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| Rowan Anderson |
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Meydan will host a seven-race card on Friday night highlighted by a trio Group Twos and a Group Three, showcasing some of the best racing talent the world has to offer.
The Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 run over 1900m carries the highest purse worth USD $350,000 and has attracted a field of 14.
The highest-rated hope is the Simon Crisford-trained Algiers (115) with the 6YO having won his UAE season debut 26 days ago in the Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1 by 6.5 lengths under James Doyle. Last season the gelded son of Shamardal claimed victory in the Jebel Ali Mile with Remorse finishing second.
Bhupat Seemar prepares Remorse and Bendoog and will have the pair ready in this one. The 6YO Remorse beat home his younger stablemate last start in The Listed Entisar as well as finishing second in both the Group 3 Jebel Ali Mile and Group One Al Maktoum Challenge R3 last season. The colt Bendoog ran a handy third in the Listed Al Bastakiya last season also and continues to improve and impress his trainer.
There are many other hopefuls in this quality field including the Julio Olascoaga-trained Athletico El Culano with the 6YO having captured a Group Three and a Group 1 in his native Uruguay during the 2021 season. His last three starts at Meydan, and his first season in the UAE have seen him run a second place last start to Salute the Soldier, who lines up again here, along with a handy third place in the Listed Dubai Creek Mile.
Musabbeh Al Mheiri saddles the older 8YO Military Law returning after a sixth-place finish last time at Meydan however the gelded son of Dubawi has won a Listed Entisar (2019) and Group Two Al Maktoum Challenge R1 in 2021, so the form is there.
Salute the Soldier rounds out the top hopes here for trainer Fawzi Nass and he returns after winning at Meydan last start. Meydan has been great for him seeing him win a Group Three Burj Nahaar (2020), Group Two Al Maktoum Challenge R2, and Group One Al Maktoum Challenge R3 during the 2021 season – with all victories piloted by Adrie de Vries.
Doug Watson dominates the Group Three Al Shindagha Sprint feature when it comes to training records with four to his name saddling Cool Cowboy (2017), My Catch (2018), Drafted (2019) and Al Tariq (2021). In the saddle Pat Dobbs holds the record thanks to his partnership with Watson.
In this year’s edition, the ladder leading trainer prepares a trio of hopes with Mubakker, Isolate, and Al Tariq with the aim of adding a fifth title.
Isolate is on local debut with two Stakes wins last year, the 7YO Al Tariq has two Group Three victories at the Meydan track in the Dubawi Stakes (2022) and this race in 2021 under Pat Dobbs.
Michael Costa prepares Mouheeb who backs up after a third place in the Group Three Dubawi Stakes last start, a Listed class win in the Al Garhoud Sprint and took out the Group Three UAE 2000 Guineas in 2021.
However, the hot favourite heading into this race will once again be the elder statesman in racing, the 9YO Switzerland, being readied by Bhupat Seemar. The gelded son of Speightstown has two Group Threes to his name taking out the Dubawi Stakes in 2021 and this season. Last season also saw him triumph in the Listed Al Garhoud Sprint dominantly by close to ten lengths and the USD $2 million Group One Golden Shaheen.
Singspiel made a name for himself winning around the globe including taking out the Dubai World Cup in 1997. The race in his name will be a highlight of Friday night’s card having been contested since 2014.
The Group Two Singspiel Stakes has been won for the past two years by Lord Glitters trained by David O’Meara with the son of Whipper now retired. Not only did he win the feature twice but he broke the race time record completing the race in 1:46:82 previously set by Benbatl.
O’Meara returns with the hope to make it a third win in this feature with his gelding Shelir. The 7YO son of Dark Angel returns after a twelve-day break finishing second last start in the Group Two Zabeel Mile denied the victory by 0.5 of a length. His only other start this season, his first in the UAE, saw him finishing third in the Group Two Al Fahidi Fort following his last trip to the winner’s circle in Ascot last October.
The Godolphin powerhouse has four hopes in the race with Valiant Prince, Dubai Future, Ottoman Fleet, and Desert Fire.
Charlie Appleby prepares the 5YO Valiant Prince who is backing up from victory in the Group Two Al Rashidiya earlier this month with the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Dubai Future and stablemate Ottoman Fleet rounding out placings on that occasion.
Dubai Future took out the Group Three Bahrain International Trophy two starts ago as well as having a Listed win in Ascot, Listed Dubai Racing Club Classic in Meydan last season and the Listed Meydan Cup the season before, proving the form lines of the Bin Suroor trained gelded son of Dubawi.
Ottoman Fleet is the 4YO with only one prior run in the UAE finishing third in the Group Two Al Rashidiya with a win in a Listed race and a second placing in a Group Three in Newmarket last year.
The final of the Godolphin quarter is the 8YO Desert Fire who debuted in the UAE during the 2019 season with a Group Two Al Rashidya win last year to his name.
The Group Two Cape Verdi is run over 1600m on turf and run in honour of Cape Verdi, who won the 1000 Guineas for Godolphin in 1998 and sees the females step out.
The names of Godolphin’s Saeed bin Suroor and Charlie Appleby dominate the history of the race with the pair having won half of all runnings and James Doyle holds the riding record for the race winning four times (2016, 2019, 2020, 2021) with only one horse having won it in Very Special going back to back (2016,2017).
Saeed bin Suroor holds the training record with five and will be looking to return to winning proceedings having last doing so in 2018 with Promising Run and prepares two hopes this year in Soft Whisper and White Moonlight amongst a field with an international blend.
The Bin Suroor-trained pair were the first two to cross the line in their last start with Soft Whisper winning by a neck. The 5YO Dubawi x Placidia mare also won the 2021 Listed UAE Guineas by a thumping seven lengths.
Spanish trainer Guillemo Arizkorreta prepares Samedi Rien, a two times Stakes winner last year in her native Spain.
French Caullery has Kennella who a Listed class race with two third placings in Group Three’s last year and Michael Costa saddles Carolina Reaper for Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The 5YO filly took out the Group Three Easter Handicap in her native New Zealand last April before running an underwhelming ninth-last start in her local debut at Meydan.
Five of the nominations are on local debut including the Pia Brandt-trained Katoucha who won a Listed class race at Deauville in her last start 44 days ago.