faatinah up for Dubai tilt
SMART sprinter Faatinah will begin his Dubai campaign for Lindsay Park when he starts in a $170,000 1200m turf sprint at Meydan early tomorrow.
On hand to watch him will be co-trainers David and Ben Hayes.
Ben Hayes said Faatinah was being aimed at the Al Quoz Sprint on March 31 on Dubai World Cup night.
Smart mare Ortensia (2012) and Queensland idol Buffering (2016) are other Australian sprinters who have won the $1.25 million dash.
Hayes said Faatinah had settled in well in Dubai but form would determine whether he ran in the Al
Quoz Sprint.
“I’m really pleased with his condition,” said Hayes, who will spend most of his time in the United Arab Emirates supervising a small Lindsay Park team until World Cup night.
“He looks well. We were really pleased before we travelled him over and his work was excellent back home.
“From what I’ve seen, he’s been working the same over here. He’s a horse with a fantastic fresh record.”
Co-trainer Tom Dabernig said the stable would also send useful sprinter Shaf to Dubai.
He said three-year-old gelding Mutameyal was headed there at the end of the month.
“We took Tashbeeh there three years ago and Sheik Hamdin was keen for us to come back,” Dabernig said.
Faatinah is a dual Group 2 winner in Australia who finished second in last year’s Oakleigh Plate.
“He hasn’t raced since finishing second at Flemington over 1100m on Melbourne Cup day.”
Faatinah, who has won four of his 22 starts and almost $600,000 in prizemoney, will be ridden by prominent British jockey Jim Crowley in Dubai.