Hill finish should suit Top Clearance

dubai — The 1800m conditions contest is the highlight of a six race card in Jebel Ali’s penultimate meeting of the season.

Top Clearance, owned by racecourse patron, Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and trained on the track by Dhruba Selvaratnam, has just one career win, which came at Meydan in a 1600m dirt handicap last January, but he has produced some solid efforts in defeat.

This will actually be his first race at Jebel Ali but the staminasapping hill finish should suit his style of racing.

“He works well on the surface so that should not be an issue,” said Selvaratnam. “He has perhaps been a bit disappointing but this looks a good opportunity for him and we have to be hopeful.”

The race is generously sponsored by Shadwell Farm, the American arm of Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance, breeding empire and his world famous blue and white colours will be carried by three of the septet.

The owner’s first jockey, Jim Crowley, elects to ride the Ali Rashid Al Rayhi-trained Munaaser who is also a winner at the 2016 Carnival last January, in his case making a successful local debut in a 2000m dirt handicap.

He has not won since but has faced some exceptionally stiff tasks in the interim, including fifth in the Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge R3 on Super Saturday last year at Meydan.

He made his course debut two weeks ago when seventh in the Listed Jebel Ali Stakes over 1950m when appearing not to stay, so this trip could prove his optimum ‘up the hill’.