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| Sumita Pawar |
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This Friday, the Dubai Creek Mile takes place at Meydan Racecourse, and it's set to be an exciting event. This is the first pattern race of the 2023-24 Emirates Racing Season, and some of the best names in the mile division will be competing.
The event is fully sponsored by the UAE's leading property developers Nakheel, and the programme features eight races. One of the highlights of the evening is the PA Gr.2 Bani Yas presented by The Crown Palm (5.25pm), which is the only contest dedicated to Purebred Arabians.
However, the main event is the Dubai Creek Mile (8.25pm), which carries Listed status. Thirteen horses are expected to head to the starting gates, including a pair of past winners in Bhupat Seemar's Secret Ambition and Thegreatcollection, trained by champion trainer Doug Watson, winners of the race in 2019 and 2020 respectively.
Secret Ambition won the Gr.3 Firebreak Stakes and the Gr.2 Godolphin Mile after winning the Dubai Creek Mile in 2019. Meanwhile, Heavy Metal won the 2017 renewal of the Dubai Creek Mile before claiming Gr.2 Al Maktoum Challenge R1, the Firebreak Stakes, and the Godolphin Mile in a matter of months.
At 10 years old, Secret Ambition's best years may be behind him, but the Exceed And Excel entire has shown no signs of stopping. He closed the last campaign winning the Listed Jebel Ali Classic at the 'hill' by coming off the pace to hit the front and hold on gamely. Secret Ambition finished runner-up on two other occasions in Group company, and he'll be hard to shake off whoever rides him if things go his way during the race.
Seemar's first choice and champion jockey Tadhg O'shea has opted for the ride aboard stablemate Al Nefud, second on the ante-post list, behind Home Brew, who represents the in-form yard of Michael Costa.
Al Nefud, a 5YO Dubawi gelding and ex-Charlie Appleby trainee, took Meydan by storm when he was launched 11 months ago, winning a pair of mile events before finishing a well-beaten runner-up in the Gr.2 Al Maktoum Challenge R2 behind Hot Rod Charlie.
After dominating his first Group level assignment, Secret Ambition was expected to win the Godolphin Mile, but he finished last. However, after a summer of recovery, Seemar hopes to make a comeback with Home Brew, who is currently the favorite based on his impressive form under Brad Cox in the US. Home Brew won the Listed Pegasus Stakes by a six-and-a-quarter lengths, one of five wins for the Street Sense colt in eight career starts.
Mimi Kakushi, a 3YO daughter of City Of Light trained by Salem bin Ghadayer for HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, finished eighth in the Kentucky Oaks in May after winning the Gr.3 UAE Oaks in February. She will look to make a splash on her return to Meydan, where she won both the 1000 Guineas Trial and the main event, which carries Listed status.
Desert Wisdom, Ahmed Al Shemaili’s 2022 Gr.3 Burj Nahaar winner and Godolphin Mile runner-up, seeks redemption after an underwhelming campaign that saw him go unplaced in four starts. He is also in the mix. Watson’s Thegreatcollection will be joined in the field by stable companions Golden Goal, winner of the 2022 Gr.2 Al Maktoum Challenge R1, and Everfast, who placed second in the Firebreak Stakes last term behind Prince Eiji, who won this last year. Es-Unico, one of two saddled by Julio Olascoaga, will be ridden by James Doyle, while Julio Olascoaga also saddles Atletico El Culano, who will be ridden by Jose da Silva.
On the undercard are a pair of maidens for juveniles over 1200m (18:05) and 1400m (19:15), and a quartet of handicaps, including one, a 1900m run carrying the name of dual Dubai World Cup winner Thunder Snow (21:00), which has roped in a posse of names that could be moved up in grade based on performances here.