There has been an incredible amount of rain in Dubai over the last seven days. The final couple of races last Thursday were run on good to soft ground. The track drains quickly but the unsettled weather has continued in recent days and there may well be some moisture left in the ground. The G2 Cape Verdi is the feature event and it sees Charlie Appleby’s Magic Lily make her UAE bow. She has some star potential but has plenty on her plate with the Mick Halford trained serial winner Surrounding in the lineup.
Newmarket 13.10.17 Pic: Edward Whitaker
Race 2: Al Furjan Dirt Handicap (6 Furlongs)
A tricky contest with the likely favourite My Catch having to attempt to execute his front running tactics from stall 8. Bochart will break from gate 4 and should have enough early speed to bag the rail. Satish Seemar’s 7yo is a tough horse to pass when making the sweeping bend in front. Richie Mullen is a huge asset in the saddle in races such as this, and it is hard to see him out of the frame. An each-way play is advised.
Race 3: Listed Zabeel Turf Handicap (10 Furlongs)
The presence of Dream Castle in this open ended handicap has allowed Simsir to sneak in at the bottom of the weights carrying just 53kgs. Mick Halford’s talented son of Siyouni has looked a future stakes race performer in his three start career to date with wins at Cork and Dundalk to his name. Halford has had plenty of success over the years in Dubai and this Aga Khan owned 4yo has outstanding claims of improving the Irishman’s good record.
Race 5: Mina Dirt Handicap 1 (1 Mile)
Midnight Sands has impressed during his short UAE career to date. Doug Watson has been effusive in his praise for the chestnut son of Speightstown, but this is his toughest assignment to date. Watson has another excellent chance of winning this race with last year’s runner-up Thegreatcollection. This consistent performer bumped into the well treated Capezzano last year and is likely to have been targeted at this race since the start of the season. His latest effort when 5th in the Listed Creek Mile is sharp form and that will have left him spot on for this race where he runs off an unchanged mark.
Race 6: Aliyah Turf Handicap (1 Mile)
The eye is firmly drawn to Saeed Bin Suroor’s Royal Marine here. The 2yo G1 winner has been gelded since a string of disappointing performances in the summer. This handicap represents a major drop in class as the son of Raven’s Pass did contest some of the best 1 mile races in Europe in 2019. He has to prove that he retains his enthusiasm for the game after a break. Zainhom is of each-way interest after an eye-catching display when 3rd over 7 furlongs a fortnight ago. Major Partnership and Suedois finished ahead of him on that occasion and he faces those rivals again. The step up to 1 mile promises to suit this reformed character. He can rattle the crossbar again at juicy odds.
