Meydan Overview & Selections – Week 2:
Week one was a nightmare from a punting point of view – all selections running poorly. What was reassuring was the fact that pace on the rail on the dirt track looked to confer a big advantage and it will continue to do so throughout the Carnival. The turf course looked to ride as well as always without the usual Godolphin dominance. I expect that to change this week.
I am going with four selections again this week:
9:35am ET Meydan: New Kingdom
I am always keen to follow lightly raced progeny of Dubawi as they progress through their career and I take this promising gelding to make big strides now he is in Dubai. He has a lovely pedigree and built on his debut fifth at Newmarket with a win at Haydock where he showed he had learnt plenty from his debut and benefited from stepping up to 1600 metres. He goes another furlong here which will definitely suit him and he is well drawn in stall 2. He made all when he won last time and William Buick may adopt the same tactics from his good draw. He is the best-bred horse in the race and has a progressive profile and that makes him an attractive punting proposition.
10:10am ET Meydan: Albahr
This is the UAE 2000 Guineas trial and I believe this is one of the best horses to have contested this race for a number of years. I say that because he is already a Grade 1 winner. That win came in the Summer Stakes at Woodbine on his final start last season. Prior to that he won three races on the bounce in the UK including a Listed race at Salisbury. The big question he has to answer is whether he will handle the dirt surface. Given that he is by the multi surface sire Dubawi out of a mare who was by the dirt sire Street Cry there is every chance that a dirt surface will be no problem and he could improve for it. If he handles it he wins.
11:55am ET Meydan: Freedom Fighter
The Seemar team have farmed this race recently winning four of the last five renewals and I am taking a chance that this recruit for their Bob Baffert yard in the USA can continue their domination of this race. He brings Graded stakes form from America and handles the dirt. He has only had 4 starts in his career and after winning over 5 furlongs on debut was asked to step up to 7 and 8 furlongs. Now back to sprinting he can take a big step forward and outline the skills of the Seemar team with sprinters. He is a sporting selection to upset some tough local sprinters in a good renewal of this race.
12:30pm ET Meydan: Rebel’s Romance
Once again I go to a Dubawi / Street Cry cross (see Albahr above). This time we have a horse who has already proved his worth on the dirt here at Meydan, being the winner of the UAE Derby last year. He now needs to step up meeting older horses for the first time but given his dominant display in the UAE Derby and the fact that he is unbeaten at Meydan he is worth supporting here. His only career defeat has only come in Saudi where the track is completely different to Meydan and this is a track which really suits this horse. He is reasonably well drawn in stall 5 and is worth supporting to complete a stellar day for the Godolphin blue.
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