TIME RIGHT FOR POSTPONED
ROGER VARIAN believes
POSTPONED (Meydan, 4.05) is back to his best as he bids for back-toback victories in today’s Dubai Sheema Classic.
The six-year-old ran out a cosy winner of last year’s running of this afternoon’s £5million event under Andrea Atzeni, beating Highland Reel into fourth.
Highland Reel is joined in the line-up by Jack Hobbs and Prize Money, who beat Postponed on Super Saturday in the trial for today’s Group One contest, but the star son of Dubawi suffered an interrupted passage that day and his trainer is confident he can reverse placings. Varian said: ‘I think we have got the ring rust out of him. I’ve been delighted with his condition and he is peaking at the right time.
‘He looks a very different horse to three weeks ago. He looks back to his best but we won’t know the true answer until the race. He will have to be at his best. It is a very good race with multiple Group One winners in the line-up.’
Fifth in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe when sent off a hot favourite, Postponed’s bid for a repeat Sheema Classic triumph is a fascinating pre-curser to the Dubai World Cup which sees
ARROGATE (Meydan, 4.45) widely fancied to land the prestigious Group One race.
It is difficult to envisage defeat for the Bob Baffert-trained four-year-old who beat his closest rival in the market, Gun Runner, by 15 lengths in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga last summer.
Thankfully, the rest of the card is more competitive for punters and QATAR MAN (Meydan, 1.25) could offer backers some value for money in the UAE Derby.
Stall one can be a blessing or a curse on the dirt, but Colm O’Donoghue is a savvy rider and his mount caught the eye with a fine effort in Listed company behind Cosmo Charlie three weeks ago.
Ertijaal will probably take some beating in the Al Quoz Sprint, but there were rumours about his wellbeing earlier this week and I’d prefer to side with JUNGLE CAT (Meydan, 2.00) each-way given he loves the track and is well situated for the likely early speed.