Gopi hopes Bluff will pull off a trick at Jebel Ali

dubai — Jebel Ali Racecourse will celebrate National Day on Friday when staging their third meeting of the current campaign highlighted by a rated conditions race over 1950m for which nine have been declared.

These include seasonal debutant Bluff, a course and distance winner just before Christmas last year and trained on the track by Gopi Selvaratnam for racecourse patron, Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

The mount of stable jockey Oisin Murphy he was second on his first start of the last campaign, so is clearly capable of running well fresh.

“He seems in good form at home and should run well,” said Selvaratnam. “He can be a bit lazy in his races but is certainly ready for a run and as fit as we can get him without one.

“He should improve for the outing but we are hoping for a big run under conditions which suit him.”

Champion Trainer, Doug Watson, celebrated five winners, four at Meydan and one at Abu Dhabi, last weekend and was due to saddle three in this.

However, sadly, Mizbah who was the choice of his stable jockey, Pat Dobbs, was announced as a non-runner on Wednesday.

In their absence, Sam Hitchcott has chosen to partner Just A Penny, five times a course winner but untried beyond the 1800m over which he won in March, in a race actually won by Mizbah 12 months earlier.

Resonant, the mount of Tadhg O’Shea, completes the remaining Watson duo and was a 1600m Jebel Ali winner at the very first meeting of the season a month ago.

“Both have had a run this season so there are no worries fitness wise,” said Watson. “They are training well and have proved they like it at Jebel Ali which is always a bonus.

“It is a good prize and nice to have two live chances but it is a shame Mizbah was a bit lame so has to miss out as he would have been very competitive.”

The race is sponsored by Shadwell Farm, the US arm of the breeding empire of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum whose own famous blue and white silks will be carried by Ijmaaly.