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| Staff Writer |
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The Dubai Racing Carnival springs back to life at Meydan Racecourse on Friday, marking the first live racing action since March with a compelling seven-race dirt card.
The AED300,000 (US$81,700) Emirates Airline Handicap over 1600m takes centre stage, where veteran campaigner Thegreatcollection heads a competitive field of 14. The 10YO, one of Doug Watson's stable stars, brings impressive credentials with five course victories.
Watson reflects on his charge's January triumph: "There were bigger wins for us but that was a favourite. We've had him since he was two and he's going to be turning 11 in January. He still has a lot of enthusiasm for the game and we'll be keeping the blinkers off."
Leading trainer Michael Costa, who has notched six seasonal victories already, fields a strong quartet. His stable jockey Ben Coen partners Alhzeem, a dual Jebel Ali winner last term. Stablemate Meshtri, though absent since December 2023, warrants respect under Australian pilot Jimmy Osman, who has celebrated four UAE successes during his stint.
The 1200m Emirates Airline Handicap features Costa's trio, including the race-fit Kal Barg, runner-up at Abu Dhabi last week. However, Coen opts for Mojeyrr, who impressed in a recent Meydan trial victory.
Watson introduces UK import Swindon, formerly with William Haggas: "His last run was a win at Sandown. He's for Sky Racing and he's trained really well since initially being a little stiff on arrival."
The Emirates Holidays Maiden over 1400m presents intriguing prospects, including Costa's La Yetal, successful in a Jebel Ali trial. "La Yetal is a horse that we've got a lot of time for," Costa remarked. "We took him for a little spin around [Meydan] a few weeks ago and he looked to handle the surface well."
Diamond Dealer, a half-brother to Gr.1 Breeders' Cup Classic victor White Abarrio, brings strong credentials following his October trial success. He represents the Dubai World Cup-winning combination of Tadhg O'Shea and Bhupat Seemar.
Uruguayan import Norato adds international flavour for trainer Julio Olascoaga. "He arrived 25 days ago and came ready and prepared by the team in Uruguay," Olascoaga shared. "He made his debut running second, and was pointed to the UAE season, which I think was a good decision by the owner."
The Emirates Airline Handicap, established in 2010, has produced notable winners including Barbecue Eddie (2012), who went on to claim the Gr.2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1, and Heavy Metal (2017), later successful in the Gr.3 Burj Nahaar.