The Dubai World Cup Carnival ramps up a gear this week with the Group Two Zabeel Mile headlining a high-class card at Meydan – Richard Mann previews the action.
Recommended bets
1pt win Desert Encounter in 2.30 at Meydan at 5/1
0.5pts e.w. Masaarr in 3.05 at Meydan at 18/1 (1/5 1,2,3,4)
Once again, Dubai has provided welcome relief from the British winter and heavy-ground jumps action that has continued to frustrate Flat racing fans over the past few months.
This week’s offering from Meydan sees the Carnival step up another level with a pair of Group Two events and two Group Threes providing the foundations for a terrific day's racing.
The pick of the action might just come in the shape of the Zabeel Mile where one-time English 2000 Guineas hope Zakouski bids to take another step up the ladder having left a striking impression when making his first start since his Craven Stakes flop a winning one here last month.
He looks ready for this return to pattern company but it appears significant that William Buick stays loyal to Mythical Magic despite his reverse on his recent to action.
A good winner of this race 12 months ago, Mythical Magic looks to have been primed for a repeat bid by trainer Charlie Appleby.
He, along with Zakouski, help form a strong hand for Appleby but, at the prices, I’m inclined to take both on with DREAM CASTLE, winner of the Group One Jebel Hatta here last season and one who caught the eye when finishing second to Barney Roy last time.
Having endured a disappointing time of it since that sparkling Jebel Hatta victory, the son of Frankel failing to shine in the face of a number of very stiff assignments, I’m sure connections will have been thrilled to see Dream Castle show much more of his old zest when finishing with real purpose to claim the runner-up spot.
The run itself bore all the hallmarks of a fact-finding and confidence-boosting mission and connections will rightly be heartened by what they saw.
The old spark certainly still shines bright and while another furlong might ideally suit better, the six-year-old boasts enough smart form over seven furlongs and a mile to suggest he will be able to make his presence felt today against two rivals whose very best efforts still fall short of pick of Dream Castle's peak figures.
The only Group One winner in the field, I’m happy to chance Dream Castle at the prices in the hope his encouraging latest run can set him up for something of a resurgence.
DREAM CASTLE, by the mighty Frankel, puts in a hugely impressive performance at Meydan for @godolphin!
— Champions Series (@ChampionsSeries) January 3, 2019
The Series legend's progeny up and firing in 2019 pic.twitter.com/iHaw3Qg5fJ
Earlier on the card, the UAE Oaks doesn’t look the strongest of renewals for all Dubai Love appears to have taken to dirt well and rates a worthy favourite.
She’s short enough, though, similarly Equilateral, hot favourite for the Meydan Sprint following his brilliant victory here four weeks ago.
He really ought to follow up but his overall profile would suggest he isn’t one to trust explicitly, particularly not at around the 2/5 mark, and there are much better opportunities elsewhere on the card.
The opening Dubai Millenium Stakes is all about Ghaiyyath but I’m not sure he’s quite lived up to early expectations, for all he won a German Group One in impressive fashion in the autumn, and 1m2f on decent ground might not see him to best effect.
His career-best performance came in that aforementioned race in Germany when 1m4f really brought out the best in him and Buick might be at pains to try and take this race by the scruff of its neck in an attempt to turn it into a stamina test.
Under such circumstances, it isn't too difficult to make a case for DESERT ENCOUNTER at 5/1 given he arrives in Dubai having won his last four starts, culminating in a cosy victory for the second year running in the Grade One Canadian International.
A racehorse – pure and simple! The brilliant Desert Encounter goes back-to-back in the Grade 1 Pattison Canadian International under a beautiful @Atzenijockey ride for @SimcockRacing at @WoodbineTB! #WoIntl pic.twitter.com/HU4e3ZvNjP
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 12, 2019
Clearly, Ghaiyyath will present him with a higher calibre of opposition on Thursday but Desert Encounter did number the likes Mirage Dancer and Matterhorn amongst his victims last summer and crucially, he is at his best when played late off a searching gallop.
He ought to get that here and given trainer David Simcock has already tasted Carnival success with the likes of Universal Order and Woven this winter, there is good reason to expect Desert Encounter to be ready to roll on his first start since October.
Switching to the handicaps, I’m keen to advise a couple of small plays beginning with FANAAR in the Jaguar F PACE Handicap.
Formerly trained by William Haggas in Newmarket, this four-year-old finished third in the Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot last season and filled the same position in a hot handicap at the Ebor Festival a couple of months later.
Fanaar still doesn’t have too many miles on the clock and if anything, has always looked the type to progress with more racing.
He’ll get that opportunity now and the switch to excellent local handler Doug Watson is a wise move given the success his yard have enjoyed with similar types in recent years.
Nice performance - the promising Fanaar masters Deep Intrigue close home in the Listed Ladbrokes Spring Cup Stakes at @LingfieldPark... pic.twitter.com/z54zxwbIhI
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) March 2, 2019
Don’t be surprised if Fanaar takes his form to another level on these shores over the next year or so and while Jim Crowley’s apparent preference to ride Tashweeq would suggest first time out might not be the time to catch the Watson charge, jockey Dane O’Neill has prospered on supposed Hamdan Al Maktoum second string horses already this winter and I’ll pay my money and take my chance at 20/1 that Fanaar will be another.
Finally, the 18/1 about MASAARR for the Jaguar XE Handicap is enough to persuade me to strike a fourth bet on the card.
This son of Distorted Humor looked a horse of some potential when winning a Listed race for Roger Varian back in 2018 and having switched to Nicholas Bachalard the following winter, it wasn’t at all surprising to see him struggle when tried twice on dirt at this meeting last year.
While a winner for Varian on polytrack as a juvenile, it is worth noting that he began his three-year-old career with an odds-on defeat on Wolverhampton’s Tapeta surface and his former trainer wisely kept him to Turf thereafter.
In truth, he never struck me as a dirt horse but the beautiful Turf surface consistently produced by Meydan should see him in a much better light, as should the ease down into handicap company and the plum draw in stall one.
Additionally, the booking of James Doyle takes the eye, as does the big price, and all things considered, a small each-way wager looks in order.
Preview posted 1600 GMT on 19/02/2020
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