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| Staff Writer |
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Ralph Beckett's sprint champion, Starlust, who finished third in the Group One Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, appears to be the frontrunner in this year's highly competitive field for the Al Wasl Stakes. This race is the main event on Friday's undercard at Meydan Racecourse.
The 1200m Conditions race at the upcoming event will feature several talented 3YOs, including Al Dasim, the defending champion trained by George Boughey. Boughey, who won at Meydan last week with Walbank, appears to have a good understanding of what it takes to win a turf sprint at the venue. Al Dasim had a perfect record of three wins in three races last season, but placed seventh in the Al Quoz Sprint, where he faced tougher competition.
Boughey's recent success at Meydan, coupled with another year of experience and his recent win with Walbank, make him a strong contender. However, his entry Salvuccio, a Dutch Art gelding ridden by Pat Cosgrave, still has a lot to prove. Although he is seeking his third consecutive win after winning a handicap and a novice event at Wolverhampton and Newcastle, he was gelded a few days later, and it remains to be seen whether he can continue his winning streak.
In contrast, Starlust, trained by Beckett and ridden by Hector Crouch, has already proven himself with a fine third-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Santa Anita. He was just one and a quarter lengths behind the winner, Big Evs, in that race, and this will be his third time running at the top level. His prior fifth-place finish in the Gr.1 Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes should also serve as a valuable learning experience for this test.
“It’s very much his first run of the year but he has done plenty at home,” said Alex Cole, Racing Manager to the Hays.
“The draw [13] isn’t great but he is the class horse and should run well.”
In September, the Zoustar colt emerged victorious in the Gr.3 Sirenia Stakes at Kempton. This win increases his prospects in the current race, especially considering that George Scott's Seven Questions, who will be running here, was narrowly defeated by him in that previous race. On the other hand, one horse in this field that has previously beaten Starlust is Zoulu Chief, trained by Heather Main and ridden by Pat Dobbs.
“Zoulu Chief has settled in well and we think the track will suit him,” said Main.
Marsoom, from Michael Costa's yard, is a standout among the locally-trained horses. The Omaha Beach colt defeated Turjman in a 1000m novice event at Jebel Ali and given that the latter won handsomely at the same venue, Marsoom's form looks genuine and progressive.
Great Truth, a Dubawi colt from Godolphin's Charlie Appleby's yard, is one of the most interesting candidates in the race. He delivered a solid fourth in the Gr.2 Superlative Stakes, finishing behind City of Troy who is now the favourite for this year's Epsom Derby. Great Truth won his only other start in a novice by a significant margin of five-and-a-quarter lengths. The fading performance in the Superlative may have nudged Appleby into testing him as a sprinter.
Zorken, another colt to keep an eye on, has won four of his seven starts in France, including the Listed Criterium de Vitesse at Deauville in October. Trained by Ingrid Koplikova, he is running at Meydan for the first time, and his trainer hopes for the best result.
Star Of Mystery and Aram are two fillies from Appleby and Ahmad bin Harmash's yards, respectively, who have been tempted by the two-kilos allowance. While Star Of Mystery won the Listed Empress Fillies' Stakes at Newmarket in July, she has been beaten twice at Group Two level, most recently finishing sixth in the Lowther Stakes at York in August. William Buick takes the ride, and there is plenty to look forward to, especially given the Appleby armada's flying start to the season.
Highbank, a son of Kingman from Charlie Appleby's yard, looked like a horse going places on debut when he won a maiden on the July Course. However, his career has stalled since then, despite being gelded and enjoying last winter in Dubai. Three starts at Meydan last year produced creditable performances, but he handicapped his chance with sluggish starts before appearing late on the scene over a variety of trips. An outing in the UK last summer yielded his second career success when he won a well-contested 1600m handicap under William Buick. This test should be to his liking, but the race is far from a one-horse affair.
In the 2000m handicap on dirt, Fawzi Nass-trained Go Soldier Go, who finished fifth in the Gr.2 UAE Derby, should be one of the top prospects. Book Review, trained by Salem bin Ghadayer, has a trio of 1900m wins and one over 2200m, while Korean veteran Simjangui Godong adds some Far Eastern intrigue to the field. Naxos from George Boughey's yard seems capable of handling the distance, and Stormy Ocean from Crisfords has scored here over the 1800m circuit. Saeed bin Suroor's Big Team and Doug Watson's Hero Mo and Kabirkhan are also strong contenders.
Finally, Kal Barg from Michael Costa's yard should be a solid fit for the 1400m handicap after shedding his maiden tag by nearly nine lengths at Jebel Ali over a shorter 1200m trip.