MEYDAN READY TO KICK SOME DIRT WITH TOP QUALITY RACING
dubai — Seven months after the dust had settled following the richest horse racing meeting on the planet — the Dubai World Cup — the Meydan Racecourse is ready to rock and kick up some dirt when flat racing’s new season unfolds at the venue.
The next six months will see 30 race meetings and some top quality racing, culminating in the Dubai World Cup, and the prologue to that begins with the first gathering on Thursday night.
The racing season kicked into gear at Jebel Ali last Friday and the second meeting promises to be another cracker as horses and connections resume battle in a card featuring seven races, all on dirt.
And it will be a shoot-out between Sandeep Jadhav, who commences his first full season since being handed the reins at Fazza Racing Stables in March, and UAE champion trainer Doug Watson.
Watson, who is eyeing a seventh UAE Champion Trainer title, has four contenders in the emirates. com handicap to be run over 10 furlongs, the feature race of the evening. And among the 10 runners declared, Jadhav has three, leaving Ali Rashid Al Rayhi with two and Ahmad bin Harmash one.
Jadhav, who saddled High On Life for his first Jebel Ali winner, partners injury returnee Royston Ffrench yet again on Montsarrat. The five-year-old from Poet’s Voice, is well rested and will be looking to add to his six wins from 25 starts.
Jadhav also has Galles, the fouryear-old from Bernardini, with Xavier Ziani on the mount. UAE Champion Trainer Tadhg O’Shea has elected to ride Interconnection, the seven-year-old from Mount Nelson.
“In reality, Montsarrat and Galles are our strongest chances in a competitive race,” said Jadhav.
“We could not be happier with them at home and it was great to get off the mark last week in my first full season as trainer at Fazza Stables,” he added.
The race worth Dh 210,000 sees Watson saddling Mizbah, with stable jockey Patrick Dobbs onboard, while Active Spirit will be ridden by Richard Mullen, who won on Above Normal for Satish Seemar, last week.
Watson also has Dehbashi, the ride of Dane O’Neill with Street of Dreams, the mount of Sam Hitchcott, completing his line-up and he would desperately be looking for a first victory of the season after encountering a drought at Jebel Ali.
“Pat Dobbs had a tough choice, probably mostly, between Mizbah
Pat Dobbs had a tough choice, probably mostly, between Mizbah and Street of Dreams, who we hope will have a good season Doug Watson
and Street of Dreams, who we hope will have a good season,” Watson said.
“All four of mine are in good shape. Hopefully, we have four live chances in an open race,” he added.
Meanwhile, this season sees a nine percent increase in the prize purse with the prize money boosted by Dh 15,000 per race, with maiden races now worth Dh 165,000 and conditioned allowances up to Dh 240,000.