The fourth meeting of the 2020 Dubai World Cup Carnival takes place tomorrow.

Meydan Overview & Selections – Week 4:

There were some very fast times at Meydan last week. The turf was riding like a trampoline, really allowing horses to stretch and use themselves properly. The natural rainfall that had fallen soaked the track but as it dried it reached a point where it became very receptive to a galloping racehorse with no jar whatsoever. The dirt was also very fast with Bochart posting a sensational time over 6 furlongs. The rain had clearly tightened the track up and the rail seemed to be speed favouring. Bochart did get the perfect scenario being able to run even fractions whilst controlling the race but even so the slick conditions played a part in his very fast time.

This week I don’t expect the turf to be so conducive to lightning fast times as it will have tightened up a bit. The dirt however may still be very slick.

Four selections for you this week:

10:05am Meydan – UAE 1000 Guineas: Final Song

This is a re-match between Final Song, Rio Angie and Down on Da Bayou. They took each other on in the 1000 Guineas trial with Final Song winning a shade comfortably from Down on Da Bayou with Rio Angie back in third. I felt this was an honest result that provided a decent speed figure for fillies at this time of the year and I see no reason for the form to be turned around. There is a suspicion that Rio Angie needed the run and will be sharper here. She is certainly a strong travelling proper dirt horse but I’m not sure she’s as good as Final Song who was encountering dirt for the first time in the trial and is also entitled to improve.

10:40am Meydan: Waady

I like this horse switching from dirt to turf and dropping back to the minimum trip. In the UAE he has some fairly strong dirt form. He finished in front of last week’s easy winner Bochart and also beaten Pop the Hood, a facile winner on Saturday at Meydan. The return to turf could really suit him and his turf form, when sprinting in the UK for John Gosden, was really strong. He can boast a defeat of Kachy amongst several really good efforts. This will be a strongly run race which should suit him and he can be another winner for Doug Watson.

11:50am Meydan – Al Fahidi Fort Group 2: Mythical Magic

Charlie Appleby was going to run the recent handicap good thing Zakouski here but instead relies upon Mythical Magic, Mubtasim and Glorious Journey. My preference is for Mythical Magic who was second in this last year before running out an impressive winner of the Zabeel mile. He is probably a bit better at a mile but in a race that is not that hot for the grade, he can outclass the opposition here. I would not be surprised if William Buick decided to make the running and an easy lead would be fatal to the chances of the others here. He looks sure to go close.

12:25pm Meydan: Franz Kafka

This horse was really impressive, posting a good speed figure in a domestic turf handicap at Meydan recently. It was one of the best figures produced this UAE season, including the Carnival races, and he must be supported here despite the switch to dirt. If he handles the surface I think he will win. He’s a front-runner which will help to avoid the kickback and he’s by Dubawi which gives him a chance of handling the surface. Harry Bentley rides and he just needs to avoid the trap of riding a race! Turf thinking will not cut it here on this surface. If he’s positive and sends this horse to the front he will take plenty of catching.

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