Draco returns to his favourite Jebel Ali racecourse today

dubai — Racing returns to Jebel Ali racecourse on Friday afternoon. The highlight of the race day will be a 1400m conditions race in which seven will go to post, a press release said.

Draco, trained on the track by Nicholas Bachalard, will be the big favourite. The four-year-old Astrology colt won his first two local starts — both at Jebel Ali. But he was then beaten in a 1600m handicap at Meydan in the Dubai World Cup Carnival.

The return to his ‘home track’ and 1400m could be in his favour, though.

“He has been in good form all season and that was a strong race he contested at Meydan against horses like Secret Ambition and Capezzano,” Bachalard said.

“This 1400m is perhaps his optimum trip and he should go well in a good contest with some good horses in opposition.”

For Satish Seemar, Surfer is the class act in the race having landed the 1600m Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge R1 in 2015.

But the 10-year-old was never competitive on his return in the National Day Cup on the Abu Dhabi turf. This is actually his first appearance at Jebel Ali and regular jockey, Richard Mullen, is aboard.

“We hope the straight 1400m at Jebel Ali will suit him,” Mullen said. “He is a very good horse on his day and seems in great form at home, so hopefully he can at least be competitive.”

Victorious in Sharjah on his penultimate start, Mystique Moon was perhaps unlucky recently when he found traffic problems during his fifth-place finish in a 2000m handicap during the carnival.

Ridden on both those occasions by Sam Hitchcott, stable jockey Pat Dobbs takes over here and trainer Doug Watson also saddles Lytham St Annes.

“Both are in good form and should run well,” Watson said. “Lytham St Annes is a Jebel Ali winner and we know he likes it there whereas Mystique Moon is having his first run there but we think it will suit him.”

Half an hour earlier Dobbs and Watson combine with the exciting Big Brown Bear.

Big Brown Bear, according to the trainer, is a Dubai World Cup Carnival horse. He qualified for the international jamboree with a hardfought 2200m dirt victory at Meydan when he was forced to pull out all the stops by Quartier Francais who was a good second over 1600m at the same track last Saturday.

That victory was a brave effort from Watson’s four-year-old Tiznow colt and he faces just four rivals on Friday.

“Big Brown Bear is a horse we have always liked. Hopefully, this is a good spot for him and we will find out if he handles the conditions at Jebel Ali,” Watson said.

It certainly provides him a great opportunity to prove his mettle with the opposition including Bois De Boulogne, seeking victory at a third consecutive Jebel Ali meeting for Sandeep Jadhav and Xavier Ziani with Royston Ffrench aboard stable companion Galles.