Former UAE Champion Jockey, Wayne Smith made a flying start this season with a double for Musabah Al Muhairi at Jebel Ali last Friday and will be hoping to continue in similar vein when racing returns to Meydan on Thursday evening.
The meeting, generously sponsored by Emirates Airline, has attracted an excellent six-race card on the all-weather and Al Muhairi reintroduces both his stars from last season, Jebel Ali Mile and Stakes winner Treble Jig and Jebel Ali Sprint victor, Russian Rock.
The former will attempt to concede weight to eight rivals in the featured 1,600m conditions race, the penultimate event on the card. Stable jockey Smith is looking forward to renewing his association with the horse on whom he made history last season by winning both the Jebel Ali Mile and Stakes – the first time the feat had been achieved.
Smith said: “He was a star for us last season, from his first run at Abu Dhabi when he won easily on the turf. The two Jebel Ali wins were great efforts and a real boost to the whole yard.
“You could argue his two efforts at Meydan on the all-weather were his worst but there were excuses each time. It is never easy to give weight away but this looks a good place to bring him back to the track.”
“You could argue his two efforts at Meydan on the all-weather were his worst but there were excuses each time. It is never easy to give weight away but this looks a good place to bring him back to the track.”
Doug Watson trains Barbecue Eddie who won a 1,400m handicap on his last track outing in March when the re-opposing Montmorency and Canwinn were third and fourth respectively. That victory earned Watson’s charge a crack at the Godolphin Mile on Dubai World Cup night but sadly he was forced to miss that race due to illness.
Watson said: “We were really looking forward to the Godolphin Mile as he offers us a lot of hope he will stay the extra 200m and he had a nice low draw. That was not to be but this looks a good spot for him and again he has drawn well. Hopefully he can run well in an open race.”
Dhruba Selvaratnam trains Canwinn who can never be safely ruled out under these conditions but it could be that Montmorency, representing the in-form Satish Seemar/Richard Mullen combination, is a bigger danger on this occasion after the team’s double last week.
Champion Trainer, Ali Rashid Al Raihe, who was also in double form last week, saddles Haatheq in that contest but it may be that the Grandstand Stables man has stronger claims in the preceding 2,000m handicap. Stable jockey Royston Ffrench carries the yard’s hopes aboard Zain Shamardal, a winner on this card last year.
Stable companion, Rochdale has actually won this race in each of the last two years and it may be significant that Ffrench is not in the saddle on this occasion. Stable apprentice Saeed Al Mazrooei partners Wonder Lawn to give Grandstand Stables a strong hand.
The meeting concludes with a 1,200m handicap and the Al Muhairi/Smith combination rely on the aforementioned Russian Rock who will need to be near his best to concede weight to nine rivals.
Smith said: “Like Treble Jig, whatever he achieves this time he will build on and we do not have the best of draws. That said, he is in good form and should run his usual solid race and it would be great to think both horses will be back at Jebel Ali with live chances later in the season.”
The Selvaratnam-trained Alo Pura and Al Raihe’s Green Beret should certainly not be discounted but it could be that the biggest danger turns out to be bottom weight Bartolomeu on whom Tadhg O’Shea takes the mount for trainer Ernst Oertel.
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