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| Rowan Anderson |
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Meydan hosts a seven-race card on Friday night highlighted by the Group Two Zabeel Mile and two Listed company races.
The first of the Listed races is the UAE 1000 Guineas run over 1600m and worth USD $150,000 attracting a field of seven.
A small but quality field led by Mimi Kakushi who will be aiming to back up after taking out the trial for this race beating the Doug Watson trained pair Asawer and Awasef, who both return here.
Mimi Kakushi is trained by Salem bin Ghadayer and won the trial by a two-length margin under Mickael Barzalona, who retains the ride here. The trainer also prepares Here We Are who is also backing up after a last start win at the track breaking her maiden.
“Both fillies are in top form,” said Bin Ghadayer.
“They are facing the same fillies they ran against before. I’m happy with Mimi Kakushi, even with the extra furlong from her last race.”
UK based trainer Harry Eustace prepares Cite D’Or who will be looking to emulate Pia Brandt’s Silva who was the last European based filly to win the feature in 2019.
“She travelled out to Meydan on December 29th,” said Nick Bradley, majority owner of the dual turf winner. “She’s done everything right to date but the dirt is an unknown. She’ll go from here to the UAE Oaks which has been her target since November.”
“She's been a star and she is my highest rated horse in the yard. We are having plenty of fun with her already and hopefully have plenty more,” added trainer Eustace.
The other Listed company race on the card is the Al Khail Trophy, race six, which sees the return of Group Two Derby Italiano winner Ardakan, now in training with Marco Botti.
“Ardakan joined us after his run in the US,” said Lucia Botti, overseeing the team in Dubai. “He’s a lovely big, imposing, young horse whose plan is to run hopefully in the G2 Dubai Gold Cup.
“He has settled into his daily routine nicely here and we are all very excited to see him racing for us, up in distance, on Friday.”
Ardakan’s opposition includes Ismail Mohammed’s Away He Goes, who has been placed on four of five starts in the UAE. He will bid to reverse form with the Bhupat Seemar-trained Wickywickywheels, who beat him by a length and a quarter in the Listed Abu Dhabi Championship in December.
Irish trainer David O’Meara prepares two with Charging Thunder getting a second start in the UAE after finishing seventh earlier in the month and stablemate Get Shirty to make his UAE debut.
In the second race, a handicap over 1200metres on dirt, we will see the return of the impressive 5YO gelded son of Mehmas, Colour Up.
He returns after a 33-day break after back to back wins at Jebel Ali and Meydan last month.
“Colour Up has improved in his last two starts and we hope he will improve again,” said owner Sayed Hashish of the five-year-old. “The draw [7] is not good but it’s not a big field and we know he likes Meydan.”
The partnership of Bhupat Seemar and Tadhg O’Shea teams up again with the 4YO My Dubawi who will be looking to make it back-to-back UAE wins after finishing victorious at Jebel Ali by a five length margin six days ago.
Salem bin Ghadayer prepares the 4YO Frosted colt, Rawy won the 2000 Guineas Trial last season.
“Rawy got put up 7lbs after his last race, so I hope he will cope with top weight,” said trainer Bin Ghadayer. “He’s done one piece of work since his last race and went very well.”
Champion trainer ladder leader Doug Watson has an interesting hope in race three with the 5YO Boomshalaa who has won three of his six starts in the UK and now lines up for his local debut.
Jamie Osborne readies Hierarchy who has won twice over 1200metres and has been hyped up by the trainer as having the ability to really throw down competition throughout the campaign.
The closing 1400metre turf handicap attracts a field of 16 with an immense international flavour seeing horses from Ireland, the UK and Spain joining the locals.
O’Callaghan runs four-time Irish winner Fastnet Crown, who drops in grade and trip after finishing sixth in the G2 Al Rashidiya last week.
“Fastnet Crown came out of the Al Rashidiya in very good form,” said the handler. “He drops back into handicap company Friday night, which should see him to good effect.”