The highly-rated Faulkner makes his eagerly-awaited seasonal debut when facing five rivals in a 1600m handicap on the Meydan dirt this evening.
Winner of a trial at Meydan before last season began, he then won all three career starts, starting in a 1200m Jebel Ali maiden.
The trip was probably on the short side for him, though the stiff uphill finish and his clear superiority allowed him to win easily.
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He then managed something few others did last season on the new Meydan dirt surface; not just once, but twice, he finished from well off the pace to land two handicaps (one over 1200m, the other 1400m).
Just as significantly, his 1400m victory, achieved at the Carnival, was at the main expense of Tamarkuz who won his other four subsequent Meydan starts – highlighted by the Group 2 Godolphin Mile on World Cup night.
Faulkner, like two of his opponents, Ostaad and One Man Band, both winners on their previous outing, is trained by Doug Watson.
Watson said: “Faulkner is a horse we have always really liked and we were keen to try him over 1600m+ last season but he had a setback and we were not able to.
“This looks the perfect slot to get him back on the track. He is pleasing us at home but does have to give weight away and has been off since January.
“He should run well but will certainly improve fitness-wise for the run.
“One Man Band won well under these conditions two weeks ago and should run another big race. Ostaad is fit and well and should not be ruled out.”
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Stable jockey, Pat Dobbs, not surprisingly, rides Faulkner with Sam Hitchcott on One Man Band and Chris Hayes aboard Ostaad. Cross Grain looks the main danger to Faulkner though.
Richard Mullen rides for Satish Seemar and will be hoping to follow up a smooth success, in a 1400m handicap, at Meydan’s first meeting of the season four weeks ago.
Mullen said: “This is a better race than the one he won last time but he seems in good form and should not be far away.”
The meeting opens with Meydan’s first Purebred Arabian race of the season, the 1600m Mazrat Al Ruwayah Prep.
Last year’s winner and subsequent course and distance Group One victor, Bigg N Rich, is back but for a new stable
He has joined the Ali Rashid Al Raihe yard which, like Doug Watson’s, has made a great start to the season.
Stable jockey, Tadhg O’Shea, rides and said: “Hopefully he is the one they have to beat and he is certainly ready for a race.
“It will bring him on but we cannot get him any fitter at home.”
Bigg N Rich’s former trainer, Eric Lemartinel, is now based at the powerful Al Asayl Stables, training primarily for Sheikh Khalifa.
They have two in the race with Gerald Avranche on Richlore looking the yard’s main hope.
