IdaBet.com is pleased to offer a preview of Thursday’s meeting at Meydan written by Laura King, a Presenter & Producer for the Dubai Racing Channel who writes a number of pieces for the Racing UK website.
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Dubai, Thursday, Jan 27th Preview by Laura King
If at first you don’t succeed… you know how it goes. So do the connections of California Chrome, who has just returned to Dubai in an attempt to better his second in last year’s Dubai World Cup.
This year, Chrome will run in Dubai before the big night; his second start of the campaign following a routine win in the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes at Santa Anita three weeks’ ago.
“For most horses, third of the layoff is when they’re at their best”, said Assistant Trainer Alan Sherman, who is in Dubai to oversee the horse’s preparation. “At the moment I’m favouring running in the handicap [on February 25th] over a mile and a quarter, rather than the Maktoum Challenge, as it will give me an extra week, and I think that four weeks is about right.”
Alan travelled to the UK and back last summer with Chrome on his aborted Royal Ascot mission, but now believes the trip may have had its benefits.
“It might have been a blessing, as he had pretty much the whole year off and he really grew up.
“I was a little worried when he came back from the country club, at Taylor Made [Stud], that he would have gotten a little lazy on us, but he hasn’t – they did a phenomenal job with him there and he looked like a completely different animal when he came back – he’s bigger and stronger.”
This week’s feature race at Meydan is the Group 2 Al Rashidiya, which trainer Mike De Kock has won seven times, including the past four. He runs three this time, and Mujaarib could become the first horse to win this twice if following up his 2014 success. He finished his race well last time, but can be inconsistent, so stablemates Forries Waltz and Ertijaal [Meydan, 16.45] make more appeal with the latter’s class just taken to prevail over the former’s race fitness. De Kock’s horses have to be exceptional to overcome travel from South Africa in their first Dubai season, but Paul Hanagan’s mount’s destruction of the Cape Derby field a year ago suggests that he just might be.
The preceding handicap, over six furlongs on dirt, isn’t the strongest and Kifaah and My Catch can fight it out again, as they did when both finding Nawwaar too strong last time. There isn’t much between them, but My Catch [Meydan, 16.10] has greater stamina than his rival and can just outlast him here.
The seven furlong turf handicap is much trickier and tentative preference is for Anaerobio, [Meydan, 17.20] who seems as good as ever despite his advancing years. Flash Fire, who will appreciate this drop in trip, can also make his presence felt.
We stay over seven furlongs, but revert to the sand, for the next, in which Doug Watson’s Cool Cowboy [Meydan, 17.55] is fancied to continue his improvement. He’s down in grade here and connections have been very keen to stretch him out to this trip. Encipher is also of interest at a bigger price.
De Kock can continue his good afternoon in the closing turf event, where UAE debutant Mutamakkin [Meydan, 18.30] can take advantage of a big drop in class.
