Final Friday should be a cracker at Meydan
dubai — For those horse racing fans who were left with the aftertaste of the Dubai World Cup, their appetite will be whetted when the magnificent Meydan Racecourse hosts the final meeting of the season.
Friday marks the culmination of an exhilarating season that began last October and it yet again features a racecard, filled with quality, to close the season out with a bang. It is the first time since 2006 that the racing season has spilled into April.
The evening has a good spread of seven races with the highlights being two contests — The Meydan Mile and the first running of The Nad Al Sheba Classic, both worth Dh 240,000.
And while The Meydan Mile has a small but quality field, The Nad Al Sheba Classic, to be run over 10 furlongs, has attracted a full field of 16 runners.
South African trainer Mike de Kock sends out four runners in Majestic Mambo, Yulong Prince, Royal Crusade and Yakeen, while Dubai-based Indian Satish Seemar saddles three — Secret Ambition, Dolmen and King’s Shadow.
Erwan Charpy and Ahmad bin Harmash have two runners each with Charpy sending out Logrado and Blue Soveriegn, the mounts of Antonio Fresu and Royston Ffrench respectively.
Six-time UAE Champion Trainer Doug Watson, who was in the running for the Trainers Championship earlier, saddles Gabr.
And Watson has big plans for the four-year-old colt from Intello, who will making his UAE debut.
“He was a bit late coming in, but is a really nice new horse in the yard,” Watson told the ERA website.
“We hope he’s a Dubai World Cup Carnival horse for next year. He has been training very well and this looked a good opportunity to get a run into him this season. We really like him,” Watson said of Gabr, who finished third in the Group 3 Darley Stakes at Newmarket, in his previous run last October.
The Meydan Mile, to be contested over 1600 metres, has a field of eight with Watson running Thegreatcollection, a Carnival winner in March, as well as Galvanize.
The interesting sub-plot to the races is the tussle for the Jockeys Championship. The battle between Zabeel Stables’ Richard Mullen and Tadhg O’Shea has come down to the wire with Mullen looking for a third title after 2015 and 2017.
O’Shea, the defending champion, is eyeing a record equaling seventh crown after winning it in 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016 and now 2018.
The duo, both friends, will go toe to toe in all seven races with O’Shea riding Close Pass and Mullen Dubai Canal in Race 1. Race 2 sees Mullen on Leading Spirit, while O’Shea is on Speedy Move.
Stratton Street is the ride of O’Shea in Race 3, while Mullen has Way Of Wisdom. Race 4 sees Mullen partner Bochart, while O’Shea goes with Ode To Autumn.
Dolmen is O’Shea’s ride in Race 5, while Mullen opts for Secret Ambition. O’Shea then takes Welford with Mullen on George Villiers.
The night ends with Mullen on Broadcast and O’Shea on Flag Festival.
He (Gabr) was a bit late coming in, but is a really nice new horse in the yard. We hope he’s a Dubai World Cup Carnival horse for next year
Doug Watson