Meydan set for Purebred Arabian show

dubai — Purebred Arabian action returns to Meydan Racecourse for the first time this season on Thursday, with nine runners declared for the Group 2 1400m ride on a seven-race card.

Previously staged in February, the race was moved to this earlier slot last season to offer trainers the opportunity of a ‘prep race’ ahead of the 1600m Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge R1 on the opening night of the Dubai World Cup Carnival in five weeks time.

Helal Al Alawi, responsible for three of the nine runners in this race, has enjoyed a fantastic start to the season, having already saddled 12 winners, just one below reigning Champion Trainer Doug Watson who leads the handler’s championship.

Pat Cosgrave, leading the jockeys’ standings on 13, has ridden all bar one of Al Alawi’s winners this season and partners RB Goliath, five times a winner, always on dirt and four times in the UAE, all at Al Ain, twice over 1000m, the other pair at 1600m.His stable companions, Burning Breeze and RB So Rich are to be ridden by Royston Ffrench and Connor Beasley respectively.

The Al Asayl team rely on RB Torch ridden by Tadhg O’Shea in the colours of The President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan for Eric Lemartinel. He is a winner this season, albeit over 1600m on the Abu Dhabi turf, but does have a Meydan victory to his credit on this card two years ago over 1600m when chased home by the aforementioned RB So Rich.

O’Shea said: “He won well the first day, actually beating stablemate Darius Du Paon who then won the big race at Abu Dhabi last Sunday. It is a decent race but he is working well and should be thereabouts.”