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| Rowan Anderson |
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The Dubai World Cup Carnival continues this Friday at Meydan with a six-race card.
Highlighted by the Al Rashidya, the UAE 2000 Guineas Trial, and Al Wasl Stakes with plenty of handy types going around.
The Group Two Al Rashidya is run over 1800m and worth USD 180,000 has attracted a field of 11 for the contest.
The top rated is Ottoman Fleet prepared by Charlie Appleby for Godolphin with William Buick giving riding duties. With six starts in his career he has two wins that were both in Listed company at Newmarket.
Long serving Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor prepares two hopes in Dubai Future and Passion and Glory.
Dubai Future comes off a Group Three win back in November with the Bahrain International Trophy and will be freshened for this. The 7YO gelded son of Dubawi won two Listed Class races last year including the Dubai Racing Club Classic.
The most raced competitor is Freescape with the 8YO gelding having 45 starts for his career and trained by David Marnane.
The UAE 2000 Guineas Trial is raced with conditions over the 1400m and will see a field of eight contest the journey.
Uruguayan-based trainer Julio Olascoaga has two in this race, including the top-rated Es-Unico who will be flying the flag for his stablemate with Eye on the Prize.
“Eye On The Prize and Es-Unico are two very good colts that will be aimed to the Triple Crown in UAE, and the Saudi Derby,” trainer Olascoaga added.
Competition will come from Bhupat Seemar who has Royal Dubai and Morning while the Sheik Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum owned Tiger Nation is readied by Salem bin Ghadayer.
The penultimate race is the conditional 2000m Thunder Snow Challenge which is worth USD 150,000 with a field of 11.
Top rated hope is the big, bulking colt Bendoog who is trained by Bhupat Seemar and will have James Doyle on board.
The 4YO has a lot of hype surrounding him and with a career of six starts is coming off the back of a close second to Remorse and a victory the start before that.
Julio Olascoaga brings his pair of six-year-olds Ajuste Fiscal and Atletico Culano to the race and said he liked the way they were training and improving.
“We believe they'll run better than last time out and expect a faster pace that will favour them,” trainer Olascoaga said.
Fernando Jara pilots Ajuste Fiscal in this start, the trainer says that the hoop is impressed with how he is improving.
“He takes the ride again and with the colt continuing to train well after his last start Fernando is happy with how he is going and rides him every day,” the trainer added.
“We just need to get them into the winner’s enclosure.”
The card will be opened at 6PM with a 1600m handicap with 11 chances to go around.
The mare Down on the Bayou is catching eyes of late with a win last week in the Jebel Ali Mile Prep. Mickael Barzalona picks up the ride here for the seventh time in the six-year old’s career.
The colt Quality Boone is prepared by Julio Olascoaga who shares the top rating (100) with Down on the Bayou. He has won twice at Meydan from five starts at the track including a win in the Listed Al Bastakiya last season.
The trainer has great hopes for his 4YO returning from a 290-day break from the track.
“He had an injury last time out in the UAE Derby but has recovered well and training well. He spent the summer in Dubai so he is improving,” Olascoaga said.