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Jamie Osborne looks to have a strong hand at Meydan on Friday, led by Ouzo who defends his crown in the US$95,000 Lord North Handicap. The gelding, who went on to land the Lord Glitters Handicap after his success in this race last year, teams up with Adrie de Vries in a capacity 16-runner field.
"It's great to have him back here in an attempt to retain his Lord North crown," said Osborne, who trains the gelding for The Other Club partnership that includes his wife Katie. "He's been training well and on all known evidence this course, distance and the Dubai air bring out the best in him."
Osborne also introduces new recruit See Hector, a Group Three winner in Germany for previous trainer Henk Grewe. The newcomer will be ridden by Pat Dobbs in the colours of prominent Emirati owner Malih Al Basti. "He hasn't been with us very long," added Osborne. "Friday will show us where we are with him."
Last year's runner-up Silent Film returns for trainer Ian Williams, making his fourth carnival appearance, while Joseph O'Brien sends the newly-gelded Galen, who was last seen finishing eighth in a Group Two at Leopardstown. O'Brien, a multiple Group One-winning trainer, is yet to have a Dubai winner in five attempts.
Dylan Cunha runs Silver Sword, who makes a quick return after a troubled run last week. "Silver Sword was disappointing last week but got boxed in twice when he was in a good rhythm and needed to make a run which I feel cost him," explained Cunha. "He's a thinker and that was too much for him. I do feel we could have been 3rd/4th there. Friday is a lot tougher and he's going to have to up his game to run well. He's taken the race well and I've freshened him up into this week and he looks great."
The US$82,000 Al Wasl Stakes has attracted quality three-year-old sprinters over 1200m, looking to follow the path of last year's winner Star Of Mystery, who beat subsequent Gr.1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner Starlust before going on to Group One and Group Two success herself.
Amy Murphy's dual winner Itsatenfromlen ships in from Newmarket, with Murphy reporting: "He's in good form, he shipped over well. He enjoys quick ground and we are looking forward to running him."
Osborne introduces three-time winner Jungle Drums, recently purchased from Karl Burke's yard. "We haven't had him long and we are still learning about him," said Osborne. "He breezed well last week but I'm confident we can improve him further through the next few weeks."
Cunha's King's Call drops back to age-restricted company after an eye-catching fourth against older horses. "King's Call ran a massive race against older horses last week," said Cunha. "He's back against his own age and I feel he will run a huge race. He's in tip top form and should be in the first three, all being well in the race."
Godolphin are double-handed with dual novice winner Midnight Thunder for Saeed bin Suroor and Symbol Of Honour representing Charlie Appleby. "This is a good opportunity to see how much Midnight Thunder has improved since last year," said Bin Suroor. "It's a nice race for him and I'm looking forward to a good run."
Appleby added of his charge: "Dropping back to six furlongs isn't a concern for Symbol Of Honour, and you can put a line through his last run as he didn't enjoy the soft ground. He put up a good performance at Doncaster and goes into this with the highest rating in the field."
The opening Dubai Maritime City Conditions race sees exciting prospect Heart Of Honor bid to build on his taking December debut for Osborne against ten rivals including Exculpation, who beat re-opposing Honest Moon at Jebel Ali.
"It's been a finely balanced decision to run on Friday rather than go straight to the UAE 2000 Guineas," explained Osborne. "We've concluded that more experience will stand him in good stead for what's to come. He's been training very well since his win and all the signs are that he has improved."
Spanish interest comes through 13-time champion trainer Guillermo Arizkorreta, who sends out Sky Hawk in the JAFZA Logistics Park Handicap. The speedster has won two from nine starts in Spain and the UK, most recently finishing second over 1100m at La Zarzuela.
"Sky Hawk has improved during the year in Spain," said Arizkorreta, who has booked ten-time Spanish Champion Jockey Vaclav Janácek for the ride. "He shows plenty of speed and I hope he will be competitive off his mark of 78, but it's hard to assess with Spanish form. He seems happy in Dubai."
Gr.3 UAE 2000 Guineas winner Mendelssohn Bay tackles handicap company and older horses for the first time in the JAFZA Handicap over 2000m, where his rivals include Local Dynasty, making a second dirt appearance after a promising third in The Entisar.
"We were very happy with Mendelssohn Bay's last performance, maintaining his dominance in the three-year-old division in the UAE," said Paul Ebbs, Managing Owner of the Suited & Booted Syndicate. "This year's international Carnival contenders are of a very high standard, but we are sure that Mendelssohn Bay will continue to develop, with his Curlin pedigree, and will be competitive against the older, established horses."
The card concludes with Arizkorreta's recent Tattersalls purchase Thundering, formerly with Kevin Ryan, taking on 15 rivals including Ahmad bin Harmash's dirt winner Valdivia in the JAFZA One Handicap over 2410m on turf.
"We just bought him from Kevin Ryan's in the Horses in Training Sale in October," said Arizkorreta of his US$23,000 purchase. "He is loving the sunshine and we are pleased with him."
The eight-race card starts at 5:30pm local time at Meydan Racecourse, which will stage the US$30.5 million Dubai World Cup meeting on Saturday, 5 April 2025, featuring nine races including the US$12 million showpiece event.
This spectacular racing venue, the world's largest integrated horseracing facility, features an iconic grandstand stretching half a mile in length with capacity for over 60,000 spectators, cementing its position as the centre of Dubai's racing and social scene during the winter months.