Jockey Paul Hanagan and trainer Doug Watson will both be hoping for a big evening at Meydan on Thursday with the UAE’s flagship racecourse staging, by far, the best meeting of the season so far.
Three weeks before the first meeting of the Carnival, plenty of clues are sure to be offered regarding the strength of the local challenge, particularly in regards to the dirt races at Meydan’s annual international extravaganza.
The meeting kicks off with the only Purebred Arabian race on the card, the 1600m Group 2 Mazrat Al Ruwayah and most of the attention will be centred on Manark.
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Trained by Erwan Charpy for Sheikh Hamdan, he won the Kahayla Classic on Dubai World Cup night (basically the Purebred Arabian equivalent of the world’s richest race) in March. That took his career tally to two dirt wins from the same number of starts.
He did disappoint on his seasonal return, on the Abu Dhabi turf and is penalised, but he still appears the most likely winner.
Sheikh Hamdan’s retained jockey, Paul Hanagan, will be hoping for a flying start to proceedings. He said: “Erwan is very happy with Manark and he is working well. The return to Meydan and the dirt looks in his favour and I am really looking forward to the race.”
The jockey was expressing similar sentiments about Muarrab, his mount in the 1200m Garhoud Sprint, one of three Thoroughbred Listed races on the card.
Trained by Musabah Al Muhairi, he won last season’s Jebel Ali Sprint over 1000m and made an emphatic winning return, over 1200m at Jebel Ali, three weeks ago.
This will be only his third start at Meydan where he has, to date, posted a second and a third.
Hanagan said: “I saw his Jebel Ali win last time and he was impressive. He is a good sprinter and hopefully the one to beat.”
Muarrab is trained by Musabah Al Muhairi, as is the same owner’s Rafeej, winner of both previous editions of the race and the mount of Sheikh Hamdan’s second jockey, Dane O’Neill.
He said: “Obviously conditions suit him but I won on Muarrab the last day and he really impressed me. He will be hard to beat.”
Should Sheikh Hamdan’s pair fail to fire, the Watson-trained Cool Cowboy could be the one to benefit but the trainer appears to have stronger chances in the other two Listed races.
The trainer’s Layl faces six rivals in the Dubai Creek Mile, as the name suggests, over 1600m.
He was ultra progressive last season and, perhaps significantly on his seasonal debut, goes well fresh.
Watson said: “This has always been the plan for his return and he is in great form at home. We expect a big run.”
Hanagan’s mount, Nolohay, looks the main danger. Watson and Hanagan combine with Jeeraan in The Entisar over 2000m.
A course and distance winner on his most recent outing, two weeks ago, he should go close. The trainer saddles Storm Belt in the same race. Like Layl, he will be ridden by Pat Dobbs and has a progressive profile.
