Meydan double gives Bin Ghadayer major honours
LOCAL: LIGHT THE LIGHTS COULD GIVE SA TRAINER MIKE DE KOCK HIS FIRST WIN OF THE CARNIVAL
Watson and Dobbs could win the UAE 1000 Guineas Trial with Rayya.
Godolphin made their customary good start on the opening night of the 2018 Dubai Carnival at Meydan last week, but it was local trainer Salem Bin Ghadayer who took the major honours on the dirt.
Both Heavy Metal, who made his superior fitness count against Thunder Snow in Round 1 of the Maktoum Challenge, and impressive 1800m handicap winner Frankyfourfingers are owned by Sheikh Mohammed’s son, Sheikh Hamdan, and the pair could again be big players in Round 2 of the series.
Bin Ghadayer only had his first Carnival runners in 2015, but has come out of the blocks firing on all cylinders in the first part of the latest UAE season and could be a punters’ pal over the coming weeks.
This time last year Heavy Metal beat Frankyfourfingers in a handicap, but the latter had put subsequent Dubai World Cup winner Prince Bishop to the sword in a round of the Maktoum Challenge three years ago, and both have graduated to Pattern race performers.
Heavy Metal might now be an eight-year-old, but Mickael Barzalona, who gave him such a positive ride from the front, reckons he is at his peak, and having improved for his comeback win in Listed grade, the veteran easily saw off Thunder Snow in the Group 2 feature.
Barzalona said: “Heavy Metal loves the dirt and when he gets into a rhythm on the lead he is a hard horse to pass. I gave him a breather on the bend and he picked up again in the straight and I’d imagine the Godolphin Mile on World Cup Night (31 March) will be the ultimate aim.”
However, jockey Christophe Soumillon was far from disappointed with Thunder Snow, who could never go the frenetic pace set by Heavy Metal.
He said: “Thunder Snow usually needs his first race to knock the cobwebs off and he’ll be fitter next time, besides which 1600m is probably too short. He is still very much a World Cup contender.”
There was another local celebration in the 1000m handicap on the turf, with Ali Al Rayhi’s Ertijaal, making his first appearance since finishing third in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint last March, capturing this race for the third successive year.
Jim Crowley is adamant that Ertijaal is the one they all have to beat in this year’s Al Quoz dash.
He said: “That was a smart comeback, giving 6kg to a quality horse like Hit The Bid and the first two pulled clear of the rest which is always a good sign.
“Ertijaal has been unlucky in the Al Quoz the last two years, with the awful weather beating us 12 months ago, but though he is awesome over this 1000m, he gets the 1200m well and granted decent ground on World Cup Night he might get his just reward.”
Godolphin celebrated a 1-2 in the Group 3 Singspiel Stakes, last year’s Royal Ascot winner Benbatl being too classy for Emotionless.
The Dubai Turf (1800m) seems favoured by Saeed bin Suroor over the Sheema Classic and Oisin Murphy said: “Benbatl was a class above these – remember he finished fifth in the King George last year – and he could be a top fouryear-old in Europe this summer.”
The boys in blue topped up those celebrations by winning the 1400m turf handicap with D’bai, who broke the track record when showing a striking turn of foot to beat stablemate Brave Zolo, with Mike de Kock’s Noah From Goa running an excellent race to finish third off topweight.
The Group 1 Al Fahidi Fort on 1 February will be D’bai’s next target, and he could well renew rivalry there with Noah From Goa.
De Kock said: “I was delighted with all my horses last week as they are all between 20-30kg overweight. We were only allowed on the turf on 6 January and in the past I have had several injured by working them too hard on the dirt or Tapeta, so we are adopting a more patient policy this year.”
De Kock expects both Sanshawes and LIGHT THE LIGHTS to step up on their first run when they tackle the 2000m Global Trophy on turf at Meydan tomorrow.
Soumillon rides Light The Lights and he could be the one to be on.
Reynoldothewizard, arguably the most popular horse in Dubai, tries for a record fourth consecutive Dubawi Stakes.
However he is now a 12-yearold and from an outside draw will have to face a mammoth task against arch-rival MUARRAB and the improving Raven’s Corner.
Muarrab has the edge in fitness, having bolted up in Listed grade on his comeback here before Christmas and the 2016 Golden Shaheen winner, who represents the Ertijaal team, is the choice.
Raven’s Corner, who has been transformed since joining Satish Seemar and switched to the dirt sprints, could give us a profitable Exacta.
I have been trumpeting the good strike rate of Doug Watson and Pat Dobbs in the dirt races at the Carnival for some time now and I like the chance of their RAYYA in the UAE 1000 Guineas Trial.
Watson houses Rayya in the same box that was the home of his star filly Polar River two years ago and while she is not yet in the same class as the UAE 1000 Guineas and Oaks heroine, the trainer feels she is going the right way.
Impressive when winning an ordinary race by 9.75 lengths, Rayya could surprise the Godolphin pair, Expressiy and Caring Touch.
Watson and Dobbs can also win the 1600m handicap on dirt with KIMBEAR, who he has already pencilled in as a likely lad to possibly give him his third consecutive Godolphin Mile on World Cup Night.
This USA import was Group placed in his homeland and has been given a real chance off a mark of 104.